Chief Animal Technician (Germ Free)

On behalf of our client, we are looking to recruit a Chief Animal Technician, to be responsible for the Germ Free area of the facility. The post holder will manage breeding and experimental stocks for animals housed within isolators and iso-cages of a Germ Free environment. The selected candidate will oversee and provide technical support, perform, and assist with regulated and non-regulated procedures in order to assist researchers to support research aims.

Basic Requirements:

• Hold a Home Office personal licence modules A – C
• Extensive experience working in a designated establishment with laboratory animals is essential
• Experience working with isolators is desired
• Experience of carrying out Home Office licensed procedures
• Colony Management experience
• Membership of the institute of Animal Technology or Institute of Animal Technology Level 3
• Able to work weekends (typically 1 in 3)
• Knowledge of daily management regimes of a Biofacility is desirable

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Be responsible for the care and maintenance of animals housed in isolators and iso-cages within the Germ Free facility, and assist animal husbandry schedules
• Maintain and establish complex breeding strategies in liaison with researchers, keenly observe animal behaviour and phenotypes as this may have an effect on the research
• Undertake Home Office licensed procedures
• Monitor the health status of all animals via observation and with reference to regular health reports
• Maintain detailed records of all animals, births, deaths stock levels and procedures
• Direct liaison with project licence holders
• Organise and supervise staff within the Germ Free area, maintain records so that research groups are charged appropriately
• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of SOPs documentation for the facility
• Support the Animal Husbandry Team working in the IVC areas of the facility Agenda and its clients only recruit people who are passionate about animal care and welfare, people with integrity who are honest and trustworthy and who have a great work ethic.

To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive background and pre-employment screening as an essential part of the recruitment process