Job Description

Description

The

Animal Support Unity

in the

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

is currently seeking a Recurring Part-time

Animal Husbandry Attendant

.


Reporting to the Manager Animal Support Unit (ASU), the part-time Animal Husbandry Care Attendant provides routine, weekends-based, husbandry care of the teaching and research animals housed at the Veterinary Sciences Research Station, the Clinical Skills Building, and at other facilities that are part of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (e.g. Wildlife Research Station).


The Animal Husbandry Care Attendant works as a member of the ASU team, or independently, as required. The position is physically demanding (heavy lifting and long periods of standing are required), and requires attention to detail and maintenance of confidentiality.


At a minimum, this part-time position will work each weekend (7.0 hours on Saturday and 7.0 hours on Sunday) as well as a further 7.0 hours (potentially split between Fridays and Mondays, but flexible depending on ASU workloads and staff schedules). Additional shifts are possible, but would be variable, and dependent upon timing of staff vacations, timing of leave coverage, and the availability of the incumbent.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

(job functions include but are not limited to):

The Animal Husbandry Care Attendant follows CCAC and University guidelines to ensure that animals are in a fed, clean, and safe state Judgment is required when monitoring changes in animal behaviour and when seeking problem-solving assistance May refer matters to the AHT or Veterinarian The position also ensures that facilities are clean and safe, and that faculty, students, staff, and other users are safe from physical or other harm caused by the teaching and research animals Provides animal husbandry care for all species of laboratory animals used in research, which includes feeding, watering and changing cages following strict safety guidelines for prevention of exposure to disease Monitors and assesses general animal health, and reports problems to the AHT or Veterinarian Provides basic treatment for animals under direction of the Veterinarian May be required to administer oral medications and assist with other basic treatment activities May be required to assist in the development, preparation, and delivery of teaching activities and materials for the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Provides custodial duties to maintain facility sanitation procedures Interacts with facility users in a pleasant and respectful manner Ensures at all times that work complies with animal, facility and good laboratory standards Keeps supervisor informed of activities and seeks problem solving assistance where required, as well as bringing forward suggestions for more efficient operation of the facility Responsible for operation and up-keep of equipment (e.g. laminar flow cabinets, ventilated caging systems, autoclave, bob cat, quad) under safety guidelines Receive and set up incoming animals; responsible for shipping animals, supplies, or any other required materials to other locations as directed by the operations manager or other designated individuals May be required to assist with ordering and maintenance of animals, and other supplies required for the facility Record keeping is required for a variety of tasks including identification/tagging of new animals, weaning and recording of as well as unscheduled deaths Work with chemicals safely and properly, e.g. dilutions, using appropriate containers and protective gear

Qualifications / Requirements:

Evidence of an ability to work with animals (coming from previous relevant training programs or previous work experience) is required Past animal husbandry care experience in a research or other relevant scientific / institutional setting, and with a variety of species, is considered an asset. Relevant experience in a research / scientific / institutional setting includes veterinary clinics and university / research animal care facilities Past animal husbandry care experience in non-research facilities may be considered in the absence of the above noted qualifications. These non-research facilities include SPCAs, other animal care organization, zoos, and farm hand experience The Animal Husbandry Care Attendant must be organized, responsible, and able to work independently Demonstrated ability to function as a productive team member is also necessary The position requires fluency in written and oral English, strong communication skills to facilitate interaction with facilities users, and good attention to detail to ensure standard operating procedures are followed Must not have any known animal allergies that will interfere with their ability to perform the required tasks

Application Deadline:

June 30, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.


This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the

X Job Family, Phase 1.


For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our

Management and Staff Careers website

.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.


The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (

equity@ucalgary.ca

) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (

hrhire@ucalgary.ca

).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.