Quality Assurance Technician

Summary: Under supervision and with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment, provides appropriate housing conditions and husbandry for the animals in support of biomedical research projects, in accordance with departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), laboratory animal regulations and guidelines, and biosafety and biosecurity guidelines.

Essential Functions

Responsible for overseeing and maintaining the clean and dirty sides of the facilities including the maintenance and cleaning of equipment and facilities, cage changing and/or cage cleaning as required.

Properly dispose of animal associated waste, such as water, food and soiled bedding.

Sanitize facilities, animal housing units, ancillary animal care equipment, and surgical instruments.

Prepare cages and water bottles for full animal cage change outs.

Prepare and use disinfectants and detergents; operate equipment and/or use supplies necessary to perform husbandry duties.

Perform general housekeeping, such as dusting, sweeping, mopping, etc., restock personal protective equipment (PPE) in necessary areas. Wash/dry laboratory gowns. Comply with and wear the required PPE.

Sanitize animal quarters and equipment in compliance with Federal regulations.

Provide daily record keeping for animals, room environments, and consumable supplies.

May obtain laboratory samples for health monitoring program; receive and transport animals, bulk feed, bedding material and additional supplies.

Perform minor maintenance and repair of existing equipment. Maintain facility logs as applicable.

Promote a culture of safety and environmental protection by working in a safe manner; immediately reporting unsafe situations, spills, and accidents; following University safety plans/procedures/protocols; and participating in appropriate safety training.

Participate in infection control procedures, including cage washing, autoclaving and general facility hygiene as well as delivering supplies, equipment and laundry etc. from within and outside the University. This job element includes the ability to operate a cage washer and steam sterilizers and ensure the contents have been properly sterilized by the process.

Observe, record, and report problems involving animal care equipment and environmental support systems; and as needed, arrange and coordinate for preventative and/or repair maintenance to be performed on cage wash machinery, and all other equipment and materials. Maintain organization and up-keep of the physical environment in areas of responsibility.

Participate in development and implementation of site-specific standard operating procedures (SOP's), in compliance with all federal, state and local regulations and policies.

Report any concerns or issues relating to animal welfare to the LARC managers and the Attending Veterinarian.

Comply with all federal, state and university regulations and policies governing animal care, complete online, and classroom training requirements, such as General Laboratory Safety, Biosafety/Bloodborne Pathogens and CITI. Comply with all biosafety and biosecurity practices.

Assist with administrative tasks required for documenting and maintaining records pertaining to the housing and care of laboratory animals.

Verify or take animal census, ensuring all data entry and reports are completed in a timely manner to meet prescribed deadlines (e.g., animal census software edits for accurate reporting of census and per diem billing, printing and delivery of cage cards for placement by other staff, etc.).

Coordinate with the Business Manager to receive new employees and provide direction/orientation prior to animal facility introduction.

Assist with ensuring all information obtained, retained, created and/or assembled for the department is properly organized, filed and easily accessible to department staff and presentable for audit.

Ensure physical and electronic files are up to date and clearly marked for easy access (e.g., protocol, environmental testing and other notebooks as needed).

Maintain records and organize filing and archive systems to facilitate the expeditious retrieval of information so that team members may accomplish their responsibilities (e.g., protocol and Standard Operating Procedures notebooks and files).

Must attain AALAS Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) certification within twenty-four months of employment. Possesses knowledge of all Microsoft Office software applications and able to learn and use institutional software systems.

Complies with all State and University policies.

Other duties may be assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required Qualifications:

Education: High school diploma or general education degree (GED).

and

Experience: One year animal or administrative experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Higher education preferred.

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to speak, hear, sit, use hands to feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and walk. Ability to stand for long periods of time. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 35 pounds and repeatedly lift up to 10 pounds throughout the day. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and color vision.

The noise level for this work environment is usually moderate to noisy.

In keeping with its access, excellence and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee’s or prospective employee’s right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.

For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at eoaa@utep.edu.