Research Technician I

Charles River Laboratories; Shrewsbury (MA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus incentives

401K

Paid time off

Stock purchase program

Health and wellness coverage

Employee and family wellbeing support

Work life balance flexibility

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories is seeking a Research Technician I to support preclinical studies at our site in Massachusetts. The role involves in-life procedures, data collection, and adherence to GLPs and SOPs under supervision.

Responsibilities include animal handling, dosing, sample collection, data entry, and ensuring accurate records. The position requires a high school diploma and takes on 7:30-4:00 schedule with potential overtime as study needs arise.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 6 months to 1 year of experience in animal research or related field preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience considered.
• ALAT certification preferred.
• Ability to work in a regulated research environment and follow protocols.
• Care for animal welfare and maintain high-quality animal care.
• Strong attention to detail and accurate recordkeeping.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Perform in-life study procedures, including animal handling, restraint, identification, body weight collection, dosing, clipping, and related activities.
• Administer test substances using routine methods, such as oral gavage.
• Monitor animal health and well-being through observations and food consumption assessments.
• Collect biological samples and record data in accordance with GLPs, protocols and SOPs.
• Enter, review, edit, and maintain study data using computerized systems.
• Prepare study materials and set up study rooms.

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Life Sciences, or related field

ALAT certification

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

Join our team as a Research Technician I and play a key role in supporting preclinical research studies.

The Research Technician I collects and records study data with minimal supervision. Responsibilities include handling and restraining laboratory animals, performing clinical observations, collecting samples, monitoring food consumption, supporting animal husbandry activities, and maintaining accurate study records. This position administers test substances using routine techniques and performs study procedures in compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs), study protocols, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Training schedule

Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm

Work schedule

Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday-Thursday, 7:30am-4:00pm

Overtime, weekend, holiday, and after-hours coverage may be required based on study needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform in-life study procedures, including animal handling, restraint, identification, body weight collection, dosing, clipping, and related technical activities.
• Administer test substances using routine methods, such as oral gavage.
• Monitor animal health and well-being through clinical observations and food consumption assessments.
• Collect biological samples and accurately record research data in accordance with GLPs, study protocols, and SOPs.
• Enter, review, edit, and maintain study data using computerized data collection systems.
• Prepare study materials, including labeling collection tubes and setting up study rooms.
• Review and maintain study documentation to support quality control requirements.
• Read and interpret basic study protocols to perform assigned tasks.
• Retrieve and follow SOPs, company policies, and procedural requirements.
• Provide husbandry support and care for laboratory animals across species housed at the site.
• Maintain clean, organized, and compliant laboratory and animal care areas.
• Receive and process incoming animals, including health observations, sexing, and identification.
• Under supervision, may serve as the primary technician on routine studies.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

The rate for this position is $24.50/hour. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Life Sciences, or a related field preferred.
• 6 months to 1 year of experience in animal research, laboratory animal husbandry, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• ALAT certification preferred.
• Ability to work in a regulated research environment and follow study protocols, SOPs, and company procedures.
• Compassionate toward animal welfare and committed to providing high-quality animal care.
• Comfortable working in a research setting with laboratory animals and associated occupational health and safety requirements.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to accurate recordkeeping.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaborate effectively as part of a team.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift, move, and carry up to 50 pounds, including equipment, materials, and animals.
• Ability to stand, sit, walk, and perform repetitive tasks for extended periods.
• Fine motor skills required for technical procedures and animal handling.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus are required.

Work Environment

• Research laboratory and animal facility setting with exposure to live animals, allergens, zoonotic diseases, biological materials, chemicals, and laboratory equipment.
• Work may involve exposure to moderate-to-high noise levels, fumes, airborne particles, and mechanical equipment.

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.

• 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.

235330