Senior Animal Technical Officer

• UQ Biological Resources

• Join a university ranked in the world’s top 50

• Be part of an organisation with a meaningful purpose and impact

• Culture committed to excellence and innovation

• Based at TRI location

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave

• 17% superannuation contributions

• 17.5% annual leave loading

• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family

• On campus childcare options

• Cheap parking (from just $5.75 a day)

• Salary packaging options

About This Opportunity 

Reporting to the Senior Animal Facility Manager, and working under general supervision, the Animal Technical Officer delivers high-level and high-quality oversight, welfare, husbandry, technical support and breeding stock performance outcomes in support of the research coordinator.

This role is located at the TRI.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Upholding welfare standards and providing care and husbandry to laboratory animals

• Perform and provide training in colony health monitoring and management services, including performing basic necropsies, collection and shipping of samples/sentinel animals and selection of tests

• Supervise and where applicable participate in cleaning, general upkeep and biosecurity maintenance of animal holding and central areas

• Maintaining facility equipment in accordance with the facility schedule

• Review animal ethics applications and provide feedback to supervisors to ensure proposed practices meet the relevant requirements

• Perform basic animal procedures as a cost recovered service to researchers

• Prepare, administer and dispense (in accordance with current regulatory requirements) restricted drugs for use with animals for research purposes

• Supervise staff as required, in consultation with supervisors/managers

• Assist in liaising with researchers and rostering of tasks and services, in consultation with supervisors

This is a full-time, Maternity leave cover, fixed-term position for up to 1 year.

At HEW level 5, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $75,878.89 – $84,342.92, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $88,778.30 – $98,681.22 annually. As this role is covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases – at least once a year.

About You  

• Completion of a degree in animal science; or Diploma; or Certificate III level qualification in the animal technology industry or other related fields; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training which includes a minimum of 2 years’ subsequent experience working in laboratory animal facilities

• Demonstrated experience in managing complex Genetically Modified rodent production and colony management.

• Demonstrated experience in basic animal surgical procedures such as animal identification, substance delivery (IP, IV, SC, IM, oral gavage and intranasal) and collection of samples (such as blood or tissues)..

• Demonstrated experience in supervising and training staff.

• Demonstrated experience in planning and performing experiments.

• Demonstrated clear and professional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to advise research and animal facility staff by email, phone or in-person and the ability to present information and written reports.

• Demonstrated understanding of the relevant regulatory requirements in regards to Animal Ethics, Biosafety, Biosecurity and Occupational Health and Safety.

Desirable

• Demonstrated experience in performing assisted reproductive technologies.

• Demonstrated experience in performing intermediate animal procedures such as injectable/gaseous anaesthesia, SC implants and tissue harvests

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

• Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment. 

• Mandatory Immunisations: It is a condition of employment for this role that you will be required to provide evidence of immunisation against certain vaccine preventable diseases.

• Medical Clearance: It is a condition of employment for this role you complete a satisfactory medical clearance(s), including disclosure of relevant medical history, to undertake such work without unreasonable risk to your health and safety. Additionally, you are required to fully comply with necessary ongoing health monitoring procedures and control measures.

 
Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Tanya Lennane (Senior Manager, Research Facilities and Infrastructure) at [email protected] . For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 
 

Want to Apply? 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• A separate document addressing the ‘About You’ section 

Other Information 

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion .  We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity , LGBTQIA+ , cultural and/or linguistic , Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples , or people with a disability . Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected] .

If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.

Applications close 01/02/2024 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number – R-34499).