The Manager, Quality Assurance and Training manages CCM’s Quality Assurance and Training staff; envisions and develops training programs that support and encourage the continuing education of CCM staff and research personnel.  Other management responsibilities include: Oversight of the CCM Quality Assurance Program, Occupational Health and Safety Program, Employee Incentive Program, security access to the animal facilities, and regulatory reporting.  The manager ensures that CCM is in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and the AAALAC, International recommendations.

1. Responsible for developing, managing, and coordinating all training needs for CCM and research staff including: monthly animal care staff training, weekly American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification classes, orientation programs, species-specific hands-on training courses, non-human primate orientation, facility training, and any re-training issues that may occur:
1. Oversees and ensures ongoing training programs and ensures that annual training is conducted for CCM staff including:  overviews of laboratory animal procedures and regulations, CCM policies and procedures, and safety practices.
2. Trains veterinary technicians, husbandry staff, and research personnel as required in laboratory animal procedures, handling, and restraint techniques, medical records, digital x-ray, controlled substances, etc.
3. Maintains training records for CCM, research staff, and Facilities Management in compliance with regulatory requirements and recommendations of AAALAC.
4. Participates in preparing various regulatory documents and helps update and maintain the program description submitted to AAALAC, International triennially.
5. Provides training to other University units, e.g., Research Administrator quarterly training, Ethics on use of animals in research training, and others as needed.
6. Ensures the training products (PPT, didactic class and any other materials) are of current material, are high quality, and commensurate with what is expected in a high-quality training program in the laboratory animal care and use field.
2. Responsible for designing, implementing, and administering CCM’s Quality Assurance Program:
1. Participates in the SOP committee; manages training office personnel assisting in the coordination and administration of SOP committee activities.
2. Manages and oversees the conduct and maintenance of the water sampling program, provides quality oversight of the autoclave monitoring, and microbial monitoring programs for all CCM animal facilities.
3. Assists in ensuring that CCM maintains regulatory compliance and that the trainings are current and appropriate; i.e, review current practices (SOPs, signage, forms etc.), amend procedures, inspect training documentation and audit training documentation to ensure personnel have completed all appropriate and required trainings.
4. Works with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) office in ensuring CCM policies, guidelines and website material are copesetic with IACUC policies and website.
5. Assists in the management of the USDA annual report, AAALAC program review and AAALAC annual reporting processes
3. Manages security access of CCM facilities.
4. Ensures all personnel requesting/gaining access to CCM facilities are trained, approved and have completed all necessary health requirements.
5. Ensures training staff maintain and update non-human primate exposure kits.
6. Ensures training office staff maintain records and log Incident Reports; e.g., primate exposure, staff injury.
7. Manages Employee Incentive Program and employee events.
8. Responsible for the management and maintenance of CCM protocols including submitting annual reports and addenda to the IACUC.
9. Ensure training office personnel manage training animal colonies.
10. Maintains and updates the CCM Website.
11. Manages enrollment and annual updates for CCM staff in the Occupational Health and Safety Program.
12. Ensures that all CCM personnel are medically cleared to work in an animal facility.
13. Ensures all CCM, Facilities Management, and Research Staff that come in to contact with non-human primates have negative initial and annual TB tests.
14. Manages, mentors and leads the Quality Assurance and Training staff to achieve high quality results through inspiring, leading and developing the team
15. Assists the Director Quality and Training, and Executive Director with other duties and projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science or related field.
2. Certified as a Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS).
3. Four years of progressively responsible experience in the laboratory animal field with at least three years in a training capacity.
4. Two or more years of people management experience related to training and/or the laboratory animal environment.
5. One year of animal research program regulatory assurance/quality assurance experience.
6. Experience in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and various other computer programs.
7. Strong oral and written communication skills, effective management, and supervisory skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in Animal Science or related field.
2. Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR) from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS).
3. Graduate of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Management (ILAM).
4. Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in the laboratory animal field with at least three or more years in a training capacity.
5. Three or more years of people management experience related to training and/or in the laboratory animal environment.
6. Two or more years of animal research program regulatory assurance/quality assurance experience.
7. Strong oral and written communication skills, effective management, and supervisory skills.

About Northwestern University

The Center for Comparative Medicine is a core service, teaching, and training unit dedicated to supporting humane animal care and use in research and education at Northwestern University. We provide quality animal care and promote animal welfare and regulatory compliance through efficient operations and positive collaborations with faculty, students and staff. Northwestern University is a private research university with 12 schools and more than 21,000 students across three campuses. Beyond being a dynamic learning organization, research thrives at Northwestern University, with teams working to solve society's problems and facilitate clinical and commercial use of their innovations.

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