Animal Attendant, Animal Resources Center, Service Department **Galveston, Texas, United States** **New** Research Academic & Clinical UTMB Health Requisition # 2404843 **Minimum Qualifications:** High school or equivalent; no experience required. **Job Description:** To assist in providing care of laboratory animals in a humane, safe and sanitary manner including duties associated with cage washing, sanitation and preparation of animal research facilities. **Job Duties:** **Cage Washing** : + Prepares soiled caging for washing. + Operates washing equipment and ensures proper working order during daily operating procedures, routine cleaning, and preventive maintenance. + Operates autoclave to sterilize or decontaminate caging equipment. + Performs daily quality control checks and documents effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing. + Assembles clean and sanitized caging for distribution according to supply orders. + Maintains sanitary conditions of cage washing rooms and other ancillary areas, such as hallways and storage areas. + Disposes of soiled waste and trash. + Transports caging and supplies between animal rooms and cage washing rooms. **Husbandry:** + Provides daily husbandry care, including feeding and watering, for all species. + Changes and sanitizes animal caging as scheduled. + Maintains enrichment program as specified for each species. + Sanitizes rooms, equipment and hallways as scheduled. + Documents daily, weekly and monthly duties accurately. + Observes animals for behavior change and/or evidence of disease and notifies veterinary staff as appropriate. + Receives transports and distributes incoming animals as specified. + Ensures accurate cage cards and census. + Provides specialized animal care, including quarantine, biohazard and sterile housing. + Ensures equipment in animal rooms are functioning properly **Cage Washing and Husbandry:** + Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure. + Attends in-house training programs to become more knowledgeable in the field of laboratory animal science. + Provides superior customer service. Follows safety precautions and wears correct protective equipment. + Follows rules and regulations related to laboratory animal care. May assist ARC logistics team with transport of caging or materials and with the receipt and storage of supplies. + Performs related duties as required **Equipment:** + Industrial type cage and rack washers, autoclaves, pallet jacks, animal caging and racks. + Support equipment used in a laboratory animal science multi-species facility and standard office equipment. **Salary Range** : Commensurate with Experience **Working Environment/Location of Position** : + Standard research facility environment. + Able to lift 50 pounds. + Work weekends, holidays, and some overtime when needed. + Frequent contact with animal allergens, such as hair and dander. + Frequent exposure to animal odors, heat and humidity from cage washing rooms, and chemicals used in the cleaning process. + Possible contact with zoonotic diseases and or research materials could be hazardous to a fetus. + Potential exposure to radiation and biohazards **Equal Employment Opportunity** UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Compensation