The Senior Animal Caretaker is responsible for the management of the sentinel animal health surveillance for the entire Animal Bio-Safety Level 2 and Animal Bio-Safety Level 3 areas of the Research Animal Facility. This position implements a new animal health reporting system and supports staff and researchers with handling and restraint of animals and administration of treatments.

 

The Center for Discovery and Innovation- CDI was established by Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) as an academic basic and translational research enterprise to rapidly translate science innovation to the clinic and to improve outcomes for patients with cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disease and other acute and chronic diseases.  The CDI has grown rapidly since its origins in 2019, and now has 39 labs, 200+ scientists and allied personnel supported by 78 NIH and DoD grants and more than 87 other grants and contracts. Areas of expertise include genomics, epigenetics, drug resistance, stem cell biology, drug discovery, diagnostics and biomarker development, rheumatology and pharmacology.

A day in the life of a Senior Animal Caretaker, CDI at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

 

• Becomes familiar with laboratory animals, their habits, and their needs.
• Maintains, scrubs, and disinfects animal cages, cage floors, and cage pans.
• Under Mgr, Animal Facility supervision , cleans and sanitizes cages, animal rooms, and related equipment.
• Feeds and waters animals according to the schedule.
• Maintains animal rooms in clean and odorless condition; and maintains room census daily.
• Weighs or restrains animals when required for various technical procedures.
• Collects voided urine and feces when requested in appropriate containers.
• Performs other duties as may be required for the maintenance and welfare of the animal colony.
• Monitors and manages the operation of the sterilizing autoclave and cage wash equipment including all in the ABSL2 and ABSL3 areas of the CDI which includes equipment in the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory.
• Responsible for reporting all computer-based reports on sterilizer and cage wash equipment functioning to the Mgr, Animal Facility and Dir, Animal Resources.
• Perform tasks related to animal biosafety in compliance with the CDC, USDA and all applicable regulations covering disinfection and cleaning of animal equipment and animal research infectious waste materials.
• Attends the laboratory animal husbandry course given in the department.
• Operate cage washer equipment, autoclave sterilization equipment, handling chemical products used for decontamination and cleaning of the facility.
• Recognize abnormal signs or unusual behavior in the animals, and reports any animal health concerns to the Mgr, Animal Facilities and/or Dir, Animal Facility.
• Unpack newly shipped animals received in the facility.
• Understands and adheres to all HMH compliance standards and policies.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience.
• Mandatory six-month probation period to complete the required training for this position.
• Employment may be contingent upon successful completion of an FBI background check and other regulatory approvals for admittance to BSL3 facilities and/or select agent facilities.

 

Licenses and Certifications Required:

• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Technician Certification within 18 months of entering position. 

 

If you feel that the above description speaks directly to your strengths and capabilities, then please apply today!  

Minimum rate of $23.97 Hourly

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package.

The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted rate of pay based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to:

Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness.
Experience: Years of relevant work experience.
Education and Certifications: Level of education attained, including specialized certifications, credentials, completed apprenticeship programs or advanced training.
Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies.
Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location.
Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the organization.
Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered.


Some jobs may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions not reflected in the starting rate. Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.

In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.