Animal Care Technician

**Position Details**:

- Position Information**Position Title**
- Animal Care Technician - Biocontainment Coordinator

**Department/Unit**
- Carleton Animal Care Facility

**Location**
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

**Posting Number**
- S178-24

**Employee Group**
- NSGEU Local 77

**Position Type**
- Regular, On-Going

**Duration of Contract (if applicable)**

**Employment Type**
- Full Time

**Full-time Equivalency (FTE)**
- 1.0 FTE

**Salary**
- $30.84 - $39.05 per hour ($56,130 - $71,076 per annum, 35 hours per week)

**Classification**
- T8

**Provisional Statement**
- This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

**About Dalhousie University**
- Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

**Job Summary**
- The Division of Animal Care provides professional services and oversight for the Faculty of Medicine’s Animal Care facilities. Reporting to the Assistant Director/Clinical Veterinarian, the Animal Care Technician - Biocontainment Coordinator will develop, implement, and maintain biosafety procedures to mitigate risks associated with biological agents, toxins, and hazardous materials being used in animals within biocontainment suites, and and provides daily care and health and welfare assessment to animals throughout the Carleton Animal Care Facility Containment Level (CL) 1 facility and in CL2 biocontainment.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Provide training and guidance on all regulatory processes and animal care needs for biocontainment and CL2 areas. Act as a resource on best practices and adherence to standards.
- Develop and implement biocontainment protocols/procedures for animal care. Serve as a liaison between Animal Care biocontainment and Dalhousie Environmental Health and Safety. Manage the on-line scheduler for biocontainment areas.
- Ensure compliance with regulations governing the use of biohazardous agents, toxins and hazardous materials in conjunction with animal research.
- Provide husbandry and animal health assessments daily within CL1 and CL2 areas. Clean, disinfect and maintain animal rooms and equipment. Administer oral or topical medications, IP, SQ, IM and IV injections, or other diagnostic/therapeutic procedures as directed.

**Note**
The incumbent will be regularly required to handle and restrain animals; work in wet and humid environments; work with various products including chemical agents; be exposed to zoonotic diseases and animal allergens; and may be required to comply with Canadian Immunization Guide: Workers with Occupational Exposure to Animals or Materials from Animal (e.g. Tetanus), as directed by the Department.
The Division of Animal Care is responsible for live-animal husbandry, therefore considered an essential service and runs 365 days per year. This includes working even if the university is closed for scheduled or unscheduled reasons as well as occasional holiday and weekend shifts as needed. Scheduling and compensation will be in accordance with the collective agreement.

Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in-person on campus.

**Required Qualifications**
- Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) (CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) certified program) plus approximately five years relevant experience in an animal care facility** **(or equivalent combination of training and experience).
- Canadian Association of Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS) Registered Laboratory Animal Technician (RLAT)_ _and a commitment to complete additional training and certification as identified to meet and maintain animal care, operations and facility standards and requirements.
- Have or acquire within first month of employment Public Health Agency of Canada Animal Biosafety Level 2 Training.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills while working in a busy, fast-paced environment with multiple interruptions and time constraints.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills.
- Meet above average physical demands including but not limited to continuous walking on concrete floors, prolonged repetitive movements (shoulders, hands/arms), climbing,_ _bending and twisting as well as pulling, pushing and lifting up to 25 kg on a daily basis.

**Assets**

**Job Competencies**
Self-Awareness & Professionalism
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Knowledge &