Position Title:
Animal Care & Research Technician
Work Type:
Full time
Location:
Swarthmore College
Approved Location Type:
On Campus
Department:
Work Shift:
Day Shift (United States of America)
Who We Are:
The Psychology Department at Swarthmore College is a vibrant and diverse academic department with a strong emphasis on providing students with hands-on experience in collaborative cutting-edge research. Students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members using state-of-the-art facilities, including the EEG/ERP imaging facility and the animal facility.
The Opportunity:
The Animal Care & Research Technician (ACRT) will be responsible for working with staff, faculty, and students to maintain the day-to-day operations of vertebrate and non-vertebrate labs in the Psychology and Biology Departments. The core responsibilities of the ACRT are focused on animal husbandry, including daily health and welfare checks, providing food, water, and enrichment, and changing animal cages. In addition, the ACRT will also assist with research activities as directed by the PIs, including curricular support for laboratory-based courses (e.g., research practica). While the primary supervisor of this position is the chair of the Psychology Department, the ACRT will take direction from the Animal Facility Specialists and faculty in Psychology and Biology.
The position will require flexible time management and acquisition of new competencies as the animal facility and research projects change over time. The ACRT is expected to learn how to perform all duties listed below and to use this knowledge to help train students as needed. This is a full-time, 35 hour per week position that will be required to work some weekend days and some holidays, including winter break, as part of their regular schedule. This position may be ideal for a recent graduate in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, or a related field, or someone interested in a career in biomedical research, animal husbandry, and/or laboratory management.
Essential Responsibilities:
Animal Care
- Routine animal husbandry care, including health care checks, behavior observation, handling, adding food and water, reporting injury/illness, and administering emergency health treatments when needed
- Daily cage changing, operating cage washer, sanitizing animal cages, racks, and equipment
- Daily cleaning of animal spaces such as sweeping, mopping, wiping down surfaces, emptying trash
- Assist with keeping inventory of animals and supplies; rotating stock; and ensuring all appropriate spaces are equipped with supplies
- Complete daily logs and all relevant non-research related record keeping for regulatory oversight
- Share in on-call responsibilities
- Comply with federally mandated animal welfare regulations and institutional animal care and use policies
- Occasionally perform humane euthanasia of animals.
- Report any concerns, issues, emergencies to the Animal Facility Specialist and/or appropriate personnel, including the PIs and the IACUC veterinarian.
Facility Maintenance
- Work directly with Facilities for equipment and facility upkeep and repairs
Training & Research Activities
- Participate in standard facility training and research-specific training (i.e., in person, virtual, CITI modules, etc)
- Has and maintains medical clearance to meet Occupational Health and Safety Program Requirements (PHS Assurance)
- Read lab protocols
- Train and supervise students working in the lab when needed
- Assist in research-related activities as directed by PIs, which may include-
- Weighing animals and food
- Separating rodent pups from mothers
- Changing food in cages or behavior apparatuses
- Transferring animals to behavioral rooms and/or behavioral apparatuses
- Applying experiment-related labels to cages and/or behavioral apparatuses
- Operating and troubleshooting home-cage feeding devices
- Assisting with set-up and breakdown of experimental equipment
- Assisting with collection of behavioral measurements in behavioral rooms
- Assisting with collection of tissue or blood samples
- Assisting with surgeries
- Assisting with injections
- Assisting with neural recordings
- Taking detailed notes
- Notifying PIs of deviations from instructions or protocols.
What you bring:
Required Qualifications
- Prior experience working with animals in some capacity or demonstrated potential to work in an animal research setting.
- Background that indicates familiarity with scientific concepts and principles, or a willingness to learn scientific concepts and principles.
- Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Google equivalents (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, or related field.
- Experience working in an animal research facility or equivalent laboratory environment.
- Prior experience with facilities/equipment troubleshooting.
The market range for this position is $22.00-$25.00 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.
PA Criminal Clearance Required
Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.
Applications received are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. An optional cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position is preferred. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).
Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.
Swarthmore Benefits and Programs
Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.
