Aux. Animal Care Technician

University of British Columbia; East Central Okanagan Electoral Area; On-site; CAD 39,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

University of British Columbia is seeking a Casual on-call Animal Care Technician to provide daily care for laboratory animals, including cage changes, feeding, health checks and administering medications as per written instructions.

The role involves maintaining records, assisting with anesthesia and procedures under supervision, and ensuring facility cleanliness and compliance with CCAC standards. Applicants should be prepared for heavy lifting and teamwork within a biosciences facility.

Qualifications

• Completion of Secondary School (Grade 12) or equivalent; up to 6 months of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• CALAS/AALAS certification an asset; An Animal Health Technology degree is an asset.
• Demonstrates commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion; effective oral and written communication; ability to work in a team and independently.

Responsibilities

• Provides basic animal husbandry, handling, restraint, health, behavior and welfare surveillance.
• Performs health checks and records observations; records and maintains animal data.
• Provides food, water, clean housing and enrichment; changes cages and uses equipment such as cage washers and pass-through sterilizers.
• Maintains cleanliness of the facility and inventories supplies; assists with data entry and recordkeeping.
• Assists with anesthesia, surgical and other procedures under supervision; participates in CCAC recommendations.

Skills

Oral communication

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Computer skills

Education

Secondary School (Grade 12)

CALAS/AALAS certification (asset)

Animal Health Technology degree (asset)

Job description

Job TitleAux. Animal Care TechnicianJob CategoryBCGEU Okanagan Support StaffJob ProfileBCGEU OK Hourly - Technician IJob Family GroupStaff - UnionDepartmentUBCO | Shared Research Platforms | Biosciences Facility | Vice Principal Research OfficeCompensation Range$27.69 - $31.75 CAD HourlyJob End DateSeptember 30, 2027Posting End DateOctober 29, 2026Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.This position is Casual on call.At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successfulpursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Ourcommitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity toUBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.Job Description SummaryThis position is responsible for the daily maintenance and care of laboratory animals; thisincludes cage changing, providing food and water, performing health checks, administeringmedications as per written instructions and reporting any signs of ill-health. The cleaning of dirtycaging and the preparation of sterile caging is required. This position also includes the generalcleaning and maintenance of the facility, record keeping, and inventory. This position includesensuring ongoing awareness of facility environmental needs and making recommendations foradjustments or changes to ensure ongoing operational proficiency.Organizational StatusWorks collaboratively with other technicians, faculty, and staff.• Reports to the Team Lead for day-to-day activities. Formal reporting to the Manager,Biosciences Facility.• This position can expect to interact with a variety of people working with teaching andresearch animals, including, but not limited to: technical and support staff, researchfaculty, their staff, and students. This position may have contact with various UBCdepartmental staff, as well as laboratory animal product distributors.Work Performed• Provides basic animal husbandry, handling, restraint, health, behavior and welfaresurveillance of laboratory animals, along with continuous awareness of current speciesspecific welfare issues.• Performs health checks on various laboratory animals and recording observations.• Records and maintains animal data.• Provides animal husbandry; this includes providing food, water, clean housing, andenrichment to animals, including changing animal cages and water bottles, operating acage dumping station, a cage washer, a bottle filler, and a pass-through sterilizer.• Maintains the facility’s cleanliness and organization, including routine sweeping andmopping of floors, as well as scheduled cleaning of rooms, vents, and cage racks.• Maintains facility equipment as required on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.• Provides medications to animals as per written instruction (such as eye drops, topicalantibiotics, oral medications in food or water).• Assists with the collection of biological samples.• Assists with anesthesia, surgical and other procedures, under direct supervision.• Receives, collects and records inventory of animals, food, bedding, and other supplies,repeatedly lifting up to 20kg.• Participates in performing administrative operational functions including implementingCCAC recommendations at the direction of the Facility Manager and helping facility tomeet CCAC standards/guidelines. Report any incomplete items for clarification or ofconcern.• Provides feedback on building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems andmakes recommendations for adjustments.• Responds to emergency calls as directed to by the manager.• Assists with creating SOP’s by providing suggestions for changes and improvementsand identifying and communicating possible workflow improvements.• Performs other related tasks as required.Consequence of Error/JudgementInappropriate judgement exercised by the position may impact the success of the facility,leading to increased expenses and time loss. Additionally, inappropriate judgement may alsohave detrimental consequences in regard to animal and human health and welfare.Supervision ReceivedThe position works collaboratively with other technicians, faculty, students and staff. Theposition reports to the Manager of UBCO Biosciences Facility Services UBC Okanagan.Supervision GivenThis position does not involve supervision, but the position involves reporting to the Team Leadand/or Facility Operations Manager any observations of facility users not following approvedprocesses.Qualifications• Completion of Secondary School (Grade 12) or equivalent; up to 6 months of experienceor an equivalent combination of education and experience.• Registered Lab Animal Technician (CALAS/AALAS) certification an asset;• An Animal Health Technology degree is an asset.• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’sown• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skillsrelated to equity, diversity, and inclusion• Demonstrated ability in performing standard technical and related husbandry procedureson common species of laboratory animals.• Ability to operate and maintain the instrumentation and equipment utilized in the animalfacility.• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment as well as independently. Effectiveoral and written communication, interpersonal, organizational, problem solving andcomputer skills.• The position is physically demanding and involves heavy lifting (up to 20 kg). Thesuccessful candidate would need to be capable of meeting the repetitive, physicalrequirements of the job.