Animal Care Tech I

The Office of Animal Resources (OAR) is a service center within the Research & Innovation Office (RIO) responsible for providing high-quality animal care, veterinary care, and support for the research and teaching missions of the University of Colorado Boulder. The highly dedicated and experienced OAR staff is committed to the health and well-being of laboratory animals, student and investigator training, and technical service.

RIO is the central point for support and advocacy for CU Boulder’s world-class scholarship, creative work, and growing research enterprise. We are focused on creating global impact by cultivating and supporting collaboration, transformation and leadership. At the heart of this focus are the contributions of a wide range of world-class experts, working together to accelerate ideas throughout the innovation lifecycle. We endeavor to embody CU Boulder's dedication to exemplifying excellence by creating a welcoming environment, enhancing the success of all students, staff and faculty, and deepening our ability to share and engage with varied perspectives.

Animal Husbandry

• Change and/or clean soiled animal cages, feeding devices and watering devices.
• Clean and sanitize at regular intervals direct and indirect animal contact surfaces by washing with appropriate detergents/disinfectants.
• Collect soiled animal bedding and other wastes and transport to designated waste disposal sites (i.e. cage wash room or dumpster).
• Procure animal feed and supplies from appropriate support areas and transport to required use site.

Animal Health

• Evaluate the basic health status of animals and report abnormalities to the appropriate personnel.
• Weigh, administer medications, breed, record breeding status data, euthanize, restrain, receives and transports laboratory animals as directed by supervisor or veterinarian.

Documentation

• Record daily animal care activities on room check sheets and enter work activities into database.
• Contact appropriate personnel regarding dead/sick animals, overcrowded cages, euthanasia requests and specific project requirements via e-mail or phone.
• Scan cage cards to record animal census in the animal rooms.
• Ensure that all appropriate documentation is completed for all rooms assigned to their area.

Room/Facility Maintenance

• Select, prepare, dispense and deploy hazardous chemicals and disinfectants according to manufacturer's instructions in cleaning and sanitizing animal rooms, racks, cages and pens and animal support areas.
• Operate mechanical equipment to clean and sterilize cages such as autoclaves and cage washers.
• Operate equipment such as floor buffers, high pressure washers, laundry equipment, and environmental monitoring equipment for cleaning/sanitizing purposes.
• Clean/sanitize/disinfect animal holding rooms, procedure rooms, and support rooms.
• Ensure that all rooms within their assigned area are following strict SOP guidelines.

The annual salary range for this position is $39,500-41,000.

• One year of experience caring for, feeding, or providing health care for animals in a veterinary laboratory, breeding or boarding facility.
• College coursework in a field of study related to the work assignment may substitute.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, customer service, critical thinking, written communication, verbal communication, organization, attention to detail, general office equipment, bookkeeping, problem solving, time management, computer use, and basic mathematical skills.
• Must be willing and able to: sit, stoop, kneel, and balance on an occasional basis, with or without accommodation.

• Experience working in an animal research facility.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills and experience in database management.
• Experience managing inventory and moving freight.
• Experience handling small rodents and animals.
• Experience with dead animal carcasses.
• Experience using a variety of cagewash equipment.