University of Wisconsin - Madison

Position Vacancy Listing

PVL # 229153

Position Summary:

Under the general supervision of Research Program Manager III, the Research Program Manager II (RPMII) is the first-line supervisor of laboratory animal husbandry in the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Breeding and Gnotobiotic Cores. This individual will be responsible for overseeing the breeding of specific pathogen-free and germ-free mouse colonies. The RPMII is responsible for animal facility operations/maintenance and coordinates with researchers and veterinary staff in relation to animal husbandry. The RPMII will be also responsible for performing specialized animal husbandry tasks and assisting with mouse colony/breeding procedures for the Gnotobiotic Core Breeding Colony. This position assures compliance with Standard Operating Procedures, animal protocols, accreditation, and regulatory standards. This position directs or assigns facility husbandry workloads, trains and manages staff, evaluates performance, prepares and coordinates work schedules, and takes corrective action, up to and including discipline. The RPMII will work directly with Research Specialists and provide oversight and coordination of animal care for animals receiving specialized diets and water administration. The RPMI will help manage mouse colonies so a good understanding of mouse breeding and genetics is preferred. This person will also perform tissue collection for genotyping, injections, and blood collection. The RPMII oversees the sentinel and microbiology program in both cores which requires specific pathogen free mice.

The RPMII is responsible for the supervision of Animal Research Technicians. The immediate supervision of the position is the Research Program Manager III at BRMS.

The School of Medicine and Public Health has a deep and profound commitment to diversity both as an end itself but, also as a valuable means for eliminating health disparities. As such, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who foster and promote the values of diversity and inclusion.

Principal duties:

40% Supervision of assigned laboratory animal technicians, and management of work unit.
1. Advise RPMIII of recruitment needs, interview, and hire new personnel.
2. Schedule, coordinate, direct, and assign daily work tasks.
3. Monitor and assess job performance of assigned personnel to include performance counseling and performance reviews, including maintaining records of such reviews.
4. Take corrective actions as required, including discipline.
5. Assure compliance with State, University, and SMPH personnel policies and procedures.
6. Assure compliance with IACUC protocols.
7. Manage employee relations issues under the direction of the RPMIII and SMPH Human Resources.
8. Prepare documentation related to personnel management.
9. Responsible for facilitating appropriate career advancement of Animal Research Technicians.

20% Oversight of Breeding Core/Research Services and Gnotobiotics
1. Oversee budgets and expenditures for gnotobiotic service
2. Collect tissue for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays
3. Collect blood, perform oral gavage and injections in rodents
4. Oversee specific pathogen-free and germ-free mouse and rat colonies
5. Provide oversight with Monitoring animal germ-free environments
6. Provide oversight in the administration of special diets, water.

15% Animal Facility Operations/Maintenance
1. Ensure that animal husbandry staff is performing daily routine animal husbandry, equipment operations, and animal health monitoring according to established policy.
2. Manage allocation/use of animal facility space.
3. Maintain minimum inventory stock levels for consumable supplies (e.g. food, bedding, caging, facility
cleaners/disinfectants, etc.)
4. Coordinate facility work orders.
5. Help develop standard operating procedures.
6. Coordinate with research specialists to identify if special husbandry practices as required
7. Coordinate animal and supply shipments between facilities.
8. Assure facility maintains compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Office of
Laboratory Animal Welfare at a level expected of an AAALAC accredited facility.

15% Education and Training
1. Train/orient assigned laboratory animal technicians and maintain individual employee training records.
2. Provide training to research staff who will need to work in isolators with germ free mice.
3. Attend scheduled local or national training as requested by the supervisor.
4. Test staff for proficiency in all animal care and safety procedures.

10% Maintenance/preparation of animal facility administrative records/reports.
1. Ensure that animal delivery receiving reports, daily animal room activity log records, animal room census records, etc. are being maintained according to established policy.
2. Ensure that all animals are properly identified and accounted for.
3. Ensure that equipment records/logs (e.g. cage washers, autoclaves, ventilated caging systems, etc.) are being maintained according to established policy.
4. Order consumable supplies as required (e.g. feed, bedding, cage wash chemicals, facility cleaners/disinfectants, etc.).
5. Prepare accident, incident, and/or worker's compensation reports as required.