Histology Technician I

Charles River Laboratories; Spencerville (OH); On-site; USD 22,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories in the United States is seeking a Technician I who will train to perform onboarding, procedures, and collaborate in a team studying tissues. Tasks include handling tissues, embedding, microtomy, slide preparation, staining, inventory, quality control and shipping.

Work is performed under close supervision to gain proficiency. The role requires strong safety awareness, good communication, and the ability to learn validated systems; eligibility to work in the U.S.

Qualifications

• Education: HS diploma or GED preferred; associate/bachelor's degree in biological science preferred.
• Experience: No prior experience required.
• Equivalent education/experience may be accepted as substitution for listed requirements.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without a sponsor visa.
• Ability to learn validated systems and follow safety procedures.
• Commitment to GLP/SOP/BOP/IACUC and related regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Ensure welfare and humane care for animals; perform humane handling.
• Train in histology tasks: tissue handling, slide preparation, staining, and shipping.
• Collect, document, and review data in forms or electronic systems.
• Review documentation as part of quality control.
• Use and maintain instrumentation and equipment.
• Learn anatomic terms and SOPs; work with required PPE.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

English proficiency

Multitasking

Data entry

Safety awareness

Education

High school diploma or GED

Biological science degree preferred

Associate/Bachelor's in biology acceptable

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Overview

Job Summary

A Technician I is in training to perform and become proficient in on-boarding skills, procedures, and cooperating in a team environment. The technician is learning basic skills required to conduct a study, which may include handling tissues and organs, trimming tissues, embedding, microtomy, slide preparation, staining; inventory and quality control, and shipping of tissues. The technician is working under close supervision to gain proficiency.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Ensure good welfare and humane care for all animals worked with through gentle, positive human-animal interactions.
• Train in histology skills which may include handling tissues and organs, slide preparation, staining/cover slipping; inventory, and shipping of tissues. Specific tasks will be based on each area’s training plan and business needs.
• Collect, document, review, and verify data on forms, or in electronic data capture systems.
• Review documentation of functions performed as part of quality control requirements.
• Use and maintain instrumentation and equipment.
• Learn and know anatomic terms.
• Receive, track, and prepare samples or materials, as required for department.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

The pay for this position is $19/hr. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

Qualifications

Job Description

• Education: High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.) preferred. Associate (A.A./A.S.) or Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) or equivalent in a biological science, desired.
• Experience: No previous experience required.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Certification/Licensure: None, unless required by local government.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Knowledge of English.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities to achieve goals.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without a sponsor visa, now or in the future.
• Computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite), commensurate with essential functions, including the ability to learn a validated system.
• Ability to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained by observing all safety procedures and working methods by making proper use of protective clothing and equipment, and by reading, understanding, and following all safety documents issued or notified of.
• Ability to ensure the integrity of the studies and fulfill the regulatory agencies requirements by performing the activities according to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Business Operating Procedures (BOP) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) rules.
• Ability to work extended hours beyond normal work schedule to include, but not limited to evenings, weekends, extended shifts, and/or extra shifts, sometimes on short notice.
• Ability to work under specific time constraints.

Physical Demands

• Employees must be able to lift, move, manipulate, and/or hold heavy objects up to and including 50 pounds; this includes work materials, equipment, and/or animals.
• Must be able to perform procedures, which require, talking, hearing, standing or sitting for long periods of time, entering data into a computer, using appropriate instruments, reaching with hands and arms, working in narrow spaces, and wearing safety equipment (PPE) according to OSHA regulations and company standards.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• Work in a research environment, which requires use of sharp objects, working around mechanical parts, working with or near known or unknown toxic or caustic chemicals and/or biological hazards, exposure to fumes and airborne particles, working at noise levels ranging from quiet to moderate.

Comments

• This position requires occasional overtime, weekend, holiday, and/or after hours shift coverage, as needed.

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 300 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, and 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 e‑mail 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.

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