9301 Vivarium Technician

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Vivarium Technician

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 9301

GRADE 21

CLASSIFICATION Nonexempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Designated Faculty Member and/or Manager, Animal Research Facilities

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Director, Research Administration

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Vivarium Technician follows established practices and procedures to provide routine animal care and husbandry and assists research staff in performing technical work related to the care and use of research animals.  The Vivarium Technician maintains the support spaces of the vivaria.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education:  A high school diploma or the equivalent is required.

Experience: At least one year of experience working with animals is required.

Skills: General ability to work with animals is required.  The ability to learn to recognize and treat animal health problems is required. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Other:  The ability to lift and carry up to fifty pounds of materials is required. Positions associated with this position classification are located in facilities requiring the position to be designated “sensitive” as defined by University policy.  Positions associated with this position classification may include job duties, responsibilities, or activities that are subject to export control regulations. This position works weekends and holiday breaks as assigned and responds to after-hour emergencies as required. A reliable mode of transportation is required.  Online compliance training, enrollment in the Occupational Health and Safety Program, and applicable immunizations are required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provides care and husbandry to animals that are conventionally housed as well as those maintained in specialized housing, such as isolators, carriers, etc.

2. Receive animals from suppliers, identify animals as instructed, and issue selected animal species to researchers.

3. Prepare special diets in accordance with the principal investigators’ protocols and administer these diets to the appropriate animals.

4. Assist with conditioning and breeding programs.

5. Administer treatments or medications according to the veterinarian’s orders.

6. Acclimatize animals for placement in experimental studies.

7. Assist in general recordkeeping as well as specialized monitoring and surveillance programs.

8. Feed and water animals as outlined by standard operating procedures or supervisor’s instructions.

9. Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of animal cages, rooms, halls, etc. and support spaces of the vivaria.

10. Operate cage washing equipment and other types of cleaning and sanitizing equipment.

11. Observe and report changes in the health status or condition of animals.

12.  Assist research staff and co-workers in performing technical procedures.

13. Euthanize animals in accordance with standardized procedures.

14. Dispose of dead animals as outlined by standard operating procedures.

15. May collect blood samples and feces, urine, or other types of specimens from animals.

16. Provides administrative support to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

16. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

17. Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

SUPERVISION

The Vivarium Technician is supervised by the designated faculty member or the Manager, Research Facilities and may occasionally supervise part-time animal care staff.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED MAY 2019

JOB FAMILY 2

Factor 1: Educational Requirements of the Job

Level 2.0 - 100 Points: The job requires a high school diploma or equivalent.

Factor 2: Skill Requirements - Craft and Trade Skills

Level 2.0 - 350 Points: General mechanical or technical aptitude and a general knowledge of, and experience in, a skill, craft, or trade. A general ability to understand procedures, operations, and/or operate basic equipment, that typically require some previous experience or training is required. Jobs at this level typically require at least one and up to two years of related experience for successful performance.

Factor 3: Managerial Responsibility

Level 2.0 - 75 Points: Irregular but occasional responsibility to direct the work of student workers or temporary or part-time workers. The nature of supervision is largely confined to assigning tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities. Responsibilities at this level may include tracking budgeted spending, limited purchasing authority, and tracking inventory.

Factor 4: Guidelines

Level 2.0 - 50 Points: Specific guidelines and established routines exist, but some judgment in applying guidelines and deviating from standards must be exercised. The number and similarity of guidelines and work situations requires the employee to use judgment in locating and selecting the most appropriate guidelines, references, and procedures for application and in making minor deviations to adapt guidelines in specific cases. At this level, the employee may also determine which of several alternatives to use. Situations to which the existing guidelines cannot be applied or significant proposed deviations from the guidelines are referred to a supervisor.

Factor 5: Contacts

Level 2.0 - 50 Points: The purpose may include obtaining or clarifying facts, or providing factual information to others. Contacts may be with coworkers or structured exchanges with students or the general public, and are generally for the purpose of exchange of information. Contacts at this level might include discussing a work order with individuals in a departmental office to more clearly define the problem, or providing directions or information to students or the general public.

Factor 6: Work Environment

Level 2.0 - 40 Points: The work area involves moderate discomfort and/or risk such as that from moving machinery, occasional work with hazardous substances, or moderate levels of noise. The work may require wearing of protective gear. The work area is generally adequately lighted and ventilated, but may involve uncomfortable temperatures at times.

Factor 7: Physical Demands

Level 2.0 - 60 Points: Work requires some exertion such as standing for long periods of time, considerable walking, frequent bending kneeling, reaching, and stooping. May include occasional lifting of moderately heavy objects. Work may require specific but common physical abilities.

Factor 8: Responsibility for Facilities and Resources

Level 2.0 - 40 Points: Jobs at this level might require frequent but routine responsibility for facility security, public safety, equipment, or money.

Factor 9: Complexity

Level 1.0 - 100 Points: The work consists of tasks that are clear-cut and directly related. There is little or no choice to be made in deciding what needs to be done. The actions to be taken are usually easy to discern and unambiguous, otherwise the employee requests assistance from a supervisor. Work is performed as it arrives or in an order set by someone else. The work can be learned relatively quickly.