Behavior Technician I

Overview:
The Animal Behavior and Welfare Department at BC US is seeking a full-time Primate Behavior Technician. This role is crucial to our behavioral management program, ensuring high animal welfare standards through innovative behavioral observation techniques, social introductions and assessments, monitoring social dynamics, positive reinforcement training, acclimation, and habituation. The technician will also train other staff in these methods and document all program activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform animal socializations for pairs or groups and complete related documentation.
• Conduct behavioral compatibility assessments during social introductions for pairs or groups as needed.
• Assist in behavioral assessments for abnormal or stereotypic behaviors and create tailored enrichment plans. Implement, track, and document these plans.
• Evaluate new enrichment devices and provide input on strategies for individually and socially housed animals.
• Develop and implement shaping plans to prepare animals for research procedures (e.g., reduce fear, cooperative feeding, target training). Maintain and improve documentation as needed.
• Perform positive reinforcement training, habituation, and operant conditioning techniques as required.
• Collaborate with veterinary and animal care staff to maintain proper animal care standards.
• Propose new socialization strategies and tailored enrichment plans.
• Train new hires on natural history, animal behavior, and positive reinforcement techniques for nonhuman primates.
• Optimize breeding groups by identifying successful breeders and retiring non-breeders.
• Maintain and update the infant database by observing new infants and performing DAM/infant observations.
• Manage acclimation and familiarization for sales and quarantine animals.
• Availability to work weekends and holidays as needed.
• Work professionally and courteously across institutional divisions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities Required:

• Must have a working understanding of principles of animal breeding and behavior
• Good organizational and communication skills
• Self-starter with good independent work ethic
• Experience with relational databases, Microsoft Office and e-mail. Documentation is an essential aspect of the job
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Bilingual in Spanish and English is a plus

Education and Experience:

• Must have a BA/BS degree in a behavioral or biological science
• AALAS Certification at the LAT level preferred or to be obtained within the first year of employment.
• Florida Driver’s License or equivalent.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodations. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, lift, and reach. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Additionally, the employee must be able to distinguish colors.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodations. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or inclement weather, especially heat with high humidity, precipitation and cold rarely.