Animal Care Technician Assistant

Western University; Pomona (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 29,000; Part time

Job summary

Western University of Health Sciences seeks a dedicated individual to join the Office of Animal Resources in Pomona, CA. The role focuses on skilled care and handling of laboratory animals across standard and specialized housing areas, with limited supervisory duties and strict adherence to NIH/USDA and IACUC standards.

Reporting to the Director of Office of Animal Resources, you will maintain animal health records, support principal investigators during emergencies, and ensure facilities meet

Qualifications

• High school diploma required.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Essential part of the University’s animal research program with daily contact with research animals.
• Monitor and log animal health daily; assist investigators with special care needs.
• Maintain clean, sanitary vivarium facilities and assist with surgeries when needed.

Job description

As you take your first step onto a Western University of Health Sciences campus, each path, each person, each structure comes with a transformative story. WesternU is more than the practice of medicine. We are defined by character and culture.

At WesternU, you will discover humanism at the heart of every interaction: a warm welcome, a sincere smile, a positive word, a kind deed, a thoughtful gesture. You will see students work together on case studies; a parade of pets in campus parks; student clubs offering opportunities for career growth and community involvement; and faculty, staff and students designing their future and the future of WesternU. We display a collaborative mindset in how we operate, educate, and serve others.

Although, geographically, we are two campuses - as humanists, we are one: to enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities and achieve excellence in everything we do. We attract diverse, professional faculty, staff and students that thrive in an environment of humanistic health care education. Join our team of faculty and staff and make a difference.

Position Title

Position Title

Position Control Number

Position Control Number

Position Control Number S04271

Type of Position

Type of Position Staff

Position Status

Position Status Part-time

Campus

Campus Western University Campus-Pomona, CA

Position Location

Position Location California

Department

Department 1308-Office of Animal Resources

Job Summary

The employee reports to the Director of Office of Animal Resources. Under minimal supervision, he/she will provide skilled care and handling of laboratory animals in a safe and sanitary manner. Primary working areas include standard housing areas as well as specialized areas including, but not limited to, USDA housing areas, bio-hazardous areas, and animal colonies requiring specialized procedures. Also responsible for limited supervisory duties including direction and oversight of work but excluding discipline. Employee will ensure that the facilities and personnel are in compliance with standards set forth by NIH and USDA as well as the IACUC and Institutional SOP . To maintain a satisfactory environment in the Animal Facilities to meet IACUC and USDA requirements regarding animal health.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Individuals must possess the knowledge, as well as the following skills and abilities or be able to perform the essential functions of the job after a reasonable amount of training, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities. Must be able to work with various types of animals; must disclose any known and existing animal allergies or other medical conditions that would preclude the individual from discharging her/his responsibilities; individuals to be in good physical condition since the position requires regular physical activity such as standing, walking, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting.

Must ensure that their facility complies with all animal welfare guidelines and standards set forth by the Animal Welfare Act, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees ( IACUC ), and the National Institute of Health’s Guide for the Use and Care of Laboratory Animals. United States of Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) Facilities are subject to inspections to ensure the maintenance of proper conditions. Demonstrate a commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes humanism.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma required.
• Suitable written and verbal communication skills in English are required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification recommended:
  • Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician ( ALAT ), Laboratory Animal Technician ( LAT ), and Laboratory Animal Technologist ( LATG )
  • Must be able to pass a drug screening
  • Good knowledge of MS Office (Computer literate)
• Veterinary Technician California license, Laboratory Animal Technician ( LAT ) or Laboratory Animal Technologist ( LATG ) AALAS Certifications are preferred.
• College coursework in Animal Science or biological sciences preferred or working towards a scientific degree.

Key Responsibilities

• This individual serves as an essential part of the University’s animal research program by having primary, daily contact with the research animal subjects and continuing responsibility for them.
• Has direct access to contact respective principal investigators in case of any animal health emergencies.
• Maintain database records and log animal husbandry; monitor and logs animal health daily. (Under Senior and Level II Animal Care Technicians supervision)
• Monitors, and logs animal health daily. (Under Senior and Level II Animal Care Technicians supervision)
• Assists principal investigators with any special animal care needs in accordance with protocols, experiments, and projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Keeps facilities clean and sanitary.
• Has a primary role as an animal facilities site supervisor on weekends and holidays, assisting the animal care manager on all weekdays.
• Serves in a security capacity for the animal facilities during working hours.
• Makes decisions as to the treatment of sick animals in accord with each principal investigator and the campus veterinarian.
• Assisting with problems as necessary

Key Responsibilities

• Quality assurance for all vivarium’s equipment: autoclaves, cage washing, etc... recording the results
• Follow SOPs for the vivarium
• Monitoring the vivarium sentinels
• Receive, inspect, and put away incoming animals
• Assist with surgeries when needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Taking inventory of supplies
• Organize feed and bedding supplies in storage facilities.
• Observant: Accurately assessing the habits, behavior, and physical appearance of an animal is important to obtaining accurate research findings.
• Cleans & sterilizes cages, equipment, supplies, and rooms.
• Under minimal direction, performs caretaking duties involving specialized handling, feeding & general care of animals.

Posting Details Continued

Work Schedule

• Part time; 24 hours per week
• Weekend and holiday shifts expected
• Due to the nature of the industry, employees may be required to work varying schedules to meet the needs of the department
• Overtime
• Reliable transportation, attendance, and punctuality

We believe in making an impact in the lives of our employees, personally, and professionally. Every employee has different individual and/or family needs. We offer benefits that are both comprehensive and flexible to address your unique needs. We believe work-life harmony is positive and achievable.

• Our faculty, staff, and administrators are 100% focused on student success.
• Our University culture creates the context for a nurturing and supportive environment.
• Faculty, staff, and students can expect to make deep, personal relationships within the University community.
• As a Faculty, Staff, or Student at WesternU, you can focus on work that you love, be your authentic self, and lead to the future with innovation in health sciences.
• WesternU’s core value of humanism encourages all to bring their whole self in all that they do.
• We are committed to fostering a culture of respect, equity, collaboration, and fun at all levels for all people!

Expected Pay Scale

Minimum

Minimum $20.00 Hourly

Maximum

Maximum $20.50 Hourly

Physical Demands

Physical Demands

Do the essential functions of this job require lifting?

Do the essential functions of this job require lifting? Yes

If yes, list maximum weight and duration

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use hands to operate a PC in the performance of job duties, and talk or hear. The employee is regularly required to sit, and reach with hands and arms, and occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, and smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to (25) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.

Describe Work Environment

Duties are routinely performed in a typical laboratory setting. While performing duties in this setting the employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold (non-weather), and risk of electric shock.
The employee is regularly exposed to wet humid conditions (non-weather), moving mechanical parts, and high precarious places. The employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions, extreme heat (non-weather), and risk of radiation. The noise level in this setting may be loud due to the noise of ventilation system, hydraulic body hoist, pig care and pig surgery.
Currently: blank

Posting Information

Posting Number

Posting Number S01839

Posting Date

Posting Date 10/19/2026

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Conditions of Employment - Background Check

To secure employment, successful fulfillment of a background check, including a criminal records check, may be required. Western University of Health Sciences will extend a conditional offer of employment, subject to rescission if the background check unveils disqualifying information or if it is found that the candidate deliberately withheld or misrepresented information. Non-completion of the background check to satisfaction may impact the ongoing employment of a current Western University of Health Sciences employee who received a conditional offer for the position.

Pay Transparency Act

Pay Transparency Act- Western University of Health Sciences is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range considers various factors in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. The Expected Pay Scale is defined as the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. Placement within the Expected Pay Scale is determined by internal equity and relevant qualifications.

Equal Opportunity Statement (EEO)

It is the policy of Western University to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment as required by law without regard to age, race, color, national origin ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, creed, religion or religious creed, sex or gender (including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, disability (both physical and mental) including HIV and AIDS, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), pregnancy (which includes childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), age, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other applicable protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.This policy applies to all employment practices within WesternU including without limitation, hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoffs, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. WesternU makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merits, and business needs at the time.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Letter of Recommendation #1
• Letter of Recommendation #2
• Letter of Recommendation #3

Optional Documents

• Cover Letter

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * How did you hear about this employment opportunity? Please provide the name of the website, individual, or organization.

  (Open Ended Question)

• 309 E. Second St.
  Pomona, CA 91766-1854
  [phone]
• [phone]
• COMP-Northwest:
  200 Mullins Dr.
  Lebanon, OR 97355-3983
  [phone]
  CHS-Northwest:
  2665 S. Santiam Highway,
  Lebanon, OR 97355
  [phone]
• COMP-Northwest:
  [phone]
  CHS-N