Senior Laboratory Animal Caretaker

Job Summary :

Duties include, but are not limited to : Will feed and water lab animals, clean cages, equipment, and rooms. Must be able to maintain existing breeding colonies, maintaining accurate records for inbreeding and outbreeding of rodent species.

Will provide care of laboratory animals in a safe, humane and sanitary manner using equipment and established procedures.

Must be able to handle, restrain, and determine the sex of all common laboratory animals. Will supply technical services to investigators including dispensing of special diets and medicated drinking water, providing special housing requirements or assisting with specific restraint and handling procedures.

Must be able to perform general animal health techniques such as : routine veterinary treatments, pre- and post-operative care and performing euthanasia according to established principles.

Knowledge of anatomical and physiologic variations among common laboratory animals and disease transmission and control, including isolation and quarantine procedures required.

Must be able to recognize common signs of clinical illness and / or irregularities in laboratory animals. Knowledge of all phases of animal husbandry required.

Must be knowledgeable of federal, state and local regulations & guidelines pertaining to laboratory animals and be able to recognize and report areas of noncompliance.

Will need to be knowledgeable about facility security procedures and capable of monitoring them. Must be able to perform heavy lifting and transporting of heavy items.

Must possess valid driver's license.

Minimum Qualifications :

New York State Department of Civil Service Eligible List or eligible for transfer. *A provisional appointment may be made due to the exhaustion of the Civil Service Eligible List for this title.

• Provisional candidates must have one year of service as a laboratory animal caretaker in a research facility including but not limited to hospitals, universities, institutions, or laboratories;
• OR two years of satisfactory full-time experience in the handling and care of live vertebrate animals in other than a residential setting;

OR certification as an Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician or higher by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Sciences and one year of satisfactory full-time experience in the handling and care of live vertebrate animals in other than a residential setting.

OR satisfactory completion of two-years' course work in veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, animal science, or a related field.

A provisional appointee will be required to take the next Civil Service examination for the title and score high enough on the next Civil Service Eligible List to be "reachable" for permanent appointment (one of the top three ranking acceptors).

Preferred Qualifications :

Work Days :

Schedule is based on 40 hours a week. Monday thru Friday 7 : 00am - 3 : 30pm plus rotating weekends and holidays