Animal Care Technician

The Animal Care Technician works with the Vivarium Manager to ensure that vertebrate and invertebrate animals receive care in accordance with applicable regulations, policies, and experimental protocols. Works to help ensure that appropriate support services for investigators are furnished at Middlebury’s AAALAC-accredited Laboratory Animal Facility and satellite animal laboratories. This is a full time, benefits eligible, hourly position with a hiring range of $28.14 - $35.19 per hour. Core Responsibilities: Maintains animal rooms and other facility areas in accordance with a high standard of sanitation, to include sweeping, vacuuming, and washing walls, floors, equipment and shelving according to the schedules for these activities. Serves as a member of the animal care team, using knowledge of animal health and husbandry to perform daily care, health assessments, and medical treatments for vertebrate and invertebrate animals as needed. Provides experienced technical support including, but not limited to, administering medications, performing treatments, sexing, assisting with surgeries, providing pre- and post-operative care, and administering injections and euthanasia. Performs quality assurance testing and monitoring for systems and equipment, including but not limited to cage washer, surgical equipment, and autoclave operation, sanitization efficacy, water quality, medication and chemical expiration dates, and evaluation of vendor statistics on animals to be ordered. Assists in maintaining required facility records and data, including health records, animal census and husbandry data, and drug inventories, and in developing, implementing, and updating procedures, checklists, and other documentation as required and appropriate. Participates in programs reviews, regulatory site visits and inspections as required, which would include, but not be limited to, IACUC, AAALAC, and USDA. Conducts training sessions for staff, faculty, and students, as required. Ensures that stocks of required feed, supplies, and equipment are maintained at all times. Requirements Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree, or an Associate’s degree with equivalent additional experience; must be AALAS ALAT certified or eligible. Six months of experience in a laboratory animal facility is required with a BA/BS; 18 months with an AA/AS. Must be focused, detail-oriented, reliable, and able to work both independently and as an effective member of the animal care team and with other staff, students, faculty, and administrators. Effective written and oral communication skills, including the ability to apply relevant scientific concepts and terminology, and to seek to improve knowledge and skills by attending such continuing education activities as meetings or seminars. Affinity for animals and respect for their welfare is essential. Must have a working knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations, and with up-to-date principles and techniques in laboratory animal husbandry. Overtime, weekend, and holiday work is expected. Physical Demands and Working Conditions: Must be able to lift up to 60 lbs. (bags of feed and bedding), and to roll loaded tall cage and cage wash carts throughout the facility and must be capable of bending and stretching to inspect and change cages at low- and eye-level, disinfect walls and ceilings, and wet-mop floors. Must not have any allergies to animals to a degree that prevents performance of required duties. Other: An offer for this position is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check and references. Benefits As an employee of Middlebury College in Vermont or the Middlebury Institute in California, you will enjoy being part of a vibrant supportive community. Middlebury offers its employees excellent compensation and competitive health, dental, life, disability, generous retirement matching, and vision benefits, and a generous time-away program - up to 34 days per year, increasing as the term of service lengthens. Employees are eligible for robust educational assistance programs. The result is a very high quality-of-life in a gorgeous setting. Middlebury Colleges offers its employees excellent compensation and other perks of employment including: MiddCard Privileges: access to athletic facilities, discounts at the college store, library privileges, and cultural and sporting events. Spouses or domestic partners are eligible to receive a card with the same privileges. Discounts on season passes at Middlebury College's Snow Bowl, the Ralph Myhre Golf Course and the Rikert Outdoor Center. Access to our Partner Inclusion Program that provides comprehensive support services to the spouses and partners of Middlebury employees. A full listing of our benefit offerings can be found on our website or click to see some of the other fun perks of working at Middlebury, whether in Middlebury, VT or Monterey, CA! Middlebury College is an equal-opportunity employer where diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values. To this end, the College recruits talented and diverse faculty, staff, and students from across the United States and around the world. Middlebury College encourages applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of other protected classes and historically underrepresented communities. The College also invites applications from individuals who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.