Animal Care Managet

Job Title: Animal Care Manager

Research Animal Resources (RAR) is hiring for the position of Animal Care Manager. This position will be responsible for supervising and directing the activities of approximately half of the departments 10 animal care supervisors in collaboration with a second Animal Care Manager. Together the Animal Care Managers and Supervisors oversee a team of nearly 100 people responsible for the care of laboratory animals across the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. This management role is intended to provide another level of support to the supervisors and staff in the department ensuring all safety sanitation and research requirements are followed and that the needed resources (human facilities and equipment) are available. The manager will also be asked to lead and oversee various husbandryrelated projects.

The work duties for this position are complex and varied and will require the interpretation of technical and detailed guidelines policies and procedures. Analytical ability is needed to gather and interpret data and information to aid in making decisions regarding refining methods processes and techniques used to maintain high quality animal care and customer service. Innovation critical thinking and problem solving are an essential underlying part of the job duties described within this posting. Also a balanced commitment to the employees animals and management must be maintained.

This position reports to the client Assistant Director of Operations.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities necessary to be successful in position:

Possess communication independence and leadership skills needed to interact with veterinary technician employees professional staff other technical and administrative staff and husbandry operations staff

Ability to work collaboratively with comanager in making consistent and harmonized management decisions

Ability to delegate appropriately as needed

Ability to work and think independently to produce quality work and to encourage the same quality work from employees

Interest in mentoring teaching and crosstraining staff to promote professional growth of employees

A thorough knowledge of animal welfare regulations related to areas in the Preferred Qualifications

Working knowledge of generally accepted laboratory animal husbandry practices and the ability to work collaboratively with operations and husbandry supervisors and animal care technicians to promote advances in animal care and research

Excellent attention to details analytical thinking skills resourcefulness ingenuity project organization and management skills

Computer skills necessary to learn and use current RAR electronic systems and to adapt to new software programs as they are implemented

Experience with conflict management and the ability to deescalate difficult situations

Must be flexible resilient changeagile forwardthinking and motivated to succeed in client s mission

Duties/Responsibilities:

50% Direct supervision of the animal care supervisors

Supervise and direct the work of 57 animal care supervisors

Plan training/crosstraining of staff to ensure standard consistent operations across all RAR animal facilities

Ensure staff implement proper and consistent husbandry care for all species & areas within RAR

Create and maintain work schedules (including weekend/holidays) and work with team to cover work during employee absences

Provide performance feedback both immediate and at annual performance reviews.

Mentor employees to further career goals and support continued educational and certification opportunities

Ensure direct reports have the resources training and support needed to be effective supportive supervisors for their direct reports

Ensure all animal care billing is completed in a timely fashion

Investigate and resolve HR issues for labor represented employees

Determine appropriate staffing levels and communicate needs with Associate Director of Operations and comanager

Coordinate personnel resources in collaboration with comanager to cover needs of the department

Hiring manager for animal care supervisor positions as needed

25% Oversight/Management of Equipment and Facilities

Work with animal care supervisors to understand acute and longterm facility and equipment needs

Communicate needs with Assistant Director of Operations

Ensure animal care supervisors have the appropriate knowledge and training to ensure proper maintenance and minor repairs on equipment and in their facility as well as alerting the Facilities Maintenance team as appropriate

Develop and maintain a system for understanding and monitoring facility utilization including forecasts and investigator requests while ensuring that census activities and cage card management are conducted as timely and efficiently as possible

15% Project Management and Project Oversight

Lead husbandryrelated projects as assigned by supervisor

Collaborate with colleagues to drive initiatives forward from idea through implementation.

Ensure all husbandry working teams have the correct support

5% Develop and maintain cross unit communication and relationships within client

Maintain effective communication with the client Training Operations (Business and Animalrelated) and Veterinary Services teams

Identify improvement opportunities regarding communication and bring ideas to managers and senior leaders

Provide mentorship and resolve conflict professionally without the need for escalation

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

BA/BS degree plus at least 5 years of experience or a combination of related education and work experience to equal at least 9 years

Direct managerial experience of employees >2 year in duration

Preferred Qualifications:

Direct managerial experience with bargaining unit employees

Supervisory experience in the laboratory animal industry

ALAT or higher certification through AALAS

Handson experience working with multiple research animal species

Thorough understanding of cage wash and vivarium sanitation operations

Excellent communication skills and experience working in a university setting with diverse staff laboratory researchers and research models