Animal Care Technician I

Boston Children's Hospital; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible schedules

Job summary

Boston Children's Hospital is seeking a dedicated Animal Care Technician to support daily husbandry and basic care of mice in a research setting. You will assemble cages and maintain equipment, document observations, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

The role requires physical ability to lift up to 50 lbs and to follow SOPs, with attention to detail and ability to read instructions.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required.
• Ability to work directly with mice and rats, with no allergies to animals, hair or dander.
• Must read and understand written instructions.
• Able to lift 50 lbs., carry 30 lbs, and push/pull up to 100 lbs.
• Willing to be fit tested and wear an N95 mask or PAPR as required.

Responsibilities

• Assemble and prepare animal cages/racks and related equipment for cage changes or newly arriving animals.
• Operate tunnel/bottle/cage washers and autoclaves.
• Keep work areas clean, orderly, and documented.
• Maintain healthy environment with quality food and water; document observations.
• Perform daily care and husbandry of laboratory animals.
• Observe animal health and report adverse findings to veterinarians.

Skills

Mice handling

Documentation

Attention to detail

Physical stamina

Reading instructions

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Autoclaves

Cage washers

Bottle washers

Tunnel washers

Job description

Position Summary

This position assists and provides support to the animal care operations. Responsible for the basic daily care and husbandry of laboratory animals (mice) housed in a research environment, as outlined in ARCH's standard operating procedures and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulatory guidelines Animal Welfare Act, USDA, AAALAC, and IACUC. Attention to detail when observing animals and completing documentation is necessary as employee error could cause catastrophic results to investigator research; the animals are extremely valuable and are sensitive research models. This position assists and provides technical support for quality assurance functions.

Hours of the position are Monday - Friday 7:30am-4:00pm.

Key Responsibilities

• Assembling and preparing animal cages/racks and related equipment for cage change outs, or newly arriving animals according to instructions
• Operating equipment such as tunnel washers, cage washers, bottle washers and autoclaves
• Maintaining clean, orderly and sanitized work areas on a regular basis and completing area documentation
• Maintaining the health and well being of laboratory animals by providing a stable sanitized environment with quality food and water, and completing area documentation
• Basic daily care and husbandry of laboratory animals housed in a research environment
• Performing and recording daily animal health observations, communicating adverse findings to the veterinarian technicians to ensure animal care standards are in keeping with applicable laws and regulatory guidelines (Animal Welfare Act, USDA, AAALAC, and IACUC)
• Identifying basic animal care issues such as overcrowded cages, and notifying a Technician II or III

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• A high school level of education is required

Experience

• The ability to work directly with mice and rats, with no preexisting allergies to animals, hair or dander
• The ability to read and understand written instructions is required
• Attention to detail when observing animals and completing documentation is required
• The ability to lift 50 lbs., box carry 30 lbs, and push or pull up to 100 lbs, amongst other physical tasks
• The willingness to be fit tested and wear a N95 mask (by being clean shaven for proper and necessary fit) or alternatively if necessary a PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) as required in specific locations within ARCH throughout the workday

The posted pay range is Boston Children's reasonable and good-faith expectation for this pay at the time of posting.

Any base pay offer provided depends on skills, experience, education, certifications, and a variety of other job-related factors. Base pay is one part of a comprehensive benefits package that includes flexible schedules, affordable health, vision and dental insurance, child care and student loan subsidies, generous levels of time off, 403(b) Retirement Savings plan, Pension, Tuition and certain License and Certification Reimbursement, cell phone plan discounts and discounted rates on T-passes. Experience the benefits of passion and teamwork.