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Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
The Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) is responsible for the care of all vertebrate animals on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) campus. DCM is committed to programs of excellence in veterinary care and laboratory animal management practices for all species used in UNC-CH research endeavors.
A staff of more than 170 professional, technical, and administrative personnel provides quality animal care to a daily population of over 200,000 animals located in 26 animal facilities on and off the UNC campus. Federal funding and foundations sponsor over $1 billion in research on the UNC campus conducted by the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Pharmacy, as well as the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology.
A major responsibility of the Division’s veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and laboratory technicians is the health care and humane use of all animals. The Division’s program is reviewed semi-annually by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and has been accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since 1973. DCM and the University also meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Public Health Service standards and regulations. As laboratory animal specialists they provide a comprehensive program of veterinary care, offer technical advice and assistance, and provide needed laboratory and research core services for teaching and research purposes.
Position Summary
The Aquaculture Research Support Technician performs a variety of research support and husbandry duties. The candidate will be primarily working in the aquaculture facility and will also be cross-trained in other exotic species.
This position is responsible for the daily care of research animals including cage cleaning and sanitation, animal observation, handling and restraint, water quality monitoring and mitigation, and system maintenance. Research Support duties may include colony management, embryo production, husbandry research, administering routine treatments as directed by veterinary/vet care staff, administering special feed and water, dosing, and sample collection. This position is also responsible for assessing animal health and triaging issues.
Emergency duties required during adverse weather and /or other emergency situations. This position requires a consistent schedule with weekend shifts included in the regular schedule, offering two consecutive days off, depending on scheduling needs. Holidays assigned on a rotating basis.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.
Management Preferences
- Animal technician training.
- Experience in a laboratory animal setting.
- Working knowledge of herpetology and aquatics species (fish).
- Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) at the ALAT level or higher strongly preferred.
- Basic computer skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs such as Outlook, Excel, and Word
Required Licenses/Certifications
Special Physical/Mental Requirements
- Ability to lift/restrain animals weighing up to 50 pounds with or without accommodation.
- Requires prolonged and/or repetitive reaching, bending, and twisting.
Campus Security Authority Responsibilities
Not Applicable.
Position/Schedule Requirements
Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens, Exposure to Hazardous Materials, Laboratory, Overtime occasionally, Weekend work occasionally
