Job Description

Position Overview

The Animal Support Unit in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is currently seeking 2 Recurring Part-time Animal Husbandry Care Attendant(s).

The primary purpose of this position is to provide routine animal husbandry care for the animals housed within the Veterinary Sciences Research Station, Clinical Skills Building and other facilities that are part of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Routine husbandry care consists primarily of feeding and watering animals, cleaning cages, minor technical procedures, administering of medications and general care of facilities. The position may be required to work with multiple species of animals, ranging from rodents to farm animals to wildlife.

Reporting to the Manager, Animal Support Unit.

Positions are located at the Spy Hill Campus.

These are Recurring Part-time Position. Recurring Part-time employees are hourly employees engaged to perform work on an irregular basis.

Majority of shifts are scheduled for weekends and potentially evenings.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Following CCAC and University guidelines to ensure that animals are in a fed, clean, and safe state
• Ensuring 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
• Providing 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
• Monitoring and assessing general animal health, and reports problems to the AHT or Veterinarian
• Providing basic treatment for animals under direction of the Veterinarian
• Administering oral medications and assist with other basic treatment activities
• Assisting in the development, preparation, and delivery of teaching activities and materials for the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Providing custodial duties to maintain facility sanitation procedures
• Responsible for operation and up-keep of equipment (e.g. laminar flow cabinets, ventilated caging systems, autoclave, bob cat, quad) under safety guidelines
• Receiving and setting 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
• Record keeping for a variety of tasks including identification/tagging of new animals, weaning and recording of as well as unscheduled deaths
• Working with chemicals safely and properly, e.g. dilutions, using appropriate containers and protective gear
• Responsible for keeping skills up-to-date and taking courses that will assist in personal and professional development
• Maintaining confidentiality and adhere to safety regulations at all times

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 SPCs, 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
• The Animal Husbandry Care Attendant must not have any known animal allergies that will interfere with their ability to perform the required tasks

Application Deadline: March 23, 2023

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.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Technical Job Family, Phase I.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our . For more information about the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine visit

COVIDSafe Campus Strategy

The University has implemented a new that requires all faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 1, 2022. You will be required to upload proof of vaccination prior to commencing your duties. Please review the for further information and access to additional resources.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada\'s leading next-generation university - a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation\'s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada\'s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit .

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide in line with the foundational goals of , 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.

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 professional success while they are here. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

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