Animal Care Technician I

Charles River Laboratories; Worcester (MA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus incentives

401K

Paid time off

Stock purchase program

Health and wellness coverage

Employee and family wellbeing support

Work life balance flexibility

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories is seeking a dedicated Animal Care Technician to support in vivo services in Worcester, MA. The role focuses on hands-on animal husbandry, health monitoring and accurate record-keeping in a fast-paced lab setting.

You will work closely with veterinary staff to ensure high quality animal care, adhere to SOPs, and maintain clean, safe facilities. This entry-level position offers growth within a leading CRO focused on safe and efficient preclinical studies.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; an Associate’s degree in animal science or related field is preferred.
• Zero to six months of related experience in animal research and/or husbandry or equivalent.
• ALAT certification preferred.
• Ability to handle common laboratory species; effective communication and teamwork; strong organizational skills; attention to data and records.

Responsibilities

• Perform in vivo husbandry and animal receipt procedures.
• Observe and record environmental and animal health conditions; report atypical findings.
• Administer treatments via various routes; maintain health monitoring.
• Collect and process biological samples per SOPs and protocols.
• Maintain accurate animal health and census records; ensure proper sanitation and safety.
• Assist veterinary staff with health issues and routine examinations.

Skills

Animal handling

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Documentation

Data entry

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate’s degree in animal science or related field (preferred)

Job description

At Charles River, we are passionate about improving the quality of people's lives. When you join our global family, you will help create healthier lives for millions of patients and their families.

Charles River employees are innovative thinkers, who are dedicated to continuous learning and improvement. We will empower you with the resources you need to grow and develop in your career.

As a Charles River employee, you will be part of an industry-leading, customer-focused company at the forefront of drug development. Your skills will play a key role in bringing life-saving therapies to market faster through simpler, quicker, and more digitalized processes. Whether you are in lab operations, finance, IT, sales, or another area, when you work at Charles River, you will be the difference every day for patients across the globe.

Job Overview

The individual in this position will be involved in all aspects of animal care for the in vivo services group. This position is hands-on with responsibilities including, but not limited to animal husbandry, animal handling and restraint, treatment administration, animal health observations, cage changes, room sanitization and accurate documentation of animal health records.

Job Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform in vivo husbandry procedures including animal receipt
• Observes, records and reports atypical findings of the environment, facility and animal health
• Administer treatments via various routes
• Collect and process biological samples according to appropriate protocol and SOP requirements
• Provide quality care and health monitoring for all animals
• Identify and report any facility related issues or animal health concerns as necessary
• Interact with veterinary staff to convey and assist with animal health issues
• Maintain a safe and clean work environment
• Adhere to all applicable guidelines for the care and use of animals in research
• Perform facility sanitization, including animal rooms, hallways and other areas of the facility as needed
• Clearly and accurately document procedures including husbandry and sanitization
• Ensure that raw data records are accurate, complete and in appropriate order
• Maintain accurate animal health and census records
• Keep facilities stocked with supplies needed for daily operations
• Assist with review, development and improvement of department forms and SOPs
• Follow company SOPs, Policies, and Practices
• Assist Veterinary Staff with animal care as requested, such as physical examinations
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Schedule: Sunday - Thursday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.) required. Associate’s degree (A.A./A.S.) in animal science or related field preferred.
• Experience: Zero to six months related experience in animal research and/or husbandry or must have fully satisfied technical and experience requirements for the previous level.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Certification/Licensure: ALAT preferred.
• Other: Ability to handle common laboratory species. Effective communication and listening skills in a teamwork environment. Excellent organization skills with minimal supervision enabling effective management of multiple, concurrent tasks and priorities. Proficient in basic technical skills and the operation of data collection equipment. Knowledge of Testing Facility SOPs and other federal regulations and guidelines relating to the care of laboratory animals. Basic understanding of study design and protocols

The pay range for this position is $20.00/hour. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

About Safety Assessment

Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 120 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients' clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client's unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people's lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include:

• bonus/incentives based on performance
• 401K
• paid time off
• stock purchase program
• Health and wellness coverage
• employee and family wellbeing support programs
• work life balance flexibility

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an email message to [e-mail]. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For more information, please visit www.criver.com.