Laboratory Animal Tech I

About This Role:

The KSU Comparative Medicine Group (CMG) is seeking applicants for a Laboratory Animal Technician I or II. The CMG mission is to provide animal husbandry and veterinary services for animals used in KSU’s research, teaching, and testing programs in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, standards, guidelines, and university policy governing the care and use of laboratory animals at academic/research institutions.

The duties of this position include performing routine daily animal husbandry for a wide variety of animal species (e.g. feeding, watering, cleaning stalls/pens/cages, waste disposal, sanitation/decontamination of facilities/equipment, etc.), animal handling/restraint/transport, general facility housekeeping/maintenance tasks, animal health monitoring/reporting, administering prescribed veterinary treatments (e.g., oral, topical, and/or injectable medications/drugs), assisting with anesthesia/surgical/necropsy procedures as required, and assisting with the research studies as required. These duty positions are primarily allocated/assigned to the CMG’s Large Animal Research Center (LARC) or Coles Animal Facility (Main), but incumbents may be temporarily detailed to perform similar tasks in other CMG supported animal facilities on the KSU Manhattan Campus as required (e.g., Mosier Animal Facility, Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI), etc.).

Position requires evening/night, weekend, and/or holiday swing shifts as well as a variable on-call schedule as required to provide 7 days/week, 365 days/year animal care coverage.

Why Join Us:

The mission of the Comparative Medicine Group is to facilitate animal use in research and teaching, at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University by providing high quality animal care in accordance with both federal and state regulations and AAALAC guidelines.

The KSU Comparative Medicine Group (CMG) is a centralized campus-wide core research fee-for-service support unit under the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) for the procurement, care, and use of laboratory animal animals for research, testing, and/or teaching purposes at KSU’s main campus.  The CMG works closely with VPR’s University Research Compliance Office (URCO), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to insure that all animal use at KSU complies with all applicable public laws/regulations, National Institutes of Health/Public Health Service (NIH/PHS) Policies, and National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council/Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (NAS/NRC/ILAR) guidelines for the humane and ethical use of live vertebrate animals.

Kansas State University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, paid time off – vacation, sick, and holidays. To see what benefits are available, please visit: https://www.k-state.edu/hcs/benefits

Worksite Options:

This position is required to be performed on-site. Work is performed on employer premises or designated assignment location.

What You’ll Need to Succeed:

Minimum Qualifications:

• For a LAT I: High school diploma
• For a LAT II: High school diploma and two years of relevant experience

This position may use an educational equivalency as determined relevant by a hiring manager.

Preferred Qualifications:

• American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification at the Asst. Lab
• Animal Technician (ALAT), Lab Animal Technician (LAT), or Lab Animal Technologist (LATg) level
• If not ALAT certified at the time of hire the employee is encouraged to become ALAT certified within 12 months of being hired
• Some college/vo-tech level biology, animal science, or veterinary technician training/education
• Experience working directly with animals at a veterinary clinic/hospital, animal shelter, and/or animal boarding kennel facility
• Animal husbandry experience with laboratory animals (rodents & rabbits), small animal (dogs/cats), and/or large animals (agricultural livestock) in a research facility
• Experience working in an AAALAC accredited research institution/facility
• Experience working at ABSL-1 and ABSL-2 in a research facility
• Experience working with animals used on infectious disease research projects in a research facility
• Experience in maintaining detailed records
• Knowledge of AAALAC accreditation requirements
• Working knowledge of Windows-based computer software (e.g.¸ MS Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.)
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks
• Ability to follow detailed instructions
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Good communication and interpersonal skills

While these skills are not listed as required, they are highly desirable and will greatly contribute to your success in this role.

Other Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license.
• Must pass a KSU pre-employment background check.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able routinely lift/handle at least 50 lbs. (e.g., feed bags, bedding bags, caging, animals, etc.)
• Work involves frequent bending, reaching, and squatting and standing/walking the majority
• of the day/work shift.
• Must be able to pass an initial occupational health physical screening exam and a medical evaluation/clearance to wear required respiratory PPE.
• Must be able to work in confined spaces and wear required PPE.

How to Apply:

Please submit the following documents:

1. Resume
2. Online application
3. Three professional references

Screening of Applications Begins:

Immediately and continues until position is filled.

Anticipated Hiring Pay Range:

$15.00 - $21.82 per hour 

Pay rate to commensurate with experience.