Animal Technician II

Job Summary

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is seeking an animal technician to join our Integrated Toxicology (ITox) team at the Kansas City (CR-KAN) Site.  This site is the first of its kind, bridging CRL’s Discovery and Safety Assessment business units, while bringing automation to standard lead optimization toxicology study models to deliver rapid study results to our clients.  The technician is learning basic skills required to conduct a study, which include animal husbandry needs, animal handling/restraint, housing maintenance, feeding procedures, collecting data, observing the animals for health status, body weight measurements, administering doses by various methods, conducting euthanasia, and/or biological specimen collections for analysis.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensure good welfare and humane care for all animals, using gentle and positive human-animal interactions.
• Perform basic skills of the department including animal handling/restraint, housing maintenance, and feeding procedures; collecting data, observing the animals for health status, and body weight measurements; administering doses by various methods, conducting euthanasia, and/or biological specimen collections for analysis. Specific skills will be based on each area’s training plan and business needs.
• Collect, document, review, and verify data on forms, or in electronic data capture systems.
• Review documentation of functions performed as part of quality control requirements. 
• Use and maintain instrumentation and equipment.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.
   

Job Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma, General Education Degree (G.E.D.), preferred.
• Experience: At least 6 months of animal laboratory and/or relevant species handling experience.  Needle handling/use and routine dose administration experience preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Certification/Licensure: ALAT preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities to achieve goals.
• Computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite), commensurate with essential functions, including the ability to learn a validated system.
• Ability to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained by observing all safety procedures and working methods by making proper use of protective clothing and equipment, and by reading, understanding, and following all safety documents issued or notified of.
• Ability to ensure the integrity of the studies and fulfill the regulatory agencies requirements by performing the activities according to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Business Operating Procedures (BOP) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) rules.
• Ability to work extended hours beyond normal work schedule to include, but not limited to evenings, weekends, extended shifts, and/or extra shifts, sometimes on short notice.
• Ability to work under specific time constraints.

The pay range for this position is $21.50/hour.  Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Employees must be able to lift, move, manipulate, and/or hold heavy objects up to and including 50 pounds; this includes work materials, equipment, and/or animals. 
• Must be able to perform laboratory procedures, which require, talking, hearing, standing, or sitting for long periods of time, entering data into a computer, using appropriate instruments, reaching with hands and arms, working in narrow spaces, and wearing safety equipment (PPE) according to OSHA regulations and company standards. 
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

 
WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

• Work in a research environment, which requires use of sharp objects, working around mechanical parts, working with or near known or unknown toxic or caustic chemicals and/or biological hazards, exposure to fumes and airborne particles, working at noise levels ranging from moderate to loud.
• The employee regularly works with live animals with risk of exposure to allergens, zoonotic disease, and biohazards.  
• The noise level in the work environment ranges from low to high depending upon the species housed. 

COMMENTS: 

• This position requires overtime, weekend, holiday, and/or after hours shift coverage, as needed.

The pay range for this position is $21.50/hour.  Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.