Animal Containment Laboratory Supervisor

Job Title

Animal Containment Laboratory Supervisor

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Vice Pres For Research

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment for all visitors, students, faculty, and staff by promoting a culture that embraces inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability.  Diverse perspectives, talents, and identities are vital to accomplishing our mission and living our core values .

Who we are

The Division of Research is committed to a truly comprehensive university where students, researchers, and inventors bring scholarship and innovation to bear for the benefit of the community, the state, and the nation. Texas A&M’s research creates new knowledge that provides basic, fundamental, and applied contributions resulting, in many cases, in economic benefits to the state, nation and world.

What we want

The Animal Containment Laboratory Supervisor is a position at the Global Health Research Complex (GHRC), a biocontainment facility at Texas A&M University. This position is responsible for: coordinating and overseeing all aspects of animal husbandry in ABSL-2 and BSL3-Ag environments; ensuring animal records are compliant with institutional, government, and other regulatory policies; and providing supervision and leadership of laboratory animal technical staff.  The preferred candidate will have experience working with wildlife species, working with large animal species in a containment laboratory setting, and or experience with large animal surgery, including anesthesia monitoring. The selected candidate will subscribe to and support our commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability as stated above. If this description appeals to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity

What you need to know

Please note:

• This position requires mobility and agility to move quickly in a dangerous situation.

• Must be able to undergo and maintain a favorable background investigation and National Select Agent Registration security risk assessment.

• This job has a potential for safety hazard exposures and infectious disease exposures, and requires the ability to work sometimes under challenging conditions (high humidity/temperature, unpleasant odors, animal excreta and noise).

• Medical evaluation is required at least annually, and full participation in a medical clearance program is required, which includes blood testing and possibly vaccinations.

• May be required to take several showers each day, is required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and stand for prolonged periods of time.

• Must have the physical ability to lift or move heavy loads.

Cover Letter and Resume:  Applicants are encouraged to upload cover letter and resume or CV.  You may upload this information under CV/Resume.

COVID-19 information:  Texas A&M University monitors local, state and federally mandated health guidelines to keep students, employees, prospective employees, and visitors as safe as possible. For the latest information regarding Texas A&M’s COVID-19 response, please visit the University’s COVID-19 website . For COVID-19 employment-related information, please visit the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness’ COVID-19 website .

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor degree in an agricultural or animal-related field or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Three years’ experience with large animal species (such as cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats) and prior experience with biocontainment (BSL-2, BSL-3, or BSL-3Ag) programs and facilities

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proficiency with Office suite applications

• Strong organizational skills

• Must have the ability to handle, restrain, clinically observe and identify health concerns in a wide range of large animal species

• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to ensure understanding

​Required Licenses and Certifications:

• Must be able to successfully obtain Biological Select Agent and Toxin certification

Other Requirements:

• Requires mobility and agility to move quickly in a dangerous situation

• Must be able to undergo and maintain a favorable background investigation and National Select Agent Registration security risk assessment

• This job has a potential for safety hazard exposures and infectious disease exposures, and requires the ability to work sometimes under challenging conditions (high humidity/temperature, unpleasant odors, animal excreta and noise)

• Medical evaluation is required at least annually, and full participation in a medical clearance program is required, which includes blood testing and possibly vaccinations

• May be required to take several showers each day, is required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and stand for prolonged periods of time

• Must have the physical ability to lift or move heavy loads

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Bachelor of Science in an Agricultural or animal-related field

• Experience working with wildlife species

• Experience working with large animal species in a containment laboratory setting

• Experience with large animal surgery, including anesthesia monitoring

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)

• Ability to cultivate and maintain professional working relationships with people of diverse backgrounds

Preferred Licenses and Certifications:

• American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification

• Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) certification.

Preferred Other Factors

• May require working holidays, weekends, or “on-call” duty

• Persons in this position are considered essential when the University declares an emergency, campus closure, class cancellations, etc., and are therefore required to report to work and remain on duty unless/until relieved by the direct supervisor

Responsibilities:

Animal Care Oversight:

• Coordinates and oversees all aspects of animal husbandry in in ABSL-2 and BSL3-Ag environments

• Ensures animal records are compliant with institutional, government, and other regulatory policies

• Supervises animal room cleaning, feeding

• Coordinates purchases for animal-related supplies

• Assists research staff with animal handling and sample collection, as needed

• Assists in the screening of newly arrived animals

• Monitors pre-operative and post-operative animals

• Observes animals for disease and symptoms of abnormalities

• Works with the Attending Veterinarian to ensure animal care staff are appropriately providing care to animals

• This job has a potential for safety hazard exposures and infectious disease exposures, and requires the ability to work sometimes under challenging conditions (high humidity/temperature, unpleasant odors, animal excreta and noise). May be required to take several showers each day, is required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and stand for prolonged periods of time. Must have the physical ability to lift or move heavy loads.

Facility Oversight:

• Establishes and maintains a records system for animal records, facility records, purchases, and expenses

• Monitors and records environmental parameters and conditions

• Initiates and maintains animal room logs, autoclave/cage-washer logs, animal health records, census sheets, and other essential records

• Supervises animal movement within the building

• Maintains surgical suite including sterilization of surgical equipment

• Supervises penning set-up and movement/storage

• Reviews, drafts, updates and maintains Standard Operating Procedures

• Maintains documentation for IACUC and AALAC inspection reports

Supervision and Leadership:

• Provides supervision and leadership of laboratory animal technical staff

• Coordinates and implements animal care training and ensures appropriate records are maintained

• Informs and advises research and husbandry staff of regulations and standards relevant to individual research protocols

• Assists with the large animal-containment training program

• Performs other duties as assigned. Completes an annual health evaluation through the Biosafety Occupational Health Program, to include blood titers, respirator fit testing, and possibly vaccinations

• Completes annual Select Agent Program training

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University and TAMHSC, must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

In accordance with the federal contractor vaccination mandate , specific facilities at The Texas A&M System may be considered a covered contractor workplace with covered contractor employees. Therefore, successful applicants for this position may be subject to the federal mandate to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment unless an approved medical or religious accommodation is in place.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/AffirmativeAction/Veterans/Disability Employer committed to diversity.