What You Will Contribute To AltosThe Senior Animal Care Technician is a key member of the vivarium operations team. This position will perform advanced husbandry and technical tasks and serve as a lead resource for the vivarium team. In addition to mastering all duties associated with ACT I and II, this role combines hands-on daily animal care with specialized expertise in room-level colony management, complex health monitoring, and the intake of new animal arrivals.
Key ResponsibilitiesAnimal Care, Welfare & Vivarium Operations
- Perform and oversee daily husbandry for research animals (rodents), including:
- Cage changing, bedding and enrichment, feed and water provision
- Room cleaning and rack/equipment sanitation according to SOPs.
- Perform routine animal observations and basic measurements as needed, including:
- Weighing animals according to study or health-monitoring schedules.
- Changing or providing special/experimental diets, medicated feed, and water treatments as directed by veterinary staff or study protocols.
- Conduct and review daily health and welfare checks; promptly escalate concerns (e.g., illness, injury, abnormal behavior, weight loss) to veterinary and supervisory staff.
- Maintain species-appropriate environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, lighting, enrichment) in accordance with institutional and regulatory standards.
- Assist with and, where appropriate, coordinate animal receipt, identification, housing assignments, and transfers, ensuring proper acclimation and accurate records.
- Operate and perform routine care on cage-wash machines, autoclaves, and related equipment; report issues promptly and support facility readiness for inspections and audits.
- Adhere to biosafety and biosecurity procedures (PPE, traffic flow, barrier practices) to maintain a safe and compliant environment.
Colony Management (Breeding, Weaning & Genotyping)
- Plan, set up, and monitor rodent breeding schemes (pairs/trios) in alignment with requests and colony objectives.
- Perform timely weaning, sexing, and identification of pups; ensure appropriate group housing and minimize stress.
- Collect tissue samples for genotyping (e.g., ear punches, tail tips, or other IACUC-approved methods) following welfare-focused best practices.
- Coordinate submission of genotyping samples to external vendors; ensure accurate sample labeling, documentation, and chain-of-custody.
- Record breeding events, litters, weaning, animal assignments, diet changes (if tracked), and genotyping results in colony management software (e.g., SoftMouse or similar platforms).
- Maintain accurate genotype and lineage records; reconcile discrepancies between expected and observed genotypes and communicate impacts on study timelines and colony plans.
- Support investigators in ensuring timely availability of correctly genotyped animals for experiments and in optimizing colony size to meet demand while minimizing surplus animals.
Documentation, Compliance & Health Monitoring
- Accurately document all relevant activities, including husbandry tasks, health observations, body weights, mortality, breeding events, diet changes, and environmental monitoring in designated paper or electronic systems.
- Support institutional health surveillance programs through appropriate sample handling and reporting.
- Follow IACUC-approved protocols, SOPs, and institutional guidelines for animal care, breeding, genotyping, diet changes, and handling; identify and report potential deviations.
Communication
- Communicate clearly and promptly with veterinary staff, Vivarium manager, and research personnel regarding animal health, body weight trends, colony status, diet changes, room conditions, and any operational issues or deviations.
- Collaborate with colleagues to coordinate daily and weekly work assignments, ensure adequate coverage, and maintain consistent standards across rooms and functional areas.
Who You Are- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Biology, Laboratory Animal Science, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience).
- Minimum6+ years of hands-on rodent vivarium experience in an industry setting (biotech, pharma, CRO, or other fast-paced, highly regulated research environment).
- Demonstrated proficiency with:
- Daily husbandry, health monitoring, environmental checks, and weighing of animals.
- Rodent breeding, weaning, and sexing.
- Collection of samples for genotyping and management of resulting data.
- Implementing and documenting special diets or medicated feed/water as directed.
- Strong attention to detail, organization, and documentation skills, including electronic recordkeeping.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team-based, SOP-driven environment, including participation in weekend/holiday rotations as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- AALAS certification (ALAT, LAT, or higher) or equivalent.
- Experience using colony management software such as SoftMouse, Mosaic, or similar tools for tracking breeding, genotyping, and animal use.
- Familiarity with AAALAC accreditation standards and IACUC processes
The salary range for
San Diego, CA- Senior Animal Care Technician: $76,800 - $98,400
Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.
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- Please click here to read the Altos Labs EU and UK Applicant Privacy Notice (bit.ly/eu_uk_privacy_notice)
- This Privacy Notice is not a contract, express or implied and it does not set terms or conditions of employment.
