Animal Attendant II, Animal Resources Center

About the position

The Animal Attendant II position at the Animal Resources Center of the University of Texas at Austin is responsible for providing husbandry and care to research animals, supporting ongoing biomedical research on campus. The role involves managing animal housing, ensuring sanitation, and performing routine maintenance on equipment, while also documenting all necessary records. This position requires working in specialized environments and may involve weekend and holiday shifts without onsite supervision.

Responsibilities

• Accept deliveries of equipment and supplies from vendors.
• Process and store supplies in assigned storage areas upon delivery.
• Verify delivered supplies against delivery documentation and submit delivery documentation to the supervisor.
• May work without onsite supervision on weekends and holidays to provide care for all species including USDA covered species.
• Completes all required documentation for weekend work.
• Provides backup by operating cagewash equipment, including rack washers, tunnel washers, and autoclaves.
• Sanitize animal housing equipment using cagewashing machines.
• Fill drinking bottles with fresh water and cages with bedding.
• Perform routine maintenance on equipment as required.
• Operate autoclaves to sterilize equipment as needed.
• Maintain all required records and perform all required steps to ensure adequacy of sanitation.
• Prepares and uses dips, sprays, detergents, and disinfectants.
• Clean cages, pens, and animal quarters.
• Maintain and sanitize animal rooms, equipment, and facilities to prevent infections and disease.
• Report any equipment that requires repairs or maintenance.
• Provide animal husbandry and care to USDA covered species, rodents and other species as required.
• Works in specialized and complex housing environments to care for research animals.
• Perform routine checks on the automatic watering system.
• Prepares or mixes feed according to specific instructions.
• Observe animals for signs of disease and/or illness and reports conditions to the veterinary group.
• Completes all required documentation, including per diem sheets, checklists, animal records, and files.
• Set up incoming animal deliveries.
• Receives, identifies, and cages newly arrived animals.
• Transfers or transports animals, feed, and bedding materials.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school graduation or GED.
• At least one year of experience in care and handling of animals.
• Successful completion of a WorkSteps physical abilities test.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in performing husbandry in a lab animal setting.
• Experience in careful food preparation for animals.
• Experience with equipment used in working with laboratory animals.
• Experience in sanitation of housing and facilities to prevent infections and disease.
• Demonstrate punctuality, good attendance record, careful follow through as instructed and flexibility.
• Certification through the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science.
• Bachelor degree in relevant field.

Benefits

• Paid holidays
• Health insurance
• Retirement plan