Animal Caretaker 2

University of Illinois Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) is seeking an Animal Care Technician 2 to support laboratory animal care and facility operations on site in Peoria, IL. The role involves animal handling, daily health checks, record keeping, and collaboration with investigators.

Responsibilities include cage maintenance, sanitation, and assisting with transport, along with adherence to SOPs and safety procedures.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Coursework in animal science, biological science, veterinary technology, zoology or related field.
• Work experience in an animal care facility such as a research lab, veterinary hospital, or clinic.

Responsibilities

• Maintains daily records of husbandry procedures, animal health checks, and cage counts.
• Receives animals shipped by vendors, cages, feeds, waters, and records.
• Notifies investigators about received animal orders and acclimation periods.
• Separates animals into new cages when fighting or births occur if researchers are unavailable.
• Follows cage changing schedule and cleans cages per SOPs.
• Performs monthly complete animal room cleanings (ceilings, floors, walls, doors, racks).
• Assists in transport or shipping of animals out of the facility.
• Maintains sanitation practices of animal facility per Daily Operation Manual SOPs.
• Operates environmental controls and specialized animal care equipment.
• Provides routine assistance in record-keeping and inventory for feed, bedding, and supplies.
• Boxing up waste for disposal and autoclave operation for sterilization.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Coursework in animal science/biological science/veterinary technology/zoology

Work experience in an animal care facility

Job description

Animal Caretaker 2

Hiring Department: LACF

Location: Peoria, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1042974

FTE: 1

Work Schedule: M - F, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Shift: Days

# of Positions: 1

Workplace Type: On-Site

Salary Range (commensurate with experience): $21.67 - 23.00 / Hourly Wage

Please note that this position is not remote and is onsite in Peoria, IL.

About UICOMP

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) educates 244 medical students and nearly 300 physician residents annually. It is one of four campuses that make up the nation's largest public medical school. The Peoria campus is known among students for its small class sizes, rigorous curriculum and hands‑on clerkships; to residents and fellows for the strong academic setting, large referral base and exceptional facilities; and by physicians seeking the ideal combination of teaching and practicing medicine in a research-based university setting.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Position Summary

An Animal Care Technician performs skilled duties of intermediate difficulty in the care of laboratory animals (procedures/treatments, administering medications, heath monitoring, preparing specialized diets), in providing assistance to investigators or clinicians, in the maintenance of the facility's sanitation, environmental controls, animal care equipment and supplies. Typically works under general supervision of higher-level personnel, but also will handle daily animal facility operations in the absence of higher-level personnel.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintains daily records of husbandry procedures, animal health checks, and cage counts.
• Receives animals shipped by vendors, including unboxing, caging, feeding, watering, and retention of appropriate corresponding records.
• Notifies investigators about received animal orders and acclimation periods.
• Separate animals into new caging when fighting or when births have occurred if researchers are unavailable.
• Follows the cage changing schedule and cleans cages for all animal rooms specified by direct supervisor.
• Dirty cage room work including, but not limited to bottle washing, rinsing of cages and operation of the cage wash.
• Clean cage room work including, but not limited to bedding of cages, filtering of cage lids, cleaning water bottle toppers, etc. Perform monthly complete animal room cleanings including but not limited to cleaning of ceiling vents, floors, walls, doors, animal racks, etc.
• Assists in the transport or shipping of animals out of the facility.
• Handles diet transitions including mixing of feeds and special diets as required for specialty studies.
• Acid wash sinks and metal carts to remove lime scale and hard water build-up.
• Maintain sanitation practices of animal facility by following written Daily Operation Manual SOP's specifying the use of detergents, disinfectants and autoclaves.
• Uses small hand tools to repair, adjust or service animal care equipment and routine minor facility general maintenance.
• Provides advanced technical procedure assistance to research or LACF personnel as requested by those personnel, including but not limited to euthanasia and surgery support.
• Assists the attending veterinarian in provision of medical treatment and pre/post surgical care for animals.
• Assists higher level personnel in more advanced animal care procedures common or specialized.
• General animal handling, performs treatments, animal identification and administers intra-peritoneal, topical, injectable or other drug administration routes as required.
• Assists in the infectious disease monitoring.
• Assists with survival and terminal bleeds (cardiac stick if necessary), and any other diagnostic assays related to the animals (cardiac stick if necessary), collects specimens and any other diagnostic assays related to the animals.
• Assists with shipping sentinel animals to the diagnostic laboratory when circumstances dictate.
• Sets up fecal flotation vials and tape tests for evaluation by veterinarian.
• Observing animals regularly, recognizing and reporting changes in eating/ drinking habits, general behavior, pain/distress and outward signs of disease or normal/abnormal appearance.
• Operates environmental controls and specialized animal care equipment.
• Provides routine assistance in record-keeping responsibilities regarding data necessary for the operation of the facility.
• Tracks allocation/rotation of equipment/supplies.
• Receives, stores, rotates and keeps inventory records of feed, bedding and other animal care supplies.
• Boxing up waste for disposal pick-up, including but not limited to animal bodies, sharps and bio hazardous materials.
• Loading and running autoclaves with surgical tools, gauze/wraps, water jugs for animal rooms, biohazard waste or any other miscellaneous items requiring sterilization.

Minimum Qualifications

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Any one or combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the categories below:
   1. Coursework in animal science, biological science, veterinary technology, zoology, or a closely related field, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent:
      • 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
      • Associate's Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
      • 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
      • Bachelor's Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)
   2. Work experience in an animal care facility which could include a research laboratory, veterinary hospital, veterinary clinic, intensive or industrial animal farm, or closely related experience.

Illinois Residency is required within 180 days of employment.

Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.