Vivarium Technician IV

Exelixis; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Flexible spending account

Discretionary bonus

Stock purchase plan

Long-term incentives

Vacation days

Paid holidays

Sick days

Job summary

Exelixis is seeking a Vivarium Technician IV to oversee animal husbandry and housekeeping for the animal holding areas and to support the in vivo pharmacology program. The role includes routine dosing, blood collection, tissue harvesting, and daily health monitoring in mice and rats.

Responsibilities include maintaining records, preparing solutions, stocking supplies, and performing general lab maintenance.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED with 7+ years related experience; or AA with 5 years; or BS with 3 years; or equivalent.
• AALAS certification preferred.
• Experience with animal facility housekeeping, safety, inventory procedures and record keeping.
• Experience with receiving and caging animals; in vivo techniques and blood collection.

Responsibilities

• Maintain animal husbandry and housekeeping of animal holding and support areas.
• Perform routine dosing and blood collection in mice and rats via multiple routes; tissue harvest; daily health monitoring.
• Provide shaving, body weight, re-housing and euthanizing animals as needed.
• Perform daily clinical observations and report findings to management and staff.
• Set up, receive and identify incoming animals.
• Maintain records and archives/files.
• Prepare routine media, reagents and solutions for department use.
• Stock and distribute laboratory supplies and equipment.
• General laboratory maintenance including washing and storing tools and arranging apparatus.
• Comply with health and safety policies and practices.
• Willing and able to work weekends and holidays.

Skills

Animal handling

Record keeping

Lab safety

Blood collection

Dosing techniques

IV/IP/SC/PO

MS Word

MS Excel

Education

High school diploma or GED

AA degree

BS degree

Equivalent combination of education and experience

AALAS certification

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

Job description

SUMMARY/JOB PURPOSE (Basic purpose of the job):

Responsible for animal husbandry and housekeeping of animal holding and support areas. The Vivarium Technician IV assists and supports the daily activities for the in vivo pharmacology program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintains animal husbandry and housekeeping of animal holding and support areas.
• Performs routine dosing and blood collection in mice and rats via multiple routes as well as tissue harvest and daily health monitoring, including on weekends as needed.
• Provides additional support including, but not limited to, shaving fur, taking body weight, re-housing animals, euthanizing animals, plasma/serum collection, etc.
• Performs clinical observations of animals daily and reports to management and research staff.
• Sets up, receives, and identifies incoming animals.
• Maintains records and archives/files appropriately.
• Prepares routine media, reagents, and custom solutions for use by department and other research staff.
• Stocks and distributes laboratory supplies and equipment for assigned department.
• Performs general laboratory maintenance including collecting, washing and storing procedure tools, arranging and dismantling laboratory apparatus and operating husbandry equipment.
• Complies with company health and safety policies and general laboratory practices.
• Other duties as requested.
• Willing and able to work weekends and holidays.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• None.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Education:

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) and a minimum of 7 years related experience; or,
• AA degree and a minimum of 5 years related experience; or,
• BS degree and a minimum of 3 years related experience; or,
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.
• AALAS certification preferred.

Experience:

• Experience with animal facility housekeeping, safety, inventory procedures and record keeping.
• Experience with receiving and caging animals.
• Experience with in vivo techniques including IV, IP, SC, PO and blood collection techniques (tail vein, submandibular, cardiac puncture, etc.), and organ harvesting from small laboratory animals.
• Basic experience working with computers including MS Word and MS Excel required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Basic knowledge of animal handling techniques, theories, and practices.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
• Writes simple correspondences and effectively presents information in one-on-one and small group situations.
• Able to receive general instructions on routine work, and detailed instructions on new assignments.
• Able to lift 50 lbs.
• Works on assignments that are semi-routine in nature where the ability to recognize deviation from accepted practice is required.
• Applies job skills and company policies and procedures to complete a variety of tasks.

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

Our office is a modern, open-plan space that foster collaborations and creativity. Teams work closely together, sharing ideas and solutions in a supportive atmosphere. We provide all necessary equipment, including dual monitors and ergonomic chairs, to ensure a comfortable workspace.

#LI-JD1

Location: Alameda, CARange for this position: $85,000 - $107,500The base pay offered will take into account job-related knowledge, skills, experience and internal equity, among other factors.In addition to the base salary, as part of our Total Rewards program, Exelixis offers comprehensive employee benefits package, including a 401k plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus program, or if field sales staff, a sales-based incentive plan. Exelixis also offers employees the opportunity to purchase company stock, and receive long-term incentives, 15 accrued vacation days in their first year, 17 paid holidays including a company-wide winter shutdown in December, and up to 10 sick days throughout the calendar year.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Our office is a modern space that fosters collaboration and creativity. Teams work closely together, sharing ideas and solutions in a supportive atmosphere. We provide all necessary equipment, including dual monitors and ergonomic chairs, to ensure a comfortable workspace.

DISCLAIMER:

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.