Animal Care Technician I

Job Title: Animal Care Technician I

About the Role

We are seeking an Animal Care Technician to provide daily care and husbandry for research animals. This role is critical in maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of the animals in our care. We encourage applications from individuals who are dependable, comfortable with physical work, and interested in gaining hands-on animal care experience in a research environment. Previous laboratory animal experience is not required. Candidates with experience in animal care, farming, kennels, warehouses, restoration, landscaping, construction, or other hands-on, physically demanding environments are encouraged to apply.

Schedule

• Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Must be available to participate in shared weekend, holiday, and overtime coverage as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform daily animal health and mortality checks
• Provide food and water according to established procedures
• Clean and maintain animal cages, enclosures, and housing areas
• Handle and move animals as needed to complete routine husbandry tasks
• Perform cage changes, including transferring rodents between cages
• Provide exercise and environmental enrichment for animals
• Assist with daily food preparation, including preparing produce and specialized diets
• Monitor animal housing areas and report any unusual observations or concerns
• Support cage-wash operations, including removing used bedding and preparing cages for reuse
• Learn and follow husbandry procedures for multiple species, including rodents, dogs, pigs, and nonhuman primates
• Adhere to established procedures, safety requirements, and quality standards in a regulated research environment

Work Environment

• This is a hands-on, physically active position with a significant cleaning component.
• Animal care areas can be warm and wet, and required personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn throughout the workday. Certain areas, including cage wash, can become particularly hot.
• You will spend much of your shift on your feet performing repetitive physical tasks.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Dependability
• Comfortable with physical work
• Interest in gaining hands-on animal care experience in a research environment
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Willingness to learn and follow detailed procedures and protocols
• Comfortable working with multiple animal species
• Strong work ethic and reliable attendance
• Comfortable performing physically demanding work throughout the day
• Enjoy working in a structured, routine-driven environment
• Understanding that animal care involves significant cleaning and sanitation responsibilities
• Comfortable working in warm, wet, or occasionally unpleasant conditions
• Pride in maintaining clean, organized spaces

Qualifications

• Education:
• High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.) required.
• Associate’s degree (A.A./A.S.) in animal science or related field preferred.
• Experience:
• Zero to six months related experience in animal research and/or husbandry, preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.

Compensation

• The pay for this position is $20/hour. Salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.