Animal Care Technician II

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin–Madison's Waisman Center is seeking an Animal Care Technician II to join a team responsible for the care of laboratory rodents and to support health monitoring and data recording for research projects.

The role involves preparing food, maintaining animal holding spaces, observing behavior, administering treatments per protocols, and documenting health observations while collaborating with veterinary staff to ensure high standards of welfare and compliance.

Qualifications

• One year of experience with responsible care and use of animals in a research setting.
• Knowledge of acceptable animal husbandry practices and procedures.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to read and understand various animal care protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Ability to accurately record animal health observations, environmental conditions, and daily maintenance logs.

Responsibilities

• Inventories, cleans, and maintains organization of animal holding spaces and supplies
• Prepares food and formulas and feeds animals according to established schedules and specifications
• Observes animal behavior, performs basic animal care, and reports concerns to the appropriate entities to contribute to the health and well-being of animals and promote research
• Collects samples from animals and administers medications, injections, and treatments according to established protocols and procedures to be used for diagnostic tests and research
• Maintains organization of and updates records related to research procedures
• Inspects and reports equipment problems to ensure optimal and safe operation

Skills

Animal care experience

Teamwork

Verbal and written communication

Follow protocols

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

University Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Animal Care Technician II

Job Summary

The Waisman Center is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases throughout the lifespan. One of 15 centers of its kind in the United States, the Waisman Center encompasses laboratories for biomedical and behavioral research, several scientific research cores, and a clinical biomanufacturing facility for the production of pharmaceuticals for early stage human clinical trials. In addition to its research efforts, the Center provides an array of services to people with developmental disabilities, offers numerous educational and outreach programs to young children and their families, and trains scientists and clinicians who will serve our nation in the future.

The Rodent Models Core at the Waisman Center is essential to the success of research that uses rodent models for the study of normal and abnormal development and degeneration of the nervous system. It is responsible for the care, feeding and record-keeping related to the use of mice and rats on biomedical research projects and the maintenance of specific rodent models of developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases.

The Animal Care Technician II will be part of a team of animal care technicians that work collectively to provide the highest level of care to the facility's laboratory rodents, as well as communicate relevant health concerns to veterinary staff.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Inventories, cleans, and maintains organization of animal holding spaces and supplies
• Prepares food and formulas and feeds animals according to established schedules and specifications
• Observes animal behavior, performs basic animal care, and reports concerns to the appropriate entities to contribute to the health and well-being of animals and promote research
• Collects samples from animals and administers medications, injections, and treatments according to established protocols and procedures to be used for diagnostic tests and research
• Maintains organization of and updates records related to research procedures
• Inspects and reports equipment problems to ensure optimal and safe operation

Department

Waisman Center

Compensation

$20/hr minimum; Salary is negotiable and will be based on education, experience and skills. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts and retirement benefits.

Required Qualifications

• At least one year of experience with responsible care and use of animals in a research setting.
• Knowledge of acceptable animal husbandry practices and procedures.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to read and understand various animal care protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Ability to accurately record animal health observations, environmental conditions, and daily maintenance logs.
• The ability to learn safety rules and precautions necessary to maintain animal health.

Preferred Qualifications

• American Association for laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) or Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) level.

Education

High School Diploma preferred.

Additional Information

• The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.
• A Criminal Background Check will be performed.
• The successful applicant will be required to complete HIPAA training and receive certification upon hire and annually thereafter.

Contact Information

For questions regarding this position or posting, please contact Jessica Soper, HR Generalist, at [e-mail] or [phone]. Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.