Animal Tech 4 Lead (Husbandry/Gnotobiotics Hybrid)

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Reporting to the Manager/Supervisor of Husbandry, provide operational assistance to the Manager, Supervisor, and Animal Technician E within a husbandry Unit. Ensure and maintain established standards by performing scheduled quality control assessments of designated animal rooms and support areas. Perform a variety of skilled animal husbandry duties and specialized services for animals, animal colonies, including gnotobiotic colonies. Serve as the principal source of information for the assigned area(s). 

Essential Duties
1.    Coordinate and oversee program activities for animal environments, housing and husbandry within designated Unit. Using established criteria and check lists, perform regularly scheduled quality control assessments of animal rooms and support areas to ensure and maintain established standards. 
2.    Regularly review PI Special Instructions (SI) to ensure all animal cages with SI are clearly and accurately labeled.  Monitor room log notebooks to ensure that animal care complies with SI and University and government regulations.
3.    Using established criteria and checklists, oversee the monitoring of physical environmental parameters (such as temperature, humidity, differential air pressure, lights), certification of clean air devices, rack and equipment rotation and animal housing automatic water systems and ventilation. Submit, track and monitor maintenance requests; act as a point of contact for request follow up.
4.    Provide assistance to Rodent Preventative Medicine by reporting changes in room populations (i.e. number of racks) for placement of sentinels/targeted sentinels for the rodent QA program. Coordinate with the Unit Manager/Supervisor, Rodent Services and Unit scheduler to implement room moves, targeted sentinels and handling of equipment.  
5.    Coordinate, participate and train a variety of routine and complex technical procedures/ activities related to care of gnotobiotic animals used in research. Perform sample collection for verification of germ-free status; keep detailed records of samples and isolator usage.
6.    Under the oversite of Manager/Supervisor or E level scheduler, use of specialized knowledge of gnotobiotic husbandry, discuss research projects with investigators to plan procedures and the introduction of animals and supplies into and out of isolators. This requires a high level of coordination, planning and prioritization.
7.    Participate in startup meetings for in vivo use of hazardous agents. Serve as principal source of information for meeting attendees (YARC/investigator) regarding availability and location of YARC supplies and equipment required for the research project. Confirm that appropriate signage is posted in assigned areas. Communicate with Unit Manager/Supervisor regarding issues.
8.    Maintain inventory of food, bedding/supplies; establish, maintain and forecast a list of quantities to have available in designated areas, order supplies (internally and externally), as needed. 
9.    Observe/evaluate animals for signs of illness/stress and deviations in animal conditions. Feed, house and handle animals in accordance with all regulations.
10.    Perform animal care under veterinary oversight, may include minor treatments, pre/post-procedural care and providing enrichment to individual animal species.
11.    Provide husbandry and specialized services for animals in animal colonies. Maintain, sanitize and decontaminate animal caging, rooms and facilities within hazardous areas to established standards.
12.    Train and/or instruct staff, appropriate to level, on animal care and room sanitation techniques.
13.    Maintain detailed records as required by institutional, local/federal regulations.
14.    Assist with SOP development, participate in focus groups.
15.    May perform additional related tasks as necessary.

*Must Pass YARC (Yale Animal Resources Center) Clearance. * This form is filed with Employee Health in a confidential file specific to employees who work at YSM Buildings. Offer is contingent upon successful health screening.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7am-3pm

Required Skills and Abilities

1.    Well-developed interpersonal skills; proven experience working within a team. Accuracy, reliability, and good attention to detail when utilizing required forms, files and records; computer skills (Outlook, Excel, Word).
2.    Must be willing and able to obtain BSL2 certification. 
3.    Ability to recognize signs of animal well-being, illness and abnormalities, sensitivity to and appreciation of research animals. Ability to work with species that present a scratch/bite hazard.  Ability to work in conditions with zoonotic disease transmission hazard. 
4.    Ability to work in area with high noise that may require hearing protection; to be exposed to wet, slippery work surfaces. Ability to lift 50lbs. and push/pull 70 lbs. and work with industrial cleaning and sterilizing equipment.
5.    Good attendance record.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

Cross-trained in multiple species

Preferred  Licenses or Certifications
Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science

Principal Responsibilities

1. Coordinates and oversees program activities for animal environments, housing and husbandry within designated areas of a Unit. 2. Regularly reviews PI Special Instructions (SI) to ensure that all animal cages with SI are clearly and accurately labeled. Monitors room log notebooks to ensure that animal care complies with SI and University and government regulations. 3. Trains and/or instructs staff, appropriate to level, on animal care and room sanitation techniques. 4. Using established criteria and checklists, oversees the monitoring of physical environmental parameters (such as temperature, humidity, differential air pressure, lights), certification of clean air devices, rack and equipment rotation and animal housing automatic water systems and ventilation. Submits, tracks, and monitors maintenance requests; acts as a point of contact for request follow up. 5. Provides assistance to Rodent Preventative Medicine by reporting changes in room populations (i.e. number of racks) for placement of sentinels/targeted sentinels for the rodent QA program. Coordinates with the Unit Manager/Supervisor, Rodent Services and Unit scheduler to implement room moves, targeted sentinels and handling of equipment. 6. Participates in startup meetings for in vivo use of hazardous agents. Serves as the principal source of information for the meeting attendees (YARC and investigator) regarding availability and location of YARC supplies and equipment required for the research project. Confirms that appropriate signage is posted in assigned areas. 7. Maintains inventory of food, bedding and supplies; establishes, maintains and forecasts a list of quantities to have available in designated areas, order supplies (internally and externally), as needed. 8. Observes and evaluates animals for signs of illness and stress and deviations in animal conditions. Feeds, houses, and handles animals in accordance with all regulations. 9. Performs animal care under veterinary oversight, which may include minor treatments, pre- and post-procedural care and providing enrichment to individual animal species. 10. Provides husbandry and specialized services for animals in animal colonies. Maintains, sanitizes and decontaminates animal caging, rooms and facilities within hazardous areas to established standards. 11. Maintains detailed records as required by institutional, local and federal regulations. 12. Assists with SOP development; participates in focus groups. 13. May perform other related duties as necessary. Required Education and Experience Six years of related work experience, four of them in the same job family at the next lower level, and a high school level education; or four years of related experience and an Associate Degree; or little or no work experience and a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Job Posting Date

07/10/2026

Job Category

Technician

Bargaining Unit

L34

Compensation Grade

Labor Grade D

Compensation Grade Profile

Hourly Range

$31.83

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

On-site

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

The hiring rate of a role is determined in accordance with the provisions outlined in the respective collective bargaining agreement.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through  their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.