Required Qualifications:

• High school graduation or GED
• Broadly trained in animal care especially working with fish, amphibians and reptiles.
• Experience working with invertebrates.
• Being able to make up solutions needed to work with animals.
• Candidate must have demonstrated strong organizational and communication skills, good record keeping, ability to work with a wide variety of people, good problem-solving skills and has to be flexible and adaptable.
• Must be able to meet unmovable deadlines (class starts.)
• Expect a team player.

Preferred Qualifications:

• BS degree in Biological Sciences a minimum with additional laboratory experience designing and overseeing animal projects for small group student project
• Experience working with and training students
• Experience in both research and instructional laboratories an added bonus
• Familiarity with IACUC and AAALAC policies extremely helpful
• Experience breeding zebrafish and care of zebrafish embryos is extremely helpful
• Experience maintaining many aquatic tanks especially helpful.

This position is onsite and will provide support to courses within the College of Biological Sciences that work with IACUC approved vertebrates and invertebrates resulting in effective, efficient, safe, and functional instructional laboratories and animal care. Support includes coordination of animals used in Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior classes for in class use and for student group projects. Maintaining zebrafish tanks, freshwater fish tanks, marine tanks, reptiles, amphibians, and various invertebrate colonies. Breeding zebrafish and maintaining embryos for class. Setting up, caring for and cleaning tanks, trouble-shooting tanks when animals show signs of illness. Creating and implementing procedures on how to maintain, clean tanks, and treat animals showing signs of illness and a method to track the outcome of the animals. Coordinating efficient use of animals for several classes to best use University resources and follow IACUC protocols, organizing lab space for animal tanks, assisting teaching assistants, staff, faculty, and students. Pre-running new animal experiments, assisting students and other staff with student animal projects, and other duties as assigned. Must be able to perform work independently and be able to provide new directions for the laboratory work and animal care. Initial duties will be supporting the Foundations Biology series, Zoology, Animal Diversity, Ecology, and Animal Behavior labs use of animals. This position will work closely with lab coordinators from each of the classes and supervise and mentor student employees who will help with the daily care and maintenance of the animals.

This is a twelve-month, full time, continuing, on campus position.

50%

• On a daily/weekly basis; Maintenance and management of animal tanks including testing the tanks for nitrogen levels, ammonia levels, conductivity, pH, salinity, humidity, and other tests as needed. This may include medicating animals. Experience caring for freshwater fish, marine tanks, reptiles, amphibians, and several types of invertebrates such as praying mantises, cockroaches, meal worms and others is especially helpful. It is important that this position be hands on with the animals.
• Breeding zebrafish, especially maintaining embryos until needed for class. This can possibly include working on weekends or late at night. Sexing zebrafish and goldfish. Fin clipping as needed for class experiments.
• The responsibilities for this position also include moving tanks, materials, and animals from housing and storage areas, prep areas or other labs into the laboratory being set up for class or projects; arrangement of materials; oversight and training of others (e.g., student employees) assisting in lab set-up; efficient and safe use and disposal of chemicals, carcasses, or other materials.
• Tank organization, tank set-up, cleanup of tanks, and maintain compliance with regulatory/safety requirements. Organization should be planned such that others can reasonably find the materials in the absence of employee.
• Laboratory cleanup includes moving tanks or animals and other materials out of the laboratory; proper storage or disposal of leftover reagents and media; disposal of contaminated materials and carcasses, cleanup of equipment, glassware, and benches; proper disposal of hazardous wastes according to University Waste Program guidelines; and general oversight of anyone assisting in cleanup. Recommending purchases to keep the animals healthy.

25%

• Supervise student employees who are hired to help with animal care. This includes making sure they have completed all required IACUC and safety training.
• Training the students how to care for the animals, scheduling hours for the students, interviewing new student employee candidates.
• Making sure there is consistent care for all the animals.
• Participating in semi-annual IACUC inspections and any vet visits.

20%

• Assist teaching assistants, staff, faculty, and students in laboratory courses working with animals.
• Attend weekly lab sections during project proposals and set-up weeks to be able to be able to make sure we have the space and animals for each project and to handle any last-minute changes from the faculty and to instruct staff and TAs in any new protocols/procedures not familiar to them
• Oversight of TAs and students to ensure compliance with all IACUC regulations. This can also include assisting students working on small group projects.
• Pre‐running of experiments with animals to figure out how to safely work with the animals. Includes researching and reading relevant documents in order to design and perform the experiment, analyzing data, keeping notes for changes and improvements, and writing up changes or improvements as appropriate.

5%

• Duties assigned to allow efficient functioning of the instructional labs.

The percentage time required for each will vary each semester and between semesters.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-UOHR (8647).

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

Please note: All employees at the University of Minnesota are required to comply with the University’s Administrative Policy: COVID-19 Vaccination and Safety Protocol by either providing proof of being fully vaccinated on their first day of employment, or complete a request for an exemption for medical exemption or religious reasons. To learn more please visit: https://safe-campus.umn.edu/return-campus/get-the-vax

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