Animal Care Technician Job Description
Animal care technician
provides care for all small animal species in accordance with standard operating procedures, providing feed and fresh water to animals and changing animal housing when necessary.
Animal Care Technician Duties & Responsibilities
To write an effective animal care technician job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included animal care technician job description templates that you can modify and use.
Sample responsibilities for this position include:
Cleans & sterilizes cages, equipment, supplies, rooms (primary and secondary enclosures)
Monitors RO watering system & other facility equipment & assists in managing/coordinating repair
Maintains efficient organization & flow of equipment through assigned areas
Cleans and sterilizes cages, equipment, supplies, rooms (primary and secondary enclosures)
Changes cages, equipment, supplies, & rooms
Operate equipment, use supplies, and perform all duties in accordance with safety guidelines
Under minimal direction, performs caretaking duties involving specialized handling, feeding & general care of animals
Solves complex animal caretaking problems using extensive knowledge & experience
Provides training, mentoring & work direction to junior staff, assisting with problems as necessary
Provides support & guidance regarding quarantine, sentinel program, &/or import /export program
Animal Care Technician Qualifications
Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.
Licensing or Certifications for Animal Care Technician
List any licenses or certifications required by the position: AALAS, ALAT, LAT, ALAAS, AAALAS
Education for Animal Care Technician
Typically a job would require a certain level of education.
Employers hiring for the animal care technician job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Collage Degree in Education, Science, Faculty, Medical, Medicine, Sciences, Graduate School, Patient Care, General Education, Animal Care
Skills for Animal Care Technician
Desired skills for animal care technician include:
Competencies and positive performance at the previous level
GLP regulations
Microsoft Word and Excel
Handling and care of lab animal species
Basics of animal health and disease
Procedures to clean sterilize caging and the use and operation of equipment for laboratory animal housing and care
Applicable company Standard Operating Procedures in order to successfully perform job duties
Hygiene principles
Equipment
Routine and advanced veterinary techniques by consulting appropriate journals and attending appropriate training
Desired experience for animal care technician includes:
Conducts census counts
Under specific instruction, administers oral & topical medicines and injections (SQ, IP, IM, and IV) & provides surgical assistance
Euthanizes animals according to CCM policy
Organize feed and bedding supplies in storage facilities, prepare refuse for disposal, incineration or digestion
Provides coverage for shortage of staff in husbandry operations & other areas within the facility
Receive, inspect and put away incoming animals
Animal Care Technician Examples
1
Animal Care Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is looking to fill the role of animal care technician. We appreciate you taking the time to review the list of qualifications and to apply for the position. If you don’t fill all of the qualifications, you may still be considered depending on your level of experience.
Responsibilities for animal care technician
- Clean laboratory animal rooms and laboratory animal housing according to a schedule devised by senior personnel
- OAdministration of various therapeutic measures by IV, IM, SQ, topical, oral routes
- OBandage/wrapping techniques
- ONail/hoof/teeth clipping/trimming
- OVenipuncture techniques
- OVaginal swabs
- OProficient animal restraint techniques
- OMonitor critical care animals (i.e., place IVs, monitor fluids)
- Under veterinary supervision, administers medications per veterinary order
- Prepares refused for disposal or incineration
Qualifications for animal care technician
- Provides support & guidance regarding quarantine, sentinel program, and/or import /export program
- Perform microchip placement in various species
- Strictly follow all procedures necessary to maintain animal housing areas, environments, including room or facility personnel entry
- Strongly prefer AALAS LAT certification at time of hire or within 18 months of hire
- This requisition has been reposted
- One Year working with animals, preferred
2
Animal Care Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is hiring for an animal care technician. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for animal care technician
- Observes, documents, & reports changes in environmental parameters (i.e., temperature, humidity, lighting)
- May administer oral and/or topical medications
- May administer injections
- Maintains pertinent health records (written and electronic) on laboratory animals
- Receive, store and distribute supplies
- May assist in handling and grooming, weighing of and receiving of animals
- Perform routine animal husbandry duties and monitor daily health and welfare to maintain quality and health of animals
- Assist with receipt and placement of birds, inoculations and harvests
- Feed and provide general care of birds
- Monitor feed levels
Qualifications for animal care technician
- Familiarity with animal facilities and techniques
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted for the requirements as listed above
- Two (2) years of related animal experience as described above
- AALAS certification at the ALAT level, or ability to obtain within 6 months of employment
- Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) level for internal (DLAR) candidates and within 12 months of start date for external (non-DLAR) candidates
- Interest in applying to a quantitative Ph.D
3
Animal Care Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of animal care technician. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for animal care technician
- Assist with paperwork as needed
- Recycle rooms
- Respond to Storrs alarms if needed
- Assist Laboratory Production Dept
- Assist Specialized Biological Services Dept
- Assist on Laboratory Farms as needed
- Weekends and holidays as needed
- Must be able to follow BIVI Standard Operating Procedures
- Must be able to properly document work and observations performed with strict adherence to GXP documentation
- Assist in animal conditioning (vaccinations, deworming)
Qualifications for animal care technician
- AAALAS certified ALAT
- AALAS certification at the LAT level
- Ability to handle common laboratory animal species
- Must successfully maintain physical condition that will assure efficient performance of tasks, including successful completion of physical examination
- This position requires the individual to be available to work on both the Chicago and Evanston campuses as coverage needs dictate
- Must be enrolled in the university’s occupational health program which entails filling out a health questionnaire
4
Animal Care Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of animal care technician. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for animal care technician
- Assists in maintaining pathogen-free rodent colonies using specialized animal caging equipment
- Cleans and sterilizes cages using appropriate cage washing equipment
- Drives departmental vehicles to deliver animals, caging and equipment to and from facilities
- Assists with transgenic rodent breeding colony management
- Cross trains and provides absentee support for other animal care technicians in other facilities
- Rotates with other animal care technicians for week night, weekend and holiday coverage as needed
- Exhibits a willingness to assume additional responsibilities and increase knowledge, skills, and abilities
- Interacts well with fellow staff members, faculty, and students
- Assists in coverage of the Bicentennial Hall stockroom and greenhouse facilities, as may be necessary and as scheduled, in support of other STSS staff
- Must be able to follow Elanco Animal Health Standard Operating Procedures
Qualifications for animal care technician
- Must be able to negotiate up to a 65 lb force (push/pull) on an occasional basis
- 4 years of animal husbandry experience
- Must be willing to undergo job-related background check
- Minimum 6 - 12 months’ experience working in a regulated business, complying with standard operating procedures (SOPs), or regulations (such as food service, CNA, under FDA, Health Dept.)
- Demonstrated ability to routinely perform in a physically demanding role including standing, squatting, lifting up to 50 pounds, moving about, and ascend, descend, and work on a platform ladder
- Rotation in Weekend and Holiday Schedules Required
5
Animal Care Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is looking for an animal care technician. Please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications. While this is our ideal list, we will consider candidates that do not necessarily have all of the qualifications, but have sufficient experience and talent.
Responsibilities for animal care technician
- Perform animal handling
- Monitor daily animal health and welfare while performing daily animal health observations
- May be involved in maintaining and following breeding and weaning procedures to ensure appropriate production levels
- Room and facility maintenance
- Provide leadership and guidance to the husbandry staff on operations and facility issues
- PO, IP, and SQ dosing
- Blood collection from multiple vessels or cardiac, and perfusions
- Tumor measurements, body weights, etc
- Necropsy, tissue and fluid collections
- Perform technical functions required by research protocols and assist with dosing administrations
Qualifications for animal care technician
- Minimum of two years directly related laboratory animal experience in an AAALAC accredited facility
- AALAS certified as ALAT within 18 months of hire
- Proficiency with basic animal identification methods
- Health & Safety Responsibility
- Hazzardous Material
- Good physical condition for heavy lifting