Veterinary Research/Health Technician 1

Department Overview

The Oregon National Primate Center (ONPRC) is located 12 miles west of the OHSU main campus, and sits on 162 acres of land featuring forested areas, research and administration buildings, indoor and outdoor animal housing, and 2-mile perimeter walking path. Our mission is to improve human health and the quality of life through the support of nonhuman primate research programs that advance our knowledge of the causes, preventions, treatments, and cures of debilitating diseases.

Function/Duties of Position

Provide research support, health care and animal husbandry for animals maintained at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.  The primary function of this position is to perform the manual and technical tasks directly related to the care of, and research support for the use of, laboratory animals, particularly nonhuman primates and rodents.  The area of work assignment and specific tasks will vary, depending on animal populations and care requirements, service requirements, and staffing needs, during regular and non-regular working hours, including weekends, holidays, or on an overtime basis. Duties must be performed in a professional manner and will require contact with investigative staff. This classification is distinguished by the increased responsibility and accountability related to animal care protocols, and accountabilities related to support of research protocols. Will require working an ABSL3 environment.   

Research-Oriented Duties

• Assist with, and coordinate and complete, a large volume of tasks involving animal research to meet investigator requests. 
• Follow various complex research protocols and perform technical skills in a variety of investigative procedures, as determined by research protocols.

Technical Duties

• Assist with and safely perform, under supervision (and using proper techniques), standard research support procedures on animals, including but not limited to  medication dose calculations; administration of medications via topical, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and oral routes; collection of body fluids; perform animal health management procedures such as weighing, internal and external parasitology collection, TB testing, and venipuncture, (saphenous, marginal ear vein, cardiac puncture); capture, restraint, identification, and sexing of all common varieties of laboratory animals; and transportation of animals for various reasons, including clinical, research support, and housing needs.
• Observe animals in all housing configurations, recognize abnormalities in physical condition or behavior, and report and record observations to the clinical veterinarian or research staff.

Animal Husbandry 

• Routine feeding and cleaning of animal enclosures.
• Perform routine sanitization tasks related to animal primary housing, shelters, equipment and facilities; sweep, mop, scrub, wash, and disinfect floors, walls, ceilings, sinks, and other equipment; operate equipment, including but not limited to cage washers, floor scrubbers, autoclaves, pressure washers, scales and veterinary care instruments.
• Complete and submit data processing forms; use computer keyboards to access and/or input information from computerized animal record files; complete inventory and supply request forms.
• Assist with facility maintenance, including but not limited to replacing drinking water valves, simple surface preparation, replace lighting tubes or bulbs, etc.; recognize and report problems with facilities, such as inappropriate room temperatures, leaking or broken water pipes, plugged drains, damaged surfaces, etc.
• Unload and store animal feed (feed bags weigh 25-50 lbs each).
• Assist with group-housed animal capture ("roundup") and processing.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED.
• Six months of experience providing paid or voluntary care for animals.
• Possession of a valid Driver's License and ability to drive DCM/ONRPC vehicles on and off campus as required.  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to consistently interact with research investigative staff, supervisors and co-workers, in a positive and constructive manner, to provide research support in a professional manner, and with a service-oriented attitude.
• Ability to use proper techniques to safely perform standard clinical procedures, including ability to accurately calculate medication dosages.
• Possess sufficient dexterity and manual skills to safely perform (or learn to perform) basic animal husbandry and animal handling (using proper techniques).
• Ability to use computer keyboard.
• Ability to read, write, and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and/or written formats with both technical and professional staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field preferred.

• 18 months of experience in the health care of experimental animals in a research setting and/or as a veterinary technician or assistant highly preferred.

• Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician level (ALAT), or Certified Animal Health Technician (AHT), or equivalent combination of training and experience desired.

Additional Details

Regular work schedule is 7:30am - 4:00pm and will include rotating weekends, and opportunity for voluntary and mandatory overtime, and holiday work schedules.

Benefits 

• Healthcare for full-time employees covered 100% and 88% for dependents.
• $50K of term life insurance provided at no cost to the employee.
• Two separate above market pension plans to choose from.
• Vacation - up to 200 hours per year dependent on length of service.
• Sick Leave - up to 96 hours per year.
• 9 paid holidays per year.
• Substantial Tri-Met and C-Tran discounts.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Childcare service discounts.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Employee discounts to local and national businesses.

Working Conditions

• Ability to work in areas where there is risk of exposure to zoonotic agents through injury, by direct contact with animals or their tissues and body fluids, or by contact with equipment contaminated by animals or their tissues and body fluids.
• Ability to work where there is risk of exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals and sanitizing chemicals.

Physical Conditions

• Ability to move unassisted through various animal housing areas located in several separate buildings, indoor and outdoor, and in covered areas that are not environmentally controlled, in order to make animal observations, perform animal husbandry tasks, handle, move, or restrain animals, collect samples, administer treatments, and perform other procedures.  This involves moving on wet and/or slick surfaces, through narrow corridors between rows of cages, and climbing stairs to corral observation platforms.

• Ability to push and pull heavy wheeled equipment such as cage racks and loaded carts.

• Ability to lift and carry objects weighing up to 23kg (50lbs), and lift objects weighing approximately 19kg (42lbs) to approximately shoulder height.

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