Job Details

Manager (LARC)
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Position Number: 5208907
Location: El Paso, TX
Position Type: Laboratory and Research

Manager (LARC)

Job ID: 11664
Location: El Paso, TX
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: $RegTemp

About UTEP

UTEP is a comprehensive public research university that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education, and economy of the community we serve.

The University of Texas at El Paso is America's leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 172 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

Position Information

Hiring Department: Laboratory Animal Resources Center (LARC)

Posting End Date: Open until filled

Hours: 40 hours per week; Weekend and holiday work may be required.

FLSA status: Exempt

Earliest Start Date: As soon as possible

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Required Application Materials:

Resume
Cover Letter
List of three references

The primary accountabilities are intended to describe the general content of and requirements of this position and are not intended to be an exhaustive statement of duties. Incumbents may perform all or some of the primary accountabilities listed. Specific tasks or responsibilities will be documented in the incumbents' performance objectives as outlined by the incumbents' immediate supervisor or manager. This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information. A valid driver's license issued by the State where the applicant resides and insurability as defined in UTS 157 may be required to perform the position's essential functions.

Purpose of Position

Directly supervises the daily operations of animal care staff, overseeing their work to ensure compliance with SOPs, federal, state, and local guidelines and regulations. Provide faculty animal researchers, staff and students with animal research support while ensuring animal welfare. Provides a critical interface between the Attending Veterinarian, faculty researchers and investigative staff, students, and the IACUC office. Supports the Guide for the care and use of Laboratory Animals, Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, (AAALAC) while supporting customer needs and enhancing operational efficiencies regarding the proper care and maintenance of laboratory animals, biosafety, biosecurity, and physical plant oversight within UTEP vivarium and other animal use areas.

Essential Functions:

Assist in the development and modification, as needed, of animal care policies, procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and practices, which promote the high quality, cost-effective operation of the animal facilities.

Prepare staff work schedules, routinely convene with staff for continuous updates, coordinate the training of animal care staff for their animal care responsibilities; help prepare staff for AALAS certification.

Interact with faculty and staff to provide high quality, responsive animal care services; advise on technological changes affecting laboratory animal research and care.

Provide and support a quality assurance program to monitor effectiveness of animal care and animal welfare.

Coordinates with the IACUC office to track and provide and or coordinate training for animal care & use and the Occupational Health & Safety Program, including but not limited to SOPs, Policies, Guidelines, Signs, Forms, and various related certifications.

Help ensure compliance with federal, state, and local animal regulatory requirements.

Execute performance evaluations by determining the competency and performance of subordinate staff.

Perform or initiate the approval of personnel actions including hiring, transferring, promoting, suspending and termination of employees.

Prepares for and facilitates inspections by internal/external parties (announced and unannounced)

Manages animal procurement/shipping, including animal records, placement, tracking and census.

Attend IACUC meetings, as applicable.

Oversees vivarium procedure and equipment reservation calendar.

Demonstrate care and use of vivarium equipment and provides training and application of current and new equipment, coordinate and facilitate surgical and minor procedural trainings (necropsy, injections, phlebotomy, anesthesia, euthanasia, etc.) sentinel and bio-specimen sampling.

Obtain quotes for services and equipment, prepare cost estimates, manages inventory, and provide primary supervision for the completion of complex projects through independent work and on teams, in collaboration with the Attending Veterinarian and other LARC staff, vendors, contractors, and other UTEP departments, such as Facilities, Operations, Environmental Health and Safety and the IACUC office.

Operate and perform basic troubleshooting for cage washers, cage changing equipment, autoclaves, incinerator, and other animal facility equipment.

Execute all necessary actions to correct deviations from the environmental parameters specified in The Guide.

Meet with new and established investigators and their designees as needed to ascertain, plan, and deliver animal use needs regarding space, supplies and equipment.

Review annual budget projections for equipment and supplies for accuracy and completeness.

Assist with identifying equipment and supplies needed and provide an estimate on quantity needed for the upcoming year.

Visits animal holding and use areas within the vivarium and other animal use areas regularly to identify specific, new and refresher animal-use training needs and assure proficiency with routine animal handling and techniques, as well as ensure that all research and LARC staff are kept abreast of new (or changes in) IACUC policies pertaining to animal use and the Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) while fostering good rapport between laboratory and LARC personnel as an ambassador of the LARC Department.

Perform weekly review and inspection of all animal housing for deficiencies and ensures correction of procedures, and policies as it pertains to husbandry as well as weekly walk-through inspections of animal facilities to identify and rectify potential or existing physical plant problems, taking primary responsibility for equipment and facility maintenance and upkeep of building structure, animal housing and caging, ventilation and equipment; initiate and follow up on all needed work orders to satisfactory completion. Reports any facility issues to the Director.

Demonstrate proficiency in ABSL1, ABSL2 procedures and successfully complete training provided to work in an ABSL3 environment if not already proficient.

Assist in performing sanitation monitoring via bacterial culture swabs, plating or other sampling techniques as required.

Report facility and environmental issues that fall outside animal welfare regulatory requirements (as defined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals) to the Attending Veterinarian and ensure prompt correction of deviations.

Perform minor facility repair tasks as needed.

Initiate work orders for repairs to the facility/equipment as needed.

A strong knowledge of animal husbandry standards and regulatory guidelines and requirements, standard operating procedures for species of animals used in behavioral and biomedical research, and special handling techniques for biohazardous or infectious materials; ABSL3 experience is desirable, and certification is required within 12 months of hire.

Weekend and holiday work may be required.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of all Microsoft Office software and able to learn and use institutional software systems.

Complies with all State and University policies.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required Qualifications:

Education: AALAS Certification at the LAT level or higher OR Bachelor's degree in life sciences (Animal Science, Biology, Microbiology, etc.) or equivalent OR graduation from the Institute for Laboratory Animal Management with additional six (6) years experience (11 years experience total)

and

Experience: Five (5) years experience in an animal facility including at least three (3) years as a Supervisor or Manager (including hiring or interviewing to hire, managing, and disciplinary action)

Applicants Should Demonstrate:

Ability to demonstrate the functioning of barrier animal facilities.

Knowledge of a wide variety of common laboratory animals.

Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

Good organizational skills and able to work independently with minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications:

Budget development and oversight experience

Who May Apply

Those able to undergo and receive approval for access to select agents: a Security Risk Assessment by the Criminal Justice Information System to obtain FBI/CDC clearance, and an internal Suitability Assessment.

Those able to attain AALAS certification at the LATg level within 12 months of hire, and CMAR level within 3 years of hire.

Additional Information

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to talk or hear; sit; use hands to feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must be able to regularly stand for long periods of time. The employee must lift and move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and color vision.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid conditions; toxic or caustic chemicals; and outdoor weather conditions.

The noise level for this work environment is usually quiet. Standard animal resources environment and in a Biosafety Level 3 containment laboratory that pose additional biohazard due to the use of highly contagious pathogens in this environment. Must not be allergic to animal dander or have immunodeficiency diseases. Pregnancy may become a personnel safety factor in some laboratory animal duties. Potential exposure to radiation and biohazards. In addition, incumbent will be required to work safely and effectively in non-containment and the animal biosafety level 2 and 3 containment laboratories.

In keeping with its access, excellence and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee's or prospective employee's right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.

For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at eoaa@utep.edu.

To apply, visit https://zahr-prd-candidate-ada.utshare.utsystem.edu/psp/ZAHRPRDADA/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=2&JobOpeningId=11664&PostingSeq=1