Animal Technician , Office of Laboratory Animal Care

Animal Technician (9525C), Office of Laboratory Animal Care #88380

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

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At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The Office of Laboratory Animal Care (OLAC) is responsible for managing a centralized program of animal care and use on the UC Berkeley campus. The department consists of veterinary, administrative and animal husbandry personnel.

Under close supervision, the Animal Technician will perform routine animal husbandry tasks to include the cleaning, feeding, and watering of laboratory animals; the cleaning of cages/enclosures, related ancillary equipment; and the maintenance of animal care areas on the UC Berkeley campus.

65%

• Operate a cage washer for cleaning and sanitizing animal cages and cage supplies through automatic and manual processes.
• Operate a sterilizer machine in order to sterilize caging and equipment for the animals.
• Dispose of animal refuse and soiled bedding properly.
• Clean and maintain animal care areas by scrubbing down the ceilings, walls and floors at prescribed intervals following departmental procedures and training.

30%

• Perform routine animal husbandry tasks including cleaning, watering, feeding and grooming of laboratory animals per recommended guidelines and regulations.
• Clean and repair cages/enclosures and related ancillary equipment following departmental procedures.
• Observe animals daily and report animal health concerns or abnormalities to the veterinary staff promptly.
• Complete all required documentation completely and contemporaneously.
• Maintain documentation, reports and logs including animal cage cards, inventory records, room environment reports, environmental enrichment logs, cage washing and autoclaving logs.
• Perform euthanasia on rodents under the direction of the veterinary staff.
• Perform other duties as requested or assigned by the supervisor.

5%

• Attend and participate in on the job and classroom training.
• Complete all assigned computer-based safety and professional development training by predetermined due dates.
• Communicate procedural questions and self-identified training deficiencies to immediate supervisor and training staff.
• Provide procedural mentoring to other staff as instructed by the supervisor.

• Working knowledge of hygienic principles.
• Applies specialized knowledge of animal husbandry procedures to ensure that research animals are being cared for in accordance with NIH, OSHA, USDA and AWA guidelines and regulations.
• Applies knowledge of and/or ability to learn individual facility SOP's, Working Instructions and Guidelines and ensures that they are being properly implemented.
• Skill in providing humane care and maintenance to several species of animals and providing proper restraint for several species of animals.
• Skill in reading English and numbers to be able to follow instructions, maintain records and identify specific animals.
• Ability to work in an animal research environment which requires continuous contact with animals.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pound bags of feed and bedding for animals. Ability to push up to 300 pound cage racks on wheels.
• Ability to understand and/or ability to learn the established guidelines for humane care and welfare of laboratory animals as described by "Guide for The Care and Use of Laboratory Animal."
• Ability to euthanize rats and mice using CO2 chambers. Must be able to follow the procedures for euthanasia including the use of the CO2 chamber, as well as be able to ascertain that death has occurred. Knowledge of appropriate labeling and disposal of the animals euthanized, including bio-hazardous animals.
• Basic computer skills to enter animal health reports, respond to email…