Aux. Animal Care Technician

Job Title
Aux. Animal Care Technician

Job Category
BCGEU Okanagan Support Staff

Job Profile
BCGEU OK Hourly - Technician I

Job Family Group
Staff - Union

Department
UBCO | Shared Research Platforms | Biosciences Facility | Vice Principal Research Office

Compensation Range
$27.69 - $31.75 CAD Hourly

Job End Date
September 30, 2027

Posting End Date
October 29, 2026
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

This position is Casual on call.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful
pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our
commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to
UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Job Description Summary
This position is responsible for the daily maintenance and care of laboratory animals; this
includes cage changing, providing food and water, performing health checks, administering
medications as per written instructions and reporting any signs of ill-health. The cleaning of dirty
caging and the preparation of sterile caging is required. This position also includes the general
cleaning and maintenance of the facility, record keeping, and inventory. This position includes
ensuring ongoing awareness of facility environmental needs and making recommendations for
adjustments or changes to ensure ongoing operational proficiency.
Organizational Status
Works collaboratively with other technicians, faculty, and staff.
• Reports to the Team Lead for day-to-day activities. Formal reporting to the Manager,
Biosciences Facility.
• This position can expect to interact with a variety of people working with teaching and
research animals, including, but not limited to: technical and support staff, research
faculty, their staff, and students. This position may have contact with various UBC
departmental staff, as well as laboratory animal product distributors.
Work Performed
• Provides basic animal husbandry, handling, restraint, health, behavior and welfare
surveillance of laboratory animals, along with continuous awareness of current speciesspecific welfare issues.
• Performs health checks on various laboratory animals and recording observations.
• Records and maintains animal data.
• Provides animal husbandry; this includes providing food, water, clean housing, and
enrichment to animals, including changing animal cages and water bottles, operating a
cage dumping station, a cage washer, a bottle filler, and a pass-through sterilizer.
• Maintains the facility’s cleanliness and organization, including routine sweeping and
mopping of floors, as well as scheduled cleaning of rooms, vents, and cage racks.
• Maintains facility equipment as required on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.
• Provides medications to animals as per written instruction (such as eye drops, topical
antibiotics, oral medications in food or water).
• Assists with the collection of biological samples.
• Assists with anesthesia, surgical and other procedures, under direct supervision.
• Receives, collects and records inventory of animals, food, bedding, and other supplies,
repeatedly lifting up to 20kg.
• Participates in performing administrative operational functions including implementing
CCAC recommendations at the direction of the Facility Manager and helping facility to
meet CCAC standards/guidelines. Report any incomplete items for clarification or of
concern.
• Provides feedback on building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and
makes recommendations for adjustments.
• Responds to emergency calls as directed to by the manager.
• Assists with creating SOP’s by providing suggestions for changes and improvements
and identifying and communicating possible workflow improvements.
• Performs other related tasks as required.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
Inappropriate judgement exercised by the position may impact the success of the facility,
leading to increased expenses and time loss. Additionally, inappropriate judgement may also
have detrimental consequences in regard to animal and human health and welfare.
Supervision Received
The position works collaboratively with other technicians, faculty, students and staff. The
position reports to the Manager of UBCO Biosciences Facility Services UBC Okanagan.
Supervision Given
This position does not involve supervision, but the position involves reporting to the Team Lead
and/or Facility Operations Manager any observations of facility users not following approved
processes.
Qualifications
• Completion of Secondary School (Grade 12) or equivalent; up to 6 months of experience
or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Registered Lab Animal Technician (CALAS/AALAS) certification an asset;
• An Animal Health Technology degree is an asset.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s
own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills
related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Demonstrated ability in performing standard technical and related husbandry procedures
on common species of laboratory animals.
• Ability to operate and maintain the instrumentation and equipment utilized in the animal
facility.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment as well as independently. Effective
oral and written communication, interpersonal, organizational, problem solving and
computer skills.
• The position is physically demanding and involves heavy lifting (up to 20 kg). The
successful candidate would need to be capable of meeting the repetitive, physical
requirements of the job.