Animal Specialist - Center Discovery & Innovation; Cdi

Animal Specialist - Center for Discovery & Innovation (CDI)

HMH HOSPITALS CORPORATION, Nutley, New Jersey

• Requisition #
• Shift: Day
• Status:
  Full Time with Benefits

The Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) is recruiting an Animal Technician Specialist with strong in vivo expertise to support drug discovery programs under the supervision of Matthew Zimmerman and Véronique Dartois. At CDI, you will play a hands‑on role in the fight against some of the world’s most challenging infectious diseases — including tuberculosis, multidrug‑resistant bacteria, and viruses of pandemic concern.

As part of a collaborative, mission‑focused team, you’ll contribute directly to preclinical drug discovery programs that aim to save lives globally.

• Drug profiling pharmacokinetics (PK) in rodents and drug toxicity/tolerability studies.
• Drug efficacy models in rodents for multiple biosafety level pathogens (ABSL-2 and ABSL-3), including Mycobacterium species, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii, followed by drug treatment and efficacy evaluation.
• Additional responsibilities include organ homogenization and plating, agar plate preparation, organ processing for histology (formalin fixation, slicing, H&E staining, and slide scanning), and data collection and animal monitoring.
• A strong commitment to animal welfare, biosafety, and ethical research conduct is essential.
• Assists with performing various research and technical operations relative to lab‑specific projects. Specifically, procedures include, but are not limited to, the administration of drugs and discovery compounds to mice via various routes, mouse infection via intranasal, intravenous or aerosol routes, and sampling of organs for drug and burden quantification, and immunopathology studies.
• Assist with preparation of BSL-2 and/or BSL-3 pathogen cultures.
• Sets‑up, maintains, sterilizes, and decontaminates the devices for aerosol infection, homogenizer, and other equipment.
• Autoclave waste materials and clean biosafety cabinets and equipment.
• Understands and adheres to Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) CDI compliance standards.
• Keeps abreast of all pertinent federal and state regulations, laws and policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
• Lifting and handling of laboratory animals and feed/equipment up to 50 pounds.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant science or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with rodent models under Biosafety level 2 containment and/or relevant equivalent work experience.
• Basic knowledge in Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.
• Good organization and record‑keeping skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Proficient computer skills that may include but are not limited to Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite platforms.

• CDC approved for work with select agents.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with animal infection models under Biosafety level 3 containment.

• AALAS certification (American Association for Lab Animal Scientists).

Minimum rate of $21.40 hourly. HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market‑competitive total rewards package.

In addition to our compensation, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding, genetic information, refusal to submit to a genetic test or make available to an employer the results of a genetic test, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, national origin, nationality, ancestry, disability, marital status, liability for military service, or status as a protected veteran.