Research Animal Technician

South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging up to $15,900

Job summary

SAHMRI seeks a Research Animal Technician for the PIRL in Gilles Plains, Adelaide. You will care for laboratory animals, monitor health, assist with surgeries and maintain records under veterinary supervision.

Key duties include animal husbandry, post-operative care, adherence to SOPs, QA participation and data entry. Some weekend work and travel may be required. Join a not-for-profit institute advancing health research.

Qualifications

• Formal qualifications in Animal Care or Veterinary Nursing.
• Experience in a research environment with animals.
• Knowledge of the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals.
• Experience with GLP and ISO requirements.

Responsibilities

• Perform daily animal husbandry tasks including feeding, watering and health monitoring.
• Maintain high standards of animal care through cleaning, maintenance and restocking of cages and enclosures.
• Conduct pre- and post-operative monitoring and care per study requirements.
• Prepare animals for surgical procedures and maintain accurate pre-operative records.
• Induce and maintain anaesthesia and administer drugs under veterinary supervision.
• Accurately record animal care procedures, treatments and data.
• Comply with protocols and SOPs for animal handling, restraint and sample collection.
• Contribute to QA programs and audits to maintain GLP and ISO accreditation.

Skills

Animal care

Research environment

Aseptic technique

Team collaboration

Education

Diploma or Degree in Animal/Science

Job description

• Employment type: FTC - Full-time Contract
• Applications close: Wednesday, 21 Oct 2026

At the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), we are committed to achieving innovative, ground-breaking health and medical research that fundamentally improves the quality of life for all people.

An exciting opportunity is now available for a Research Animal Technician to join the SAHMRI Preclinical Imaging and Research Laboratories (PIRL) located at Gilles Plains. The position will be responsible for the care, wellbeing and maintenance of research animals, ensuring strict compliance with ethical and regulatory standards. In the role you will work closely with the Research Supervisior, the Preclinical Studies Manager and scientific staff to support the day to day operations of Preclinical studies.

About the role

Key responsibilities include:

• Perform daily animal husbandry tasks, including feeding, watering, and health monitoring.
• Maintain high standards of animal care through regular cleaning, maintenance, and restocking of cages, pens, and enclosures.
• Conduct pre- and post-operative monitoring and care as per study requirements.
• Prepare animals for surgical procedures, including maintaining accurate pre-operative records.
• Induce and maintain anaesthesia, administer drugs and treat animals under veterinary supervision
• Assist with the humane disposal of animal bedding and remains.
• Accurately record animal care procedures, treatments, and research data.
• Comply with all protocols and SOPs related to animal handling, restraint, anaesthesia, injections, immunisations, and biological sample collection.
• Collect and record quality assurance data relating to animal procedures and product collection.
• Contribute to quality assurance programs, audits, and spot checks to maintain GLP and ISO 9001:2015 accreditation.
• Support the safe and efficient transport of animals as needed.

About You

The successful candidate will possess the following key attributes:

• Formal qualifications in Animal Care / Veterinary Nursing Diploma or Degree in Animal/Science field or equivalent
• Experience in a research environment, particularly in relation to research animal requirements.
• Current knowledge of the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.
• Experience in quality assurance principles particularly GLP and ISO requirements.
• Possess good interpersonal skills and have a demonstrated capacity to work cooperatively in a team environment.
• Ability to work with limited supervision.
• Working knowledge of aseptic technique and of the need to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures.
• Ability to prioritise and adhere to strict timelines.
• Meticulous documentation of information either written or electronic databases.

Special Requirements

• Some out of hours work is required, including weekends and public holidays
• Regular travel in the metropolitan area
• Manual handling of animals and Q Fever vaccination is required.
• This position requires a pre-employment medical examination to determine suitability for the physical requirements of the role.

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values and our institute is dedicated to grow a culture that pursues, enables and demands research excellence. We are proud of the work we do and work hard as a team to make a positive difference to the community. Our values of excellence, innovation, courage, integrity and teamwork are what help us achieve our goals.

As a not-for-profit organisation, SAHMRI employees can access salary packaging options up to $15,900. Salary packaging lets you pay for things like the everyday costs of living with money from your salary before tax. This reduces your taxable income, meaning you could pay less tax and take home more of what you earn. For more information on salary packaging please see the Maxxia website .

Applications may close earlier than advertised if a suitable candidate is identified prior to the close date.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply

Applications close Wednesday, 21 Oct 2026

At SAHMRI, we live our commitment to equity and diversity every day: respecting people as individuals and valuing differences to create a working environment that is fair and flexible, promotes personal and professional growth and benefits from the capabilities of a diverse workforce.

SAHMRI is located on Kaurna Country. We pay respects to the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to embracing knowledge and culture as we continue our working journey to incorporate Aboriginal health research across all of our themes and further reconciliation.

(Learning and knowledge are the pathway to alter the mind)