Research Animal Care Specialist

Job Title:

Research Animal Care Specialist

Department:
Veterinary Medicine | Veterinary Preventive Medicine

The Research Animal Care Specialist at the PAAR Facility, located on the CFAES Wooster Campus, provides direct and indirect animal care and research support within BSL-3 and BSL-3

Ag high-containment environments. This role serves as a primary operational contact for research projects, actively participating in study setup, execution, and closeout. Daily duties involve working in immediate proximity to high-consequence animal pathogens and zoonotic agents, with a primary focus on the husbandry, handling, observation, and welfare of livestock species—specifically bovine, porcine, and avian breeds.

In addition to direct animal care and study execution, the role encompasses comprehensive research support operations both inside and outside of containment. This includes managing research waste streams and autoclave sterilization, tracking project supplies, and maintaining overall facility readiness.

• Direct Animal Care & Husbandry: Provide daily care, feeding, watering, and meticulous health monitoring for research animals, specializing in bovine, porcine, and avian breeds in high-containment settings. Apply keen observational skills to detect subtle changes in animal behavior, physical health, or clinical status.

• Project Setup & Closeout: Lead operational prep work for incoming research projects (setting up animal housing, specialized pens, and study-specific supplies) and execute project closeout protocols (decontaminating housing spaces, organizing study records, and resetting animal rooms).

• Experimental Support & Pathogen Handling: Assist research teams and principal investigators with animal restraint, sampling, health observations, and experimental procedures while working directly with high-consequence zoonotic pathogens.

• Veterinary & Protocol Coordination: Ensure strict day-to-day adherence to approved Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocols and monitor daily animal welfare. Communicate routine health observations with the Attending Veterinarian and report clinical concerns, protocol variances, or animal welfare issues to the immediate supervisor, who serves as the primary liaison to veterinary leadership and compliance committees.

• Decontamination & Waste Disposal: Manage research waste streams by operating autoclaves, tissue digesters, and decontamination systems to sterilize waste materials generated inside high-containment areas. Ensure the proper, safe disposal of all processed, sterilized waste.

• Facility Maintenance Support: Prepare, sanitize, and validate animal housing rooms, laboratories, and specialized equipment before and after project runs.

• Equipment & Space Readiness: Assist with basic troubleshooting and routine maintenance of containment equipment, coordinating with facility staff and vendors when repairs are required.

• Regulatory Compliance: Maintain strict compliance with IACUC guidelines, the Select Agent Program, and regulatory biosafety standards.

• Documentation & Recordkeeping: Maintain meticulous, detailed logs of animal care, project closeouts, equipment validation, waste sterilization cycles, and biosafety incident reports for audit readiness.

• SOP Adherence & Training: Follow and update SOPs related to animal husbandry, biosecurity, and waste decontamination. Assist with escorting visitors or newly cleared users within the facility as needed.

• Supply & Inventory Control: Track, order, and stock necessary project supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), animal feed, bedding, and sanitation chemicals to ensure uninterrupted study schedules.

• Facility Support & Emergency Response: Support facility database tracking, assist with supply staging outside containment, and assist with facility emergency response needs as required.

• Performs other duties consistent with the position's classification and level of responsibility.

Education: Associate degree in Animal Science, Veterinary Technology, Biological Sciences, or a related field required;
Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field preferred.

Experience:
Required: 2+ years of relevant experience in animal husbandry working with bovine, porcine, and avian species within a research environment, including direct experience working under…