Brandeis University is delighted to announce a career opportunity for a Director, Foster Biomedical Research Laboratory in the Office of Research Administration. If you are looking for an opportunity to work at a beautiful university campus with lots of perks including free parking and access to a top of the line athletic facility, look no further! At Brandeis we offer a competitive benefits and compensation package which includes medical, dental and life insurances. If you hope to advance your career through educational opportunities, Brandeis offers tuition benefits for employees, dependents and spouses. Our 403b retirement savings plan includes a generous match.
The Foster Biomedical Research Laboratory (FBRL) and Satellite Animal Facilities are a fundamental part of Brandeis Universityâ™s world-class research programs. The Director of the FBRL is an integral part of the team responsible for the oversight of the Universityâ™s laboratory animal care and use program to ensure that it complies with all Federal, State, and local animal welfare regulations and institutional policies, guidelines, and best practices, as well as supporting and contributing to maintaining full AAALAC accreditation for the institution. This role requires technical knowledge and experience rooted in a deep, nuanced, and continuously-updated understanding of applicable laws, regulations, and best practices in laboratory animal welfare and the fiscal and operational management of an animal facility.
This role includes the management of the program animal facilities, coordination with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), close collaboration with the Laboratory Safety, Compliance, and Integrity Program, serves as the point-of-contact for the attending veterinarian, the development and dissemination of policies and procedures, resolution of compliance issues, the provision of hands-on training in animal handling and other related animal care topics, strategic planning and administration, the training and management of animal facility personnel, budget management for the operations and maintenance of the animal facility, the maintenance of all licensing and accreditations as well as contributing to all required compliance reports, and building relationships with faculty, students, and staff and outside partners who use the animal facility. The Director will play an instrumental role in building and maintaining a comprehensive and dynamic animal care and use program in Brandeisâ™ teaching and research labs to cultivate a culture of a commitment to the highest level of the ethical care and use of animals in research in support of Brandeisâ™ core mission as a research institution.
Responsibilities:
Facility Management & Oversight (50%)
Budgetary Management Develops the annual operating and capital budgets for the animal facility, including the future projection of costs and maintenance needs of the facility, proposes the animal per diem rates and other charges that will be billed to investigators, and ensures that all such charges are billed to investigators on a monthly basis.
Staff Oversight Hires, trains, and manages a small team of animal care staff to support the operations of the facility. This includes professional development, compensation recommendations, the annual review process, and developing policies, procedures, and guidelines for the staff to follow to ensure the highest level of animal care is provided within the facility.Â
Operations Responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of the animal facility, including the receipt and delivery of animals, supplies, personnel support, etc.
Facility Maintenance Develops, implements, and enforces policies and SOPs to support the operations of the facility. Works closely with the University Facilities Department to ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of the animal facilities, to ensure that all regulatory standards are met, including maintenance of proper temperatures, humidity levels, and airflow in all animal rooms, and addressing all physical-plant concerns relating to the animal facility. This includes being on call after hours and on weekends.
Animal Care & Use (30%)
Animal Care Standards Directs, manages, administrates the animal care facility, and provides similar support to the Satellite Animal Facilities, which includes providing appropriate, cost-effective animal care through the development and implementation of short-term and long-range plans, policies, and procedures. This includes monitoring activities in the animal facility (Foster staff and investigators) and in all other areas on campus where animals are used to ensure all applicable regulations are being followed.
Animal Care & Oversight Ensures that the animal species housed within the facility are provided appropriate care, including housing, husbandry, food and water, enrichment, and all other species-specific requirements. In conjunction with the Attending Veterinarian, the Director provides information and support to the researchers on animal housing and nutritional requirements, behavior, reproduction, physiologic characteristics, and disease control and establishes criteria for animal health and for the prevention of zoonotic disease transmission in humans in conformance with established standards of the profession.
Health Surveillance Operates an animal health surveillance program, addressing animal health concerns from the animal technicians and the investigators, and ensures compliance with all state, local, and federal guidelines for animal care and use.
Programmatic Support (20%)
Compliance Ensures that all SOPs and policies set by the IACUC are properly applied by the research teams within the animal satellites and the facility. Works with investigators to support their compliance by assisting in the development of protocols, protocol revisions, and by answering animal-care related questions.Â
Federal Regulations & Accreditation Assists with maintaining federally required documentation, and supporting institutional compliance with all Federal, State, and local regulations, coordinating, the semi-annual program reviews, and supporting and working in close collaboration with the IACUC Office to prepare the reports to the USDA, OLAW, AAALAC, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Works closely with the attending veterinarian and the IACUC Office to support any investigations into the use of animals at Brandeis or into the animal care and use program.Â
â‹Programmatic Operations Ensures that all personnel are properly trained on animal handling techniques, have completed all required trainings, and that they have received proper occupational health clearance prior to entry into the Facility. Acts as a gatekeeper to ensure that the laboratory animals are properly handled and cared for at the institution. Provides expert guidance to researchers and committee members regarding regulatory and policy requirements for the institutionâ™s animal care and use program.
Physical Plant & Program Development Assists in design and supervision of all renovation projects. Works with EHS and other safety groups to ensure the safety of the Foster and investigator staff while working with animals. Works with Public Safety to ensure proper monitoring of animal facility alarm points and how Public Safety will respond, and to limit access to the facility to trained personnel.
Education & Work Experience:
Bachelorâ™s degree; Masterâ™s degree preferred. AALAS Laboratory Animal Technician (LATG) certification. Extensive work experience could be considered in lieu of the LATG.
8-12 years of related experience, including at least 5 years of supervisory experience in managing an animal facility.Â
Knowledge of research involving vertebrate animals, biosafety, or other relevant regulations, and experience working directly with faculty or researchers conducting, managing or reviewing research. Ability to understand and analyze complex research proposals.Â
Additional Requirements:
Knowledge of federal laws and regulations governing the use of animals in research and sponsored programs, federal regulations concerning the oversight requirements of biological materials.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs: Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Google Suite Programs: Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, etc.; Internet Functions; Adobe Professional.
Budget management experience; project management experience with ability to manage projects to tight deadlines, within budget with minimal oversight.
Ability to manage ambiguity and be able to juggle and prioritize multiple time-sensitive demands in a rapidly changing organization and environment.
A collaborative and inclusive professional style, ability to build strategic relationships with staff, faculty and students at all levels, excellent organizational and communication skills (written, verbal, listening), ability to make strategic connections, and the utmost respect for discretion, confidentiality and professionalism.
Excellent ability to communicate complex concepts to a lay audience, effectively train and develop staff to a high level of competency, and develop and present training materials for broad audiences.
Ability to speak and understand Spanish a plus, but not required.
Office and laboratory environment.
May be eligible for minimal hybrid work, but does require significant on-campus presence (at least 4 days/week), as this role serves the on-campus research community and will work in physical campus spaces.Â
Will be exposed to a laboratory environment, BSL 2+ areas, and research animals in the vivarium during routine job functions and will require occupational health clearance.Â
Must be capable of lifting 50 pounds and be able to wear a variety of respirators/PPE, as necessary.Â
As a medium-sized private research university with global reach, we are dedicated to first-rate undergraduate education while making groundbreaking discoveries. Four major academic units with 3,600 undergraduates and 2,050 graduate students comprise the University: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, the International Business School, and the Rabb School of Continuing Studies. In 1985, Brandeis was elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), which represents the 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. Brandeis has been ranked among the top 35 national universities by U.S. News & World Report every year since the rankings’ inception. Our 235-acre campus is located in the suburbs of Boston, a global hub for higher education and innovation. Our faculty are leaders in their fields, as passionate about teaching and mentorship as they are about pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Our students are motivated, compassionate, curious and open to exploring new and challenging experiences. Brandeis was founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian university under the sponsorship of th...e American Jewish community to embody its highest ethical and cultural values and to express its gratitude to the United States through the traditional Jewish commitment to education. By being a nonsectarian university that welcomes students, teachers and staff of every nationality, religion and orientation, Brandeis renews the American heritage of cultural diversity, equal access to opportunity and freedom of expression.