Vivarium Operations Lead — Animal Care & Staff

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Blacksburg (VA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech is seeking an Animal Care & Operations Supervisor to lead daily vivarium operations and staff at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This role oversees animal husbandry, training, and adherence to federal regulations and SOPs, while maintaining strong collaboration with the facility veterinarian and researchers.

The position requires weekend/holiday rotation, essential/emergency status, and work at Blacksburg with Roanoke backup. A safety-focused, team-oriented leader is essential.

Qualifications

• Significant experience handling and caring for animals in a research or teaching setting.
• Experience leading personnel, scheduling, inventories, and customer support.
• Strong knowledge of animal husbandry practices for traditional lab animals and agricultural species.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven problem-solving and conflict-resolution abilities.
• Experience with ABSL-2 practices and procedures.
• Associate degree in Animal Science or equivalent; LAT certification preferred.
• Ability to pass FBI background check and obtain SRA clearance within 12 months; ABSL-3 facilities awareness.
• Valid US driver’s license; ability to move/lift 50 pounds; PPE compliance.

Responsibilities

• Supervise daily operations and space utilization of the ARCD CVM vivarium.
• Manage assignments of animal care personnel at the facility.
• Train, mentor, and develop ARCD CVM staff.
• Ensure operations comply with federal regs, SOPs, and ARCD policies.
• Collaborate with facility veterinarian and research staff to support the vivarium.

Skills

Animal care

Team leadership

Animal husbandry

Communication skills

Problem-solving

ABSL-2 practices

Education

Associate Degree in Animal Science

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Virginia Tech is seeking an Animal Care & Operations Supervisor to lead daily vivarium operations and staff at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This role oversees animal husbandry, training, and adherence to federal regulations and SOPs, while maintaining strong collaboration with the facility veterinarian and researchers.

The position requires weekend/holiday rotation, essential/emergency status, and work at Blacksburg with Roanoke backup. A safety-focused, team-oriented leader is essential.