Animal Behavior Technician I

AbbVie Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k)

Job summary

AbbVie in Chicago seeks a Behavioral Technician I to support the Behavioral Management program, performing operant conditioning, enrichment, and behavioral monitoring for research animals. You will guide Animal Care Technicians and ensure adherence to enrichment protocols.

Applicants should have a High School/GED with 3+ years in lab animal science or a related degree with 2+ years of experience, ALAT certification eligibility, and strong communication and documentation skills.

Qualifications

• High School/GED required with 3+ years in lab animal science or related degree with 2+ years experience.
• Two years of animal husbandry/enrichment/behavior/training experience.
• AALAS ALAT certification or eligibility for LAT certification.
• Knowledge of basic regulatory requirements.
• Strong communication skills for stakeholder updates.
• Good computer literacy for spreadsheets, word processing, and email.

Responsibilities

• Assist with positive reinforcement training of animals and share enrichment program requirements with groups and staff.
• Assist with training staff on standardization of operant conditioning and enrichment strategies.
• Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships to boost performance.
• Identify potential improvements to the enrichment program and support innovation.
• Handle daily animal enrichment tasks including scheduling, prep, and distribution.
• Maintain documentation of trainings and timelines, progress, and concerns.
• Support with 3R principles within the Behavioral Management program.
• Attend applicable trainings and on-site workshops related to enrichment and behavior.
• Provide animal husbandry duties including weekend rotation as required.

Skills

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Computer Literacy

Education

High School/GED + 3 years lab animal science experience

Relevant degree in biology/animal behavior/animal science/veterinary technology with 2+ years lab animal experience

Job description

Company Description

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Job Description

The Behavioral Technician I supports AbbVie’s Behavioral Management program (BMT). This role is responsible for operant conditioning, enrichment, behavioral monitoring, and positive reinforcement for research animals. Provides direction and support to Animal Care Technicians and other AbbVie employees who perform animal husbandry in accordance with the company animal enrichment program. Elevates any concerns or inconsistencies with animal behavior and the enrichment program to the appropriate authority (manager) for action.

Responsibilities

• Assist with performing positive reinforcement training of animals. Communicates skills and enrichment program requirements amongst research groups and Comparative Medicine staff. These include but are not limited to those for behavior related tasks, enrichment, socialization, operant conditioning, chair training, pole and collar training, target training.
• Assist with training of staff on standardization and continued productivity as related to operant conditioning and enrichment related strategies.
• Enables higher performance by building and maintaining strong relationships with peers and cross functionally with partners outside of team.
• Identifies potential improvements to the program; remains flexible, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement on enrichment and operant conditioning related strategies. Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and assists with the progression of innovation to reality.
• Assists with daily tasks associated with animal enrichment animal enrichment, such as scheduling, prep, distribution to animals, evaluation of effectiveness, and enrichment area/supply maintenance.
• Assists with entry and upkeep of behavioral, training and enrichment forms/database(s); Maintains documentation of all animal trainings (timelines, progress, comments, concerns, etc.).
• Works with moderate work direction, remains flexible, performs multiple projects simultaneously, meets deadlines, and maintains sanitation standards.
• Assists with incorporating the 3R’s into the Behavioral Management program.
• Attends applicable training and workshops pertaining to lab animal enrichment/behavior; participates in on-site enrichment trainings and committees where required.
• Provides animal husbandry duties as required; Required weekend husbandry (or animal enrichment/ operant conditioning) rotation commitment.

Qualifications

• High School/GED is required AND at least 3 years prior technical experience in laboratory animal science settingOR relevant degree in related discipline (biology, animal behavior, animal science, veterinary technology) with at least two years laboratory animal science experience.
• At least two years of animal husbandry/enrichment/ behavior/ training experience.
• Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) level; eligibility for LAT certification.
• Knowledge of basic regulatory requirements.
• Communication Skills – Ability to concisely communicate key issues to stakeholders.
• Analytical Skills – Ability to assess issues that arise, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information as needed, and identify key issues that need to be addressed.
• Computer Literacy – Basic competence of spreadsheets, word processing and email, and knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems and purchasing systems.

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state orlocal law:

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
• This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employer remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html