Cage Wash Technician

Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs.

It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine,(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) provides animal husbandry service and veterinary care to laboratory animals housed on campus for research, training or teaching. This includes meeting environmental and nutritional needs of a variety of animal species in accordance with established industry standards, state and federal rules and regulations, and ULAR's own standard operating procedures.

This position involves keeping ULAR animal facilities supplied with clean animal cages (that can weigh around 4 pounds each). Incumbent will need to load cage racks with 144-plus animal cages, and push the racks through tunnel washers for washing. Some of the cages need to be sterilized through autoclave which also need to be loaded and unloaded. Once the cages and racks are washed, incumbent will prepare the cages for use by putting bedding and feed in the cages.

Once prepared, hundreds of cages are loaded onto metal bulk trucks and transported to animal housing rooms. Incumbents will also need to move animal feed and bedding, with each bag weighing 50 pounds. Incumbent will be responsible for cleaning and minor repairs of cage enclosures and related ancillary equipment. ULAR will provide the necessary training to perform these duties.

• High School or GED degree.
• At least 1 year of recent experience working in environment with, loading/unloading heavy items and/or sanitation.
• Valid California driver’s license, to pick up/deliver items around the Irvine campus, and possibly drive to/from the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange.
• Ability to function effectively as a team member.
• Able to lift, push, pull and move items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to read, write and understand English sufficiently in order to follow given instructions and written standard operating procedures.

• Prior experience working in laboratory environment involving animal research.
• At least 1 year of recent experience working in environment with loading/unloading heavy items and/or sanitation.

• May be required to work weekends and holidays on rotation.
• Must wear protective clothing provided by ULAR (scrubs, masks, gloves, shoe covers, etc).
• Must attend technician training courses/meetings per ULAR’s discretion.
• Must participate in medical monitoring programs as prescribed by the Occupational Health and Safety Program. This may include preventive medical programs such as TB screening, tetanus booster, blood testing, immunizations, medical surveillance and others to meet the state, federal and UC requirements.
• Must be comfortable working alone in following conditions: constant exposure to possible allergens, including but not limited to animal waste, dirty bedding, animal hair, dander, dust, steam, in an enclosed, confined area with no direct access to open air.

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time,…