Sr. Animal Care Tech

Job Summary:

Utilizes advanced technical animal husbandry skills with respect to the care and management of multiple and/or specialized animal colonies, with minimal guidance. Ensures compliance with existing regulations. May provide training to personnel.

Position Shift:

• First Shift

View how Vanderbilt Health employees celebrate the difference they make every day:

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

* US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children's Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.

* Healthcare's Most Wired: Among the nation's 100 "most-wired" hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.

* Becker's Hospital Review: named as one of the "100 Great Hospitals in America", in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.

* The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children's hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.

* American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows

* Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.

* National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement

* Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6^th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.

Additional Key Elements/ Responsibilities:

• Participates in the cleaning and maintenance of animal quarters.
• Provides routine care of research animals. Performs daily checks for animal health and welfare and ensures adequate supply levels in animal quarters.
• Monitors and reports on environmental room and housing conditions.
• Recognizes and reports clinical abnormalities and/or irregularities in lab animals. Leads in knowing the variations among laboratory animals and modes of disease control.
• Euthanizes all species according to established regulations.
• Maintains accurate and prompt records in accordance with outlined procedures. Reports and assists in resolution of noncompliance.
• Trains staff and functions as a resource for operational and husbandry questions and minor problems.
• Ensures compliance with operating and regulatory requirements related to care of laboratory animals.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES:

COMMUNICATION (ADVANCED): Clearly, effectively and respectfully communicates to employees or customers.

CUSTOMER SERVICE (ADVANCED): A continuing focus on the needs and requirements of customers, anticipating their needs, remaining sensitive to customers while performing services for them, responsive to customer needs.

JUDGEMENT AND DECISION-MAKING (INTERMEDIATE):Able to make decisions effectively and accurately in an environment which may be fast-paced or changing. Considers a wide range of alternatives, including those which may fall outside of the scope of the task at hand, before making a decision.

PLANNING (INTERMEDIATE): Plans work to complete projects on time. Competently handles multiple assignments simultaneously. Able to be flexible to meet changing customer needs with minimal disruption and loss of productivity. Uses time efficiently.

ANIMAL CARE KNOWLEDGE (ADVANCED): Knowledgeable on the needs, treatment, and husbandry for different animal species. Able to ensure their welfare, nutrition, and safety.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE (INTERMEDIATE): Demonstrates knowledge of the appropriate rules and regulations and apply them in difficult, stressful and complex situations. Able to interpret and explain rules and regulations that are ambiguous or unclear. Directs others in interpreting rules and regulations on the job and trains others in them.

LABORATORY ANIMAL DISEASES (NOVICE): Knowledge of and experience with laboratory animal diseases, outbreaks, methods of spread, and methods of limiting disease.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Organizational Impact: Performs non-routine tasks that significantly impact team's performance with minimal guidance.
• Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Conducts research and analysis to solve some non-routine problems.
• Breadth of Knowledge: Applies broad job knowledge and has basic job skills in other areas.
• Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to less experienced team members.

CORE CAPABILITIES:

SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES:

• Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.
• Builds and Maintains Relationships : Seeks to understand colleagues' priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas.
• Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner.

DELIVERING EXCELLENT SERVICES:

• Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service.
• Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner.
• Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support.

ENSURING HIGH QUALITY:

• Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards .
• Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond.
• Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department.

MANAGING RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY:

• Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service.
• Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources.
• Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error.

FOSTERING INNOVATION:

• Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.
• Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action.
• Adapts to Change: Embraces change by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience) and 4 years relevant experience

Physical Requirements/Strengths needed & Physical Demands:

• • Medium Work category requiring exertion up to 50lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 20 of force frequently and/or up to 10 of force continually to move objects.

Movement

• • Occasional: Sitting: Remaining in seated position
  • Occasional: Lifting over 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects from one level to another, includes upward pulling over 35 lbs, with help of coworkers or assistive device
  • Occasional: Carrying over 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device.
  • Occasional: Climbing: Ascending or descending stairs/ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
  • Frequent: Carrying under 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device.
  • Frequent: Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward.
  • Frequent: Crawling:Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
  • Frequent: Kneeling:Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees.
  • Frequent: Crouching/Squatting: Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
  • Frequent: Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
  • Frequent: Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders.
  • Continuous: Standing: Remaining on one's feet without moving.
  • Continuous: Walking: Moving about on foot.
  • Continuous: Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another
  • Continuous: Bending/Stooping: Trunk bending downward and forward by bending spine at waist requiring full use of lower extremities and back muscles
  • Continuous: Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching or maneuvering self, patient and equipment simultaneously while working in large and small spaces
  • Continuous: Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hand or hands.
  • Continuous: Fingering: Picking, pinching, gripping, working primarily with fingers requiring fine manipulation.
  • Continuous: Bimanual Dexterity: Requiring the use of both hands.

Sensory

• • Occasional: Feeling: Ability to perceive size, shape, temperature, texture by touch with fingertips.
  • Occasional: Noise: May include exposure to occupational noise levels which equal or exceed an 8-hr time-weighted average of 85 decibels, requiring enrollment in VUMC's Hearing Conservation Program which includes training, use of hearing protection, and periodic audiometry.
  • Frequent: Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information.
  • Continuous: Auditory: Perceiving the variances of sounds, tones and pitches and able to focus on single source of auditory information
  • Continuous: Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision.
  • Continuous: Smell: Ability to detect and identify odors.

Environmental Conditions

• • Occasional: Pathogens: Risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other contagious illnesses.
  • Occasional: Radiation: May be exposed to occupational radiation, requiring enrollment in VUMC's Radiation Safety Program which includes training, use of personal protective equipment with lead shielding, and personal dose monitoring.
  • Occasional: Climate: Ability to withstand exposure to atmospheric extremes including heat, cold, humidity, and barometric pressure changes.

• • Frequent: Chemicals and Gasses: Medications, cleaning chemicals, oxygen, other medical gases used in work area.