Animal Care Technician

Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 116

Job Profile

CUPE 116 Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 2

Job Title

Animal Care Technician

Department

Research Support | Centre for Comparative Medicine | Animal Care Services

Compensation Range

$4,426.00 - $4,845.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

November 6, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Ongoing

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for directly supporting the animal-based research community within the University of British Columbia by providing high level animal care in working closely with the Clinical Veterinarians and Animal Care Teams. The Animal Care Technician (ACT) will provide facility support within the Centre for Comparative Medicine, including basic animal husbandry duties, cage processing, laundry and general facility maintenance.

CCM Technicians are responsible for the daily maintenance and care of specific species of small and large laboratory animals. The position requires thorough knowledge of working with animals exposed to hazardous and bio-hazardous agents, and radioactive compounds. Due to the work involving the use of potentially hazardous material, the use of personal protective equipment, annual TB testing, and adherence to strict safety protocols is expected.

The Centre for Comparative Medicine (CCM) is a rapidly growing and dynamic environment in which staff partner with researchers from both academia and industry. The research encompasses a broad range of topics from furthering our understanding of basic medical sciences, to enhancing our abilities to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease in human and non-human animals.

Organizational Status

This position reports to the CCM Supervisor and may take direction from the CCM Assistant Supervisor. ACTs work closely with the Registered Veterinary Technologists (RVTs) and UBC veterinarians.

CCM is a multi-species facility specialized in supporting animal research at UBC through surgical support, training, diagnostic and pathology support as well as housing. As part of UBC Animal Care Services (ACS), the largest animal care program in Western Canada and the second largest in Canada, CCM is responsible for providing research support to the animal-based research community associated with the University of British Columbia and its affiliates through its veterinary services team, the compliance team, the training team, the procurement team and its facilities. ACS is committed to providing excellence in research support to all UBC researchers with accountability, communication, cooperation, customer service and integrity. ACS reports to the Vice President Research & Innovation.

Work Performed

Providing consistent, high quality and compassionate care to all animals in accordance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines and established research protocols.

Responsible for providing basic husbandry, handling, and restraint for large and small animal species on a daily basis. Duties include health, behavior and welfare surveillance of laboratory animals; along with continuous awareness of current species-specific welfare issues, such as common signs of illness, pain, trauma or depression, in accordance with Canadian Council of Animal Care guidelines. Other duties include: performing rounds to observe and check the physical health and well-being of laboratory animals; isolating infected or ill animals and reporting to veterinarian, and general housekeeping and maintenance of facility and equipment.

Operating a bedding vacuum system, bottle filling system, high pressure spray units and autoclaves.

Maintaining and sanitizing assigned animal rooms, performing appropriate decontamination methods and procedures, including mixing of appropriate cleaning solutions and chemicals to disinfect and sanitize bottles, pails, pans, cages, pens and entire work area.

Cage and laundry processing duties including but not limited to: Operating rack and tunnel washers; assembling clean cage units; ensuring equipment is available and ready at appropriate times, prioritizing laundry tasks and treat soiled laundry to produce clean linen, when required; conducting inventory of consumable supplies as required for cage and laundry processing.

General upkeep and cleaning of the facility, including disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Performing and reporting periodic minor maintenance, adjustment, repair, and setup tasks of facility related equipment to support facility activities.

May assist RVTs or veterinarians in performing minor techniques, s