Description:

Rodent Veterinary Technician Specific Duties & Responsibilities: 1. Rodent Health Surveillance (Sentinel) Program - Primary Responsibility: • Assure all racks in all facilities are labeled with correct room and rack • Assure all racks and rooms have the appropriate sentinels • Create and maintain master plans and lists for each room with room layout and rack #’s. • Check each room every month prior to sentinel submissions and update room master plans as needed • Create sentinel submission schedules: yearly schedule for rooms, monthly schedule for racks • Schedule monthly submissions with facility supervisors and necropsy technician • Arrange for sentinel delivery to necropsy technician before 9 am on scheduled day • Check sentinels submitted vs. those scheduled for submission and correct errors. • Collect survival blood, fecal, hair or other samples and submit for testing as directed by the veterinarian • Sample processing and shipping • Prepare sentinel samples for submission to outside lab, including packing, labeling and shipping samples, • Maintaining appropriate paperwork and entering correct data in database • Provide reports for veterinarian and investigators • Follow SOP for rodent disease breaks • Create and post affected rooms and racks with appropriate signage • Prepare biological samples for microscopic evaluation, including fecal flotation, diffquick, etc. • Microscopy for rodent ecto- and endo-parasites. • Update log daily or with new developments 2. Rodent Support Programs – primary responsibility: • Perform rodent rederivation by neonatal transfer. • Provide research support such as colony management, ear tagging, ear notching, genotyping, sexing, weaning, setting up breeding cages, database management • Perform diagnostic lab techniques (in-house parasitology, basic microscopy, etc.). 3. Clinical Rodent Care – secondary responsibility (as required for cross-coverage): • Reporting to the rodent veterinarian, this position is the first responder to clinical calls. Also responds to calls received by the vet directly, when appropriate. • Evaluate clinical cases, including gathering signalment. • Handle cases, as appropriate, using sound veterinary judgment and cognizant of the lab’s IACUC-approved protocol and research needs. • Communicate to researchers and veterinarians clinical findings and case management recommendations. • Perform treatments, as directed by the veterinarian. o For routine cases, follow standard treatment plans. o For non-routine cases, refer to the veterinarians for management. • Follow up cases and treatment plans, ensuring researcher compliance to clinical intervention and case resolution. • Give progress reports to veterinarian. • Maintain electronic record of all active/treatment cases, and close clinical cases when resolved appropriately. • Provides health history and coordinates submission of animals to pathology as requested, with approval by the veterinarian. • Notify lab of husbandry concerns resulting to clinical harm, provide guidance to resolve, and communicate issues to the veterinarian if it is chronic issue.

Skills:

Animal husbandry, Sample processing, Animal monitoring, Animal handling, husbandry, Monitoring, animal health, Surgical instrumentation, Animal research, Animal science, rederivation, neonatal transfer, colony management, ear notching, genotyping, sexing, parasitology

Top Skills Details:

Animal husbandry,Sample processing,Animal monitoring

Additional Skills & Qualifications:

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: • Attention to detail; conscientious; strong written (email) and verbal communication skills; ability to work independently • Excellent record keeping skills and proficiency with use of computer programs, including spreadsheets and databases. • Must be a team player and able to cross train with other veterinary technicians for cross-coverage, as needed • Physical ability as follows: o Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time. o Reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction. o Finger and hand dexterity required to restraint animals and manipulate things o Significant standing, walking o Ability to lift up to 10 lbs. o Ability to operate a computer on a frequent basis o Ability to see within normal parameters in order to work with animals and visualize work o Ability to wear appropriate personnel protective equipment (PPE) as assigned for the animal housing room o Must not have allergies to rodents like mice and rats

Experience Level:

Expert Level

About Actalent:

Actalent connects passion with purpose. Our scalable talent solutions and services capabilities drive value and results and provide the expertise to help our customers achieve more. Every day, our experts around the globe are making an impact. We’re supporting critical initiatives in engineering and sciences that advance how companies serve the world. Actalent promotes consultant care and engagement through experiences that enable continuous development. Our people are the difference. Actalent is an operating company of Allegis Group, the global leader in talent solutions.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.