Research Model Husbandry

Job Description:

As an Animal Care Associate for our GEMS Breed Group in Wilmington, MA. The GEMS Animal Care Associate will learn how and continue to maintain and monitor the health, production, and physical environment of client animals housed at facilities. These environments may include isolators or individual ventilated cages (IVC).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform entry-level husbandry tasks, including supplying food, bedding, water and environmental enrichment.
• Maintain rat and mouse colonies, including setting up matings, weaning and sexing of offspring, genetic sampling of animals.
• Handle rodents (mice and rats), including restraining of animals for collection of fecal pellets, ear/tail sampling as well as tagging animals for identification.
• Observe animals for any abnormalities or common health issues.
• Identify and select specific animals for customer shipments, genotyping, health monitoring, matings, transfers or other various tasks as needed.
• Learn, understand, and comply with all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with direct supervision and instruction for most processes/tasks.
• Learn and strictly follow all animal welfare standards and biosecurity procedures necessary to maintain isolator integrity and animal health status, including the proper sterilization and entry of supplies/animals into isolators.
• Be detailed-oriented and enter accurate data entry into Internet Colony Management (ICM).
• Ensure compliance with all local, state and federal laws governing the use of research animals.
• Ability to prioritize and execute daily tasks with guidance from supervisor(s).
• Perform general housekeeping and adhere to EHS, safety, and ergonomic procedures.
• General computer skills and ability to quickly learn required computer programs, databases and other applications (i.e. ICM and Microsoft Office)
• Be able to learn to identify issues and communicate to management and learn the importance of our DNA and core values.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: Entry-level, no previous experience required.

• Sufficient computer knowledge to use a tablet computer and communicate using Microsoft Applications.
• The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
• The ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Certification/Licensure: AALAS certification at the ALAT or above.