Animal Care Specialist I

  • 2410 Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization, Inc.
  • Boston-MA
  • 5mo ago
  • Full-Time
  • On-site
Site: The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.


 

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.


 


 

Job Summary

A Research Animal Specialist 1 provides cagewash support for the Center of Comparative Medicine (CCM) Animal Facilities. This position is for a cage wash technician and includes activities for the proper care of laboratory animals.


 

Qualifications

Responsibilities include performing equipment sanitation, maintaining husbandry equipment records, and supporting the facility teams in daily work as needed. All CCM Technicians are required to work in a team environment following Lean Management principles and participate in continuous improvement 
projects. This position involves daily exposure to laboratory animals, their waste products, and possibly chemical agents, radioactive isotopes and ABSL2 hazards. Rotating weekend and holiday work hours are required.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Following Duties are performed daily with minimal supervision:
• Performs Facility Cage Wash Operations
o Understands and follows appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety procedures,
o Operates automated cage wash equipment and sterilizers to sanitize primary 
animal holding cages, support equipment, and general access areas.
o Performs routine cleaning, descaling, and preventative maintenance on cage wash equipment and autoclaves, including checking and cleaning filters and spray manifolds.
o Performs routine repairs on caging and cage wash equipment.
o Assembles caging.
o Keeps facility supplied with appropriate level of clean caging and rack supplies.
o Prepares acidified water bottles using an automated bottle filler.
o Receives, transports, processes and stores facility supplies including animal feed, bedding, and enrichment.
o Ensures all quality assurance standards are met.
o Assists in sanitation and decontamination in all areas of the facility as needed.
o Prepares and maintains all required cage wash records, logs and inventories as required.
o Records critical facility data/documentation daily required by local, state and 
federal regulatory agencies.
o Maintains a clean and organized work area.
Updated 10.21.2020
o Reports any abnormal conditions of the equipment to management staff.
o Performs any other duties as assigned.
• Provides Facility Maintenance and Sanitization
o Maintains work areas to be free of infectious agents and other contaminates by following the sanitation monitoring program SOPs. 
o Performs sanitation and semi-annual maintenance of ventilate rack equipment.
o Maintains filters of ventilate blowers as described in the SOP.
• Performs Facility Support Functions
o Complies with CCM and BWH policies and SOPs.
o Provides facility support functions as assigned (BioWare trouble shooter, van 
driver, etc.).
o Reports facility and environmental issues that fall outside animal welfare 
regulatory requirements (as defined in the Guide for the Care and Use of 
Laboratory Animals).
• Works within a Team Environment following Lean Management Principals. 
o Utilizes lean management tools in conjunction with teammates, such as value 
stream mapping and 5S, to problem solve and continuously improve operations.
o Attends team meetings and training sessions on all aspects of laboratory animal care and uses of animals in biomedical research as scheduled.
o Acts as a resource for new CCM Technicians.
• Accountable for providing team support, checking-in with team members, and aiding team members as required to complete team work assignments. 


The Following Duties may be performed daily under supervision from the Manager:
• Receives facility supplies and monitors material replenishment systems
• Assists in the creation, validation and maintenance of visual controls within the facility.
• Works weekends and holidays, as assigned.
• Participates in Animal Care Certification training.
• All other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Education - High School Diploma or Equivalent required
  • Experience - Previous experience with Animals 0-1 year preferred


SKILLS / ABILITIES / COMPETENCIES REQUIRED 
• Proficient in verbal and written English.
• Ability to lift and move 50 lbs on a regular basis.
• Long periods of standing.
• Has a customer-focused, positive attitude and enjoys working with similarly dedicated persons in a team fashion within a high-energy research environment.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to problem solve work process within the scope of their job.
• Ability to learn and use bar code/tablet technology and basic computer skills including email 
and Microsoft Outlook.


WORKING CONDITIONS 
• The animal facility has a variety of environmental conditions. Specifically, employees may be exposed to noise, dust, chemicals, extreme heat, and animal waste products. The duration of exposure to any of the above is dependent on the assigned duties. Appropriate protective clothing and equipment may be required and will be provided, accompanied by appropriate training.
• This position may also expose the employee to animals treated with chemical hazards, radioactive dyes and other induced conditions as part of approved protocols. 
• Employees are expected to conduct all work in a safe manner that includes maintaining knowledge of animal handling techniques consistent with the condition of the animal, protocol, regulations and department policy, including radioactive treatments and bodily fluids.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY 
No direct reports.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY 
Responsible for economical use of resources and time


 

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

Additional_Job_Description


 

Remote Type

Onsite


 

Work Location

60 Fenwood Road


 

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40


 

Employee Type

Regular


 

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)



 

Pay Range

$17.16 - $22.98/Hourly


 

Grade

3


 

At Mass General Brigham, we believe in recognizing and rewarding the unique value each team member brings to our organization. Our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and any offer extended will take into account your skills, relevant experience if applicable, education, certifications and other essential factors. The base pay information provided offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications; however, it does not encompass all elements contributing to your total compensation package. In addition to competitive base pay, we offer comprehensive benefits, career advancement opportunities, differentials, premiums and bonuses as applicable and recognition programs designed to celebrate your contributions and support your professional growth. We invite you to apply, and our Talent Acquisition team will provide an overview of your potential compensation and benefits package.


 

EEO Statement:

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran’s Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.


 

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership “looks like” by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.