Supervisor - Animal Colony Management Program

About City of Hope

City of Hope's mission is to deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today. Founded in 1913, City of Hope  has grown into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines , as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center at its core, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute  and AccessHopeTM . For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , Instagram  and LinkedIn .

City of Hope’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We believe diversity, equity and inclusion is key in serving our mission to provide compassionate patient care, drive innovative discovery, and advance vital education focused on eliminating cancer and diabetes in all of our communities.  Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ensures we bring the full range of skills, perspectives, cultural backgrounds and experiences to our work -- and that our teams align with the people we serve in order to build trust and understanding.  We are dedicated to fostering a community that embraces diversity - in ideas, backgrounds and perspectives; this is reflected in our work and represented in our people.

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the CCM Associate Director, designs, implements and monitors the production of animals for biomedical research.  This position is responsible   for the supervision of a team of breeding technicians/specialists including assigning work, monitoring and assessing work performance, and recommending hiring and termination decisions. There is also a significant amount of time and effort devoted to communication with Principal Investigators and research teams to understand their colony needs and production goals.  The Research Animal Breeding Coordinator may also assist with research group communication, husbandry and other technical support functions as required. 

Key Responsibilities include:

• Acts as liaison with Principal Investigators to determine most appropriate breeding plan to meet production goals. 
• Uses specialized knowledge of breeding systems, genetics, strain characteristics and animal husbandry to make recommendations and establish breeding colonies of research animals.
• Maintains timely, ongoing communication with research staff i.e. progress reports, colony needs, and concerns.
• Communicates concerns and progress effectively and promptly with Animal Care Program (ACP) husbandry, veterinary and management staff. 
• Manages breeding colony maintenance including selection for mating, phenotype, genotype, breeding performance, weaning and replacement. 
• Oversees selection of animals needed to meet experimental goals.
• Oversees ACP breeding and husbandry staff functions regarding breeding lab animals for research.
• Manages all animal breeding projects under the ACP core breeding IACUC protocol. 
• Interprets and applies the National Institute of Health (NIH) “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals”, City of Hope Laboratory Animal Care and Use Policies and Program, and all relevant Federal, State, and local regulations.
• Ensures husbandry, breeding and identification methods are consistent with established standards for appropriate and humane use of laboratory animals.
• Establishes, maintains and manages database of breeding records.
• Establishes computerized database of all pertinent breeding colony records i.e. mating identification, genotype, pedigree, nomenclature and weaning records.
• Assures all records maintained are accurate and up to date.
• Establishes, prepares, and updates Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) appropriate for each breeding colony.
• Uses effective oral and written communication skills to establish SOPs that clearly define the guidelines/procedures/operations used by breeding staff to perform their job responsibilities. 
• Monitors compliance with SOPs.
• Modifies SOPs as necessary and communicates modifications to ACP and research staff promptly.
• Provides training and assistance to husbandry and research staff on the breeding and production of research animals.
• Provides clear, concise training and direction to ACP staff on matters relating to the breeding and production of research animals.
• Documents all training activities and ensures the documentation is stored and maintained in an appropriate fashion.
• Provides high-level technical assistance to research staff as required.    
• Prepares medicated diets, drinking water, collects tissue/blood samples, euthanatizes animals, and discharges other technical and paraveterinary duties as needed.

Basic education, experience and skills required for consideration:

• Associate’s degree.
• Experience may substitute for minimum education requirement. Must have 4 additional years of relevant experience along with the minimum experience requirement in lieu of an Associate’s degree. 
• Seven years of related animal care experience, preferably managing genetically engineered mutant mouse breeding colonies. 

Required Certification/Licensure:

• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATg) certification (or possess a current LAT certification with LATg certification obtained within 6 months of hire); Valid California Driver License. 

Preferred education, experience and skills:

• Bachelor of Science degree, experience in animal science, biology, or related field. 
• AALAS Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATg) certification. 

Additional Information:

• The estimated pay scale represents the typical [salary/hourly] range City of Hope reasonably expects to pay for this position, with offers determined based on several factors which may include, but not be limited to, the candidate’s experience, expertise, skills, education, job scope, training, internal equity, geography/market, etc.  This pay scale is subject to change from time to time.
• As a condition of employment, City of Hope requires staff to comply with all state and federal vaccination mandates.

City of Hope is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.