ANIMAL TECHNICIAN I (BAND LEVEL 3)

July 29, 2024

ANIMAL TECHNICIAN I (BAND LEVEL 3)

Animal Care and Veterinary Resources

Contractual Position to September 3, 2025; With the Possibility for Extension)

2 Contractual Positions)

This competition may be used to fill identical positions in this unit within three (3) months of the closing date

All qualified employees are welcome to apply, however preference is given to CUPE members

The University will consider applications from qualified permanent staff who may be interested in a temporary assignment, subject to departmental approval

BACKGROUND

We are growing! Animal Care and Veterinary Resources (ACVR) at Memorial University is responsible for the oversight of all animal care and use at the University, and its affiliated institutes.

Program services are delivered through four core facilities associated with the St. John’s campus, along with several satellite facilities.

ACVR is responsible for maintaining and operating the program within the federally-mandated guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care to ensure program compliance for institutional accreditation.

Development activities are focused on enhancing the programs, facilities, and services to position Memorial University as a location of distinction for the highest standards of animal care and use, while ensuring further growth in research.

DUTIES

The successful applicant will perform technical work, in a team environment, caring for laboratory research animals. ACVR is a multi-species and multi-facility unit, and as such, the successful applicant must have the ability to work with various lab animal species, and is expected to work in each facility as required.

This is a junior technical position that requires significant on-the-job learning in regards to laboratory animal species-specific care and husbandry practices.

• Duties include providing clean feed, bedding, and enrichment for animals including swine and rodent species; performing routine animal cage change and swine room cleaning, and enrichment procedures;
• evaluating the animals on a daily basis for normal / abnormal status of assigned animals; reporting any problems to the Veterinarian;
• assisting Clinical or Senior Technical staff with animal handling and restraint, dependent upon experience; maintaining and submitting the required written records, charts, logs, and inventories as required;
• performing routine facility sanitation procedures of all functional work areas according to sanitation standards; acting as back-up for cage wash staff for sanitation and disinfection of caging and equipment in a mechanical environment;

and performing other related duties as required.

The candidate must be able to lift 40 lbs., work in a laboratory animal environment, and be available to work some weekend and holiday rotations as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience (1-3 years) in feeding and caring for animals in a laboratory or clinical environment; completion of a veterinary technology or assistant program;
• or any equivalent combination of experience and training. Experience working in a laboratory animal research environment;

knowledge of handling, restraining, observing, and caring for a variety of laboratory animals; and / or operation of various types of facility sanitation equipment is preferred.

The successful candidate must have good oral and written communication skills; computer skills; the ability to read and interpret documents such as operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals;

and the ability to follow directions, be thorough in performing assigned tasks, and organized with their work.

SALARY $46,134 - $54,114 per annum (CUPE Local 1615)

CLOSING DATE August 13, 2024 by 5 : 00 p.m. NST

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, p reference will be given to applicants who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

Memorial University is committed to employment equity and diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;

Indigenous peoples; visible minorities and racialized people; and people with disabilities.

The personal information requested in your application is collected under the authority of the Memorial University Act (RSNL 1990 c M-7) for the purpose of identifying and recruiting candidates;

assessing applicant qualifications; and maintaining records pertaining to the administration of employment with Memorial University of Newfoundland.

If you are a successful candidate, this information will form part of your permanent employment record and will be used for other activities related to the employment process.

This information may be disclosed to government departments and agencies as legally required; and to third party service providers, as necessary to administer programs and activities.