Animal Technician I(AT)

The Lundquist Institute; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lundquist Institute in Torrance, CA is seeking an entry-level Animal Care Technician to support daily care of laboratory animals, proper sanitation, and accurate environmental documentation in a collaborative research setting. You will work under SOPs and GLP guidelines to maintain high standards of welfare and safety.

Responsibilities include monitoring animal health observations, assisting with cage cleaning, feeding, water provisioning, and adherence to safety practices.

Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED or equivalent.
• Entry level position; prior animal experience beneficial.
• Basic computer and math skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written).
• Able to follow policies, SOPs, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily animal care (cleaning, feeding, watering) and proper sanitation.
• Review, comprehend and comply with SOPs and QA standards for laboratory animals.
• Monitor daily animal health and welfare observations.
• Perform animal husbandry duties including cage checks, feeding, and housing tasks.
• General housekeeping and safety procedures in the animal facility.
• Work weekends and holidays as scheduled.
• Maintain accurate documentation and follow data integrity practices.

Skills

Animal care

Teamwork

Professional communication

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

About Us

The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is an independent, non-profit biomedical research organization located in Torrance, California. In dozens of laboratories throughout the campus, researchers are working to unravel the mysteries of heart and kidney disease, cardiac complications in newborns, chronic lung disease, skin cancer, sickle cell disease, disorders of the autoimmune system, and much more. Many of these projects are collaborative in nature, involving experts from different areas of specialization. Our discoveries have prevented blindness in newborns, enabled premature infants with fragile lungs to breathe and allowed children with rare, often fatal diseases to grow up healthy and strong.

About Us

The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is an independent, non-profit biomedical research organization located in Torrance, California. In dozens of laboratories throughout the campus, researchers are working to unravel the mysteries of heart and kidney disease, cardiac complications in newborns, chronic lung disease, skin cancer, sickle cell disease, disorders of the autoimmune system, and much more. Many of these projects are collaborative in nature, involving experts from different areas of specialization. Our discoveries have prevented blindness in newborns, enabled premature infants with fragile lungs to breathe and allowed children with rare, often fatal diseases to grow up healthy and strong.

Basic Responsibilities

• Perform animal husbandry (clean, feed, sanitation, enrichment, etc.) on a regular basis.


• Operate, maintain, and perform equipment tasks (e.g. cage washers, autoclave, cage movement, etc.) on a regular basis.


• Observe and report any aberrations in animal room environments (room temperature, humidity, lighting, ventilation, vermin, etc.).


• Perform general facility cleaning, stocking, and inventory.


• Prepare rooms, sanitize, and repair as needed.


• Receive, and distribute animals for isolation, study assignment or consolidation.


• Perform animal identification tasks (tattoo, sex, ear tag, etc.).


• Comply with the appropriate safety and study requirements as described in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and governmental regulations.


• Comply with appropriate safety and health practices including personal protective equipment and barrier requirements, as applicable.


• Recognize animal behavior, health status and report to appropriate channels.


• Attend training programs to become more knowledgeable of and develop expertise in laboratory animal science.

Essential Job Functions

• Provide daily animal care (cleaning, feeding, and watering of animals), animal facility cleaning and sanitation, documentation of appropriate environmental conditions, and daily animal health and welfare observations to ensure that all of the animals within the department of animal resources care procedures are performed according to regulations and guidelines.


• Review, comprehend and comply with all SOPs and quality assurance standards pertaining to laboratory animals for research.


• Monitor daily animal health and welfare while performing daily animal health observations.


• Perform animal husbandry duties to maintain quality and health of research animals, to include: perform daily water bottle /automatic water line and cage checks; provide appropriate food and water; perform cage changing and/or cage cleaning as required; record animal health concerns per SOP and/or specified protocols.


• Perform general housekeeping and adhere to safety procedures.


• Required to work on scheduled weekends and holidays.


• Strict attention to detail and follow-up skills are essential.


• Strong verbal and written communications skills are required.


• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to perform in a team environment.
  
• Responsible for the accuracy of any assigned task.


• Responsible for all aspects of training associated with their level of certification.


• Errors in care, handling, manipulation and treatment of lab animals can result in injury, unnecessary suffering of laboratory animals.


• Experiments can be affected resulting in loss of data and time resulting in the loss of thousands of research dollars.

Contacts and Working Relationships Required on the Job

Interfaces with Lundquist principal investigators and their technical staff, supervisors, employees, colleagues, vendors, and Harbor-UCLA hospital-based employees.

Qualification Guidelines

• High school diploma, GED or equivalent


• This is an entry level position and previous animal experience would be beneficial.


• Basic computer and math skills.


• Ability to effectively comprehend and communicate (verbal and written) in a professional manner.


• An aptitude to follow company policies (tobacco, drug and alcohol-free site), standard operating procedures, and maintain regulatory compliance is important.


• This is a physical position in a warm environment.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Ability to work with animals.


• Ability to work as a member of a team.


• Ability to interact in an appropriate and professional manner with others.

Physical and/or Mental Requirements

• The employee will bend, reach, and push and pull while working with the animals.


• Ability to lift 50 lbs.


• Ability to multi-task and maintain organization in a fast paced, changing environment.


• Positive attitude toward work and co-workers.


• Be a part of a team that likes to work hard and have fun.


• All schedules include weekends, holidays and occasional overtime.

Position requires a background check and health clearance

Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Drug-Free Workplace