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Animal Technician 1

Comparative Medicine Mission Statement:
Our mission is to advance knowledge and improve the health and welfare of humans and animals through excellent service support, biomedical research, and teaching.

Department Information:
The Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) is one of 12 basic science departments in the School of Medicine. DCM is the central laboratory animal medicine resource at the University of Washington, supporting over 114,000 assignable square feet of animal facilities with an average daily census in excess of 100,000 animals across multiple species (e.g., rodents, rabbits, swine, and zebrafish). The department employs over 175 individuals who provide a comprehensive range of animal husbandry, veterinary, and laboratory services across numerous vivaria. The UW animal care program is accredited by AAALAC International and provides services to over 400 principal investigators. DCM faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, and residents conduct basic and clinical research on a wide range of subjects including, but not limited to, comparative aspects of infectious disease, aging, cancer biology and genetics.

Department Website:
https://www.washington.edu/compmed/

Position Summary:
Animal Technician 1 position advances department’s mission by performing routine husbandry tasks involved in the care and feeding of animals, and maintenance of animal facilities.

Work Schedule:
•Work schedule will be 7:00am - 3:30pm; future work week schedules and facility assignments may change to meet the needs of the department.
•Some weekend and holiday work will be required.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:
•Physical ability to do required work, including lifting up to 50 pounds and carrying 30 pounds.
•Must be willing and able to work with a wide variety of animals.
     oMust be able to perform repetitive motions over extended periods of time
     oMust be able to stand and walk for a full 8-hour shift
     oProlonged periods of standing, reaching, and bending
•This is an essential position, and the employee will be expected to report to work under conditions that other employees are not required to report to work, such as inclement weather and UW suspended operations.    
•May be required to work with and take specific precautions, against and/or be immunized against potentially infectious agents. Specific precautions may include wearing respirators and/or protective clothing.
•The employee is personally responsible for following health & safety and security policies/procedures.
•Punctuality and regular attendance are critical components of this position.

JOB DUTIES:

•Follow standard operating procedures, working guidelines, and related documents.
•Perform and document daily animal health checks to assess animal behavior and well-being.  Identify and report animal illness or abnormalities as directed.
•Perform routine husbandry including routine cage changes and housing; providing appropriate feed, water and environmental enrichment; weaning or separating animals; handling, restraining, weighing, and determining the sex of all common laboratory animals; and determining daily animal census.
•Provide food and water (including specialized food and water) to animals according to instructions.  Document food and water administration as well as animal food and water consumption.  Report deviations as instructed.
•Prepare clean animal cages and enclosures for a wide variety of animals according to requirements.
•Clean and/or sanitize animal use areas including walls, floors, ceilings, windows, and food preparation rooms.  Perform general custodial duties within the vivarium (e.g., sweep and mop hallways, transport waste materials).  
•Maintain separation of animals of different health or experimental statuses; observe precautions to avoid cross-contamination.
•May provide animal husbandry duties in biocontainment (e.g., ABSL2, ABSL2+ rooms) or bioexclusion (e.g., isolation, quarantine, Helicobacter spp-free rooms) areas.
•Monitor and record room environmental parameters; report deviations as instructed.
•Maintain detailed and accurate written and electronic records and logs.
•Dispose of animal carcasses in accordance with facility, state and federal requirements.
•Operate machinery as directed (e.g., change stations, floor scrubbers, animal racks).
•Maintain equipment (e.g., ventilated caging racks, laminar flow stations, biological safety cabinets) and premises in accordance with specified standards.
 
Requirements:  
•Demonstrate physical ability to do required work.
•Demonstrate ability to read, write, and communicate orally in English.

Desired:  
•Experience working with animals.
•Experience working in a research facility.
•Detailed recordkeeping experience.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.