Animal Technician

Posted 24 January 2025
Salary Grade 4, £23,581 - £26,038
End date 09 February 2025
LocationGlasgow
Job Type Management Professional & Administrative
Reference165011

Job description

Job Purpose

To provide high quality animal care and husbandry duties to ensure all animal needs are met and excellent standards of cleanliness within Biological Services facilities are maintained. Undertake routine data recording and provide routine technical assistance to research staff when required.

 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide day to day husbandry and care to animals including feeding and watering, undertaking daily health checks, and changing cages/tanks/enclosures.  Must report any signs of ill health to senior staff.

 

2. Providing routine technical assistance to researchers to facilitate their scientific research programmes, as directed by more senior technical staff and managers. This includes humanely euthanising animals, harvesting tissues, setting up breeding and/or timed mating programmes, making up media/buffers/drugs and undertaking non-surgical Home Office Licensed procedures.

 

3. Contribute to the general maintenance and cleanliness of the facility by reporting when stocks of lab consumables are low, and ensuring all equipment are maintained in operational state. Support routine cleaning, cage washing, autoclaving and general domestic duties as required.

 

4. Collect and accurately input animal and experimental records in a timely manner to ensure legislative compliance and accurate recording of information using an animal software database.

 

5. Undertake training to apply for a Personal Licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Once attained, undertake simple regulated procedures for research projects.

 

6. Awareness of, and adherence to, the University and Departmental Standard Operating Procedures for operational and quality assurance purposes and to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant legislation.

 

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Either: Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 5 or 6 (National 5 or 6, Scottish Vocational Qualification level 2 or 3) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role.

A2 Good understanding of Health and Safety policies.

A3 Undertake training for Home Office Licence.

A4 Security clearance for working in animal facilities (will be arranged before appointment).

 

Desirable:

B1 Relevant Animal Technology qualifications e.g. IAT Certificate.

B2 Working knowledge and experience of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and other relevant UK legislation.

B3 Home Office Personal Licence Holder (or having successfully undertaken relevant training to obtain one).

B4 Willingness to study for industry qualifications.

 

Skills

Essential:

C1 Good communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate using all methods (verbal and written) with a range of stakeholders.

C2 Competent IT and numeracy skills.

C3 Attention to detail and the ability to follow instructions and procedures with minimal guidance.

C4 Demonstrable ability to work as part of a team.

 

Desirable:

D1 Previous experience of maintaining breeding programmes and performing simple regulated scientific procedures.

D2 Experience of using databases.

D3 Competent in Schedule 1 euthanasia of animals.

 

Experience

Essential:

E1 Experience of working with animals.

E2 Experience of working as part of a team.

E3 Experience with record keeping and data recording using animal software databases.

 

Desirable:

F1 Experience as a Facility Support Technician (or equivalent).

F2 Experience of working as a husbandry or research support technician in an animal facility at an equivalent grade or higher.

 

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be on Grade 4, £23,581 – £26,038 per annum, plus shift allowance.

 

This post is full time (35 hours p/w) and open-ended. Monday to Friday with 1 in 3 weekends (3 hours each on Saturday and Sunday).

 

The successful applicant will be subject to security checks by Agenda Screening Services.

 

Closing Date: 9 February 2025 @ 23.15