Research Associate I

Charles River Laboratories; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus incentives

401K

Paid time off

Stock purchase program

Health coverage

Wellbeing support

Work-life balance

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories’ CRADL facilities in Boston and Cambridge are seeking a Research Associate I to conduct in vivo studies in rodents for multiple clients, ensuring animal health and welfare under IACUC guidelines.

The role involves handling and dosing, sample collection, data documentation, and collaboration with veterinary staff to support research programs. Weekend or evening work may be required at times.

Qualifications

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in animal or lab science with 6–12 months of lab animal experience.
• High School Diploma + ALAT certification or 2+ years of lab animal experience allowed.
• Minimum ability to handle and restrain animals and perform dosing calculations.

Responsibilities

• Handle and restrain animals following approved procedures.
• Formulation and dosing calculations for test articles.
• In-life monitoring and record-keeping of study animals.
• Maintain SOPs and CRADL standards for in vivo studies.
• Collaborate with veterinary staff and other teams to complete assignments.

Skills

In vivo techniques

Animal handling

Dosing calculations

IACUC compliance understanding

Education

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in animal or laboratory science

High School Diploma + ALAT certification or 2+ years of lab animal experience

Tools

Isoflurane machine

IVIS

Irradiator

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 Summary

We are seeking a Research Associate I to work at our CRADL facilities, located in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Research Associate I conducts in vivo study work in rodents for multiple clients to support research programs. They collaborate with the veterinary staff to ensure that the health and welfare of laboratory animals are maintained in compliance with local, state, federal and institutional guidelines, and regulations.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

• Able to perform and obtain competency/proficiency in the following techniques, at minimum:
• Handle and restrain animals using appropriate procedures
• Formulation and dosing calculations
• Dosing and inoculation of test articles via basic techniques ( e.g., oral gavage, intravenous, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, etc.)
• Basic tissue (e; spleen, liver, etc.) and blood collection (e, cardiac puncture, intravenous, etc.)
• In-life monitoring of the study animals for body weights, clinical observations, tumor measurements, etc.
• Comply with all SOPs, BOPs and CRADL standards pertaining to in vivo studies utilizing laboratory animals for research.
• Monitors animal health and welfare while performing technical procedures.
• Perform study preparation activities, including but not limited to, IACUC and study protocol review, collection tube labeling, and room setup.
• Conduct laboratory procedures in compliance with approved IACUC protocols and study plans.
• Operate and maintain lab equipment with guidance (e.g. Isoflurane machine, IVIS, Irradiator, and others).
• Disposal of biological, hazardous, and animal facility waste following established procedures.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date lab records/ documentation while assuring quality and data integrity.
• Document experimental data as requested by clients in technical notebooks or approved electronic files. Perform humane euthanasia in accordance with the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the AVMA Guide on Euthanasia, and under the direction of the attending veterinarian, or designee.
• Report non-compliance or animal welfare concerns to the appropriate Animal Welfare Team member or IACUC office.
• Collaborate with other personnel within and across teams/departments to facilitate completion of assignments.
• Assist in maintaining clean work areas and lab supply inventory.
• Attend and participates in on-the-job and classroom training sessions, complete all assigned computer-based safety and professional development training by the pre-determined due dates.
• Maintain effective communication with supervisor/ leadership and assists in reporting procedural deficiencies and issues.
• Assist Vet Techs and Veterinarians with follow-up checks, treatments and procedure if needed.
• Maintain the required attendance level and adherence to work schedule. Accommodate varying workload and work on weekends, holidays and/or evening when needed.
• Perform other duties as directed by management.

Job Qualifications

The following are minimum requirements related to the Research Associate I role:

Candidates Must Possess One Of The Following

• Associate degree (A.A./A.S.) or Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) in animal or laboratory science or related discipline AND a minimum of six – twelve (6-12) months of laboratory animal experience.
• High School Diploma or GED (General Education Degree) AND either 1) a minimum of 2+ years of laboratory animal experience OR 2) Certification from AALAS, at minimum Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT).

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic in vivo technical skills.
• Certification from AALAS, such as Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT).

The pay range for this position is $29-$32/ hour. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

About Insourcing Solutions

Charles River Insourcing Solutions can streamline research by delivering operational and cost efficiencies through the strategic insourcing of GMP, GLP and non-GLP research services from discovery through safety assessment. Insourcing Solutions provides you with the ability to maintain control of your facility and expertise while leveraging available space.

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.