Animal Technician

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.
• Undertake training to apply for a Personal Licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Once attained, undertake simple regulated procedures for research projects.
• 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:
• A1Either: 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 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.
• F3 Previous experience of maintaining breeding programmes and performing simple regulated scientific procedures.
• F4 Experience of using databases.
• Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 4, £25,804 - £27,319 per annum, plus shift allowance.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and open ended.

Shifts are normally Monday to Friday howveryou will be required to work 1 weekend in 3 (3 hours on a Saturday and 3 hours on a Sunday, paid at the relevant enhanced rate).

Your rota will be confirmed to you by your line manager.

There is a requirement to provide operational coverage 365 days per year on a rota basis and the successful candidate will be required to work on public holidays and also the "Other" days as designated.

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

As a valued member of our team, you can expect

• 1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
• 2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook , benefits and discount packages.
• 3 A flexible approach to working.
• 4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month Uof G Sport membership for all new staff joining the University

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values.

Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University.

Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

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