Surgical Anesthesia Veterinary Technician

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 54,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking an advanced Veterinary Technician III to support anesthesia and surgical care within the WNPRC. The role collaborates with veterinarians, technicians, and care staff to meet colony medical and research needs.

You will work autonomously within the surgery/anesthesia team, oversee specialized equipment, and mentor junior staff while maintaining rigorous data and record-keeping practices.

Qualifications

• Credentialed veterinary technician with ability to practice in Wisconsin or become credentialed locally.
• Preferred: 3+ years in anesthesia and surgical support.
• Experience with Excel and Google Sheets is desirable.
• Experience teaching technical skills to new staff or students is a plus.
• Ability to work independently within the anesthesia team.
• Strong time management skills.
• Knowledge of veterinary equipment maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Maintain surgical support facilities in sanitized, stocked conditions.
• Assist in training new veterinary/animal care staff and supervise as needed.
• Schedule and perform routine testing and vaccinations on USDA-regulated animals.
• Assist in data collection or reporting for research or colony management.
• Maintain records of treatments, medications, diagnostics, and illnesses.
• Support veterinarians in anesthesia, surgery, post-operative care, and radiology under supervision.

Skills

Veterinary Technician

Surgery & anesthesia

Data management

Excel

Time management

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology

Tools

Autoclave

Monitoring devices

Surgical instruments

Ultrasonic cleaner

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

University Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Veterinary Technician III

Job Summary

This is an advanced veterinary technician role specializing in surgery, anesthesia, and pain management. The position integrates into a team of veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and care staff delivering comprehensive veterinary services to support the daily operations of the WNPRC. The main responsibility is to fulfill the colony’s clinical and research needs for anesthesia and surgery, collaborating closely with University of Wisconsin scientists and partners.

Beyond assisting in clinical duties typical of a Veterinary Technician 1 or 2, the candidate works autonomously within the surgery and anesthesia team, managing aspects of surgical care and anesthesia for a large colony of nonhuman primates. They also oversee and update specialized veterinary equipment. Additionally, they mentor junior staff across all veterinary technical support tasks and continue providing technical assistance to veterinary professionals as needed.

This role requires the individual to be self-reliant, confident, and skilled, with solid knowledge of veterinary medicine, aseptic techniques, wound care, anesthesia, pain relief, data management—such as spreadsheets and animal health records—and excellent time management skills.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Maintains surgical support facilities in sanitized, well-stocked, and in orderly manner; and ensures that preventative maintenance of equipment is performed
• Assists in training new veterinary and/or animal care technicians and supervises work as appropriate
• Schedules and performs routine testing and vaccinations on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulated animals
• May assist in data collection or reporting for designated aspects of research, animal care programs, or colony management
• Maintains records regarding animal treatments, medications, diagnostic procedures, and illness
• Assists veterinarians and researchers in animal care, diagnostic, preventative, research, anesthesia, surgery, post-operative care, euthanasia and radiology procedures under minimal supervision. May perform minor surgical procedures or other minor invasive procedures
• Prepares, completes, monitors, and documents complex technical animal care procedures and work unit activities, assessments, and medication administration according to established care plans and medical necessity
• Keeps records of all controlled substances and inventory records

Department

WNPRC Veterinary Services Unit

Compensation

Starting hourly rate for a Veterinary Technician III is $26.50/hour

Required Qualifications

• The applicant must be a currently credentialed veterinary technician/nurse in good standing in Wisconsin, or be able to become legally credentialed to practice in Wisconsin.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least three years of relevant experience in anesthesia and surgical assistance or participation is strongly preferred.
• Experience with Excel and Google Sheets
• Formal or informal experience teaching technical skills to new staff members or students
• Ability to work independently within the support structure of the anesthesia team
• Good time management skills
• Knowledge of and the ability to perform routine maintenance on veterinary equipment such as multi-parameter monitors, anesthesia machines, and surgical instruments

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of standards for quality animal care and proper procedures associated with handling animals, preferably nonhuman primates.
• Knowledge of and ability to maintain and operate equipment utilized in unit (e.g., anesthesia machines, monitoring devices, ultrasonic cleaner, autoclave, gas sterilization chambers, etc.).
• Knowledge of and ability to perform clinical triage & initial emergency intervention.
• Knowledge, skill and ability to perform or assist surgeon in major invasive clinical surgeries; dental care; wound care and primary closure of minor lacerations.
• Knowledge of complications associated with pre- and post-operative care; appropriate reactions to and requirements for each complication.
• Knowledge of anesthesia techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of aseptic techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of behavior and health requirements in one or more species and willingness to learn abnormal animal behavior.
• Knowledge of common computer programs and electronic medical records systems.
• Strong oral and written communications skills required.
• Strong interpersonal skills. This position requires a pleasant, conscientious, team player attitude.
• Crisis Decision skill ability: It is critical that the successful applicant knows his/her own limitations and what he/she can or cannot do. This includes not only knowing the limitations of their skills but also what decisions or actions may only be done und

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology or equivalent

Additional Information

• Requires the ability to lift a minimum of 50 lbs independently, and physical and manual dexterity to perform specialized technical tasks.
• Position requires the ability to stand for up to 75 percent of the time.
• Physical ability to lift, sit, stand, bend, reach, squat, twist and push to safely handle and care for the nonhuman primates.
• Must be TB negative
• Must be comfortable working around or directly with infectious diseases
• Applicant will be required to provide proof of immunization for measles or have a measles titer within the first week of employment. Depending on the results of the blood test, applicant may need to be immunized.
• Allergies to animals must be controlled by medication.
• Must possess a valid driver's license that meets standards of UW Risk Management in order to operate WNPRC vehicles.
• Criminal background check is required.

University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer, and therefore, is not eligible to employ F1 STEM OPT Extension participants. If you are selected for this position, you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.

The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) is one of seven federally supported National Primate Research Centers and the only one in the Midwest. WNPRC's mission is to increase the understanding of basic primate biology and to improve human health and quality of life through research. To accomplish this, the WNPRC helps discover treatments, preventions and cures for human disease; generates new knowledge of primate biology, from the molecular and whole animal levels to the understanding of primate ecosystems; facilitates research progress by providing expertise, resources and training to scientists worldwide; and collects primate information and disseminates to the research community and to the public.

Based in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) of the University of Wisconsin- Madison (UW-Madison), the WNPRC is committed to diversity both as an end in itself, but also as a valuable means for eliminating health disparities through research.

Contact Information

• HR Generalist: Kate Rouman
• [e-mail]
• [phone]

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.