Animal Care & Operations Supervisor

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Blacksburg (VA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech is seeking an Animal Care & Operations Supervisor to lead daily vivarium operations and staff at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This role oversees animal husbandry, training, and adherence to federal regulations and SOPs, while maintaining strong collaboration with the facility veterinarian and researchers.

The position requires weekend/holiday rotation, essential/emergency status, and work at Blacksburg with Roanoke backup. A safety-focused, team-oriented leader is essential.

Qualifications

• Significant experience handling and caring for animals in a research or teaching setting.
• Experience leading personnel, scheduling, inventories, and customer support.
• Strong knowledge of animal husbandry practices for traditional lab animals and agricultural species.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven problem-solving and conflict-resolution abilities.
• Experience with ABSL-2 practices and procedures.
• Associate degree in Animal Science or equivalent; LAT certification preferred.
• Ability to pass FBI background check and obtain SRA clearance within 12 months; ABSL-3 facilities awareness.
• Valid US driver’s license; ability to move/lift 50 pounds; PPE compliance.

Responsibilities

• Supervise daily operations and space utilization of the ARCD CVM vivarium.
• Manage assignments of animal care personnel at the facility.
• Train, mentor, and develop ARCD CVM staff.
• Ensure operations comply with federal regs, SOPs, and ARCD policies.
• Collaborate with facility veterinarian and research staff to support the vivarium.

Skills

Animal care

Team leadership

Animal husbandry

Communication skills

Problem-solving

ABSL-2 practices

Education

Associate Degree in Animal Science

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Description

In support of Virginia Tech's growing research enterprise, the Animal Resources and Care Division (ARCD) is seeking an Animal Care & Operations Supervisor. The individual is responsible and accountable for supervising daily operations and activities involved with the provision of animal husbandry and care at a College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) facility (vivarium) or facilities.

The position encompasses the following responsibilities.

1. Manages the daily operations and space utilization of the ARCD CVM vivarium.
2. Manages the responsibilities and work assignments of animal care personnel at the assigned facility.
3. Responsible for the training, performance management, mentoring, and professional development of ARCD CVM personnel.
4. Ensures that the daily operations and activities of the assigned animal facility are accomplished in accordance with federal regulations, industry standards and guidelines, institutional policies, and ARCD guidance documents (SOPs and Policies).
5. Establishes and maintains collaborative and productive working relationships with the assigned ARCD facility veterinarian and research personnel that utilize the facility.

This position is primarily located in Blacksburg, Virginia but provides back-up support for the Roanoke campus. The Animal Care & Operations Supervisor is a leadership position and is expected to work both independently and as part of a team with minimal to limited supervision from the direct supervisor. This position will require weekend and holiday rotation scheduling and is considered essential/emergency personnel.

Required Qualifications

• Significant experience handling and caring for a variety of animals in an animal research or teaching environment.
• Experience leading personnel or teams, managing work schedules, maintaining inventories, providing customer support.
• Strong working knowledge of animal husbandry practices and procedures for traditional laboratory animals and/or agricultural species relevant to the facility.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong demonstrated problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
• Experience with ABSL-2 practices and procedures
• Associate Degree in Animal Science (or a similar biological science) OR an equivalent combination of a high school diploma (or equivalent) and demonstrated relevant experience.
• Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) at the Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) level. Strong candidates without LAT certification may be considered but are required to obtain LAT certification within 24 months if hired.
• Ability to pass an FBI background check and, within 12 months of hire, obtain and maintain a federal government Security Risk Assessment (SRA) clearance to work in ABSL-3 select agent facilities.
• Valid US driver’s license.
• Ability to move/lift 50 pounds.
• Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for the species, animal housing conditions, or work area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Animal Science or a similar biological science.
• Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) at the Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) level.
• Experience with supervision and recruitment of personnel.
• Strong working knowledge of all animal facility functional areas and operations, including cage wash areas.
• Large animal experience for positions that support agricultural species.
• Aquatic experience for positions that support zebrafish and other aquatic species.
• Experience working in a specialized or complex function or program (e.g. gnotobiotics, ABSL-3 or select agent biocontainment) relevant to the position.

Pay Band

4

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$68,000 - $78,000; commensurate with experience

Hours per week

40

Review Date

December 6, 2026

Additional Information

Unable to sponsor work visas.

This position is primarily located in Blacksburg, Virginia but provides back-up support for the Roanoke campus. This position will require weekend and holiday rotation scheduling and is considered essential/emergency personnel.

The successful candidate will be required to have a cleared criminal conviction check and safe driving check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto,Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands‑on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land‑grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, a Graduate School and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kaitlin Winfree at [e-mail] during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.