Animal Care Technician (ACE)

Job Description

This position involves caring for animals in the Animal Care for Education (ACE) program at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. The Animal Care for Education (ACE) team provides exceptional husbandry medical care and enrichment to the non-client owned animals used in the veterinary colleges veterinary teaching program.

Husbandry & Enrichment-
The care and wellbeing of the animals is the primary focus of this job. The position also assists with implementing veterinary instruction including providing technical support and instruction for students while in animal care areas. Duties include cleaning grooming feeding watering and general husbandry for all animals in the program (primarily farm animals with potential for some dogs and cats). The position also involves utilization and tracking of supply and equipment needs in support of the animal care. This may include transportation of animals by trailer driving a tractor mower or skid steer (prior experience with these skills is not required training can be provided). Tracking supply needs identifying equipment and facility dysfunctions and reporting to a supervisor for ordering and repair will be required.

Medical Care-
Animal observation and reporting on the health of animals exercising judgment in monitoring animals or seeking veterinary consultation when needed for animals maintained within the ACE is a key feature of the required work. This position can include involvement with medical interventions such as administration of medications or sterile fluids to animals collecting blood and tissue samples processing biological samples for diagnostic purposes preventive health programs anesthesia and euthanasia. This position does include an on-call component as well as some afterhours weekends and holidays.

Standards of Care-
All work is performed in alignment with accreditation standards of the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) and the USDA. This is a detail-oriented work intended to provide the best care possible to the animals. These standards require maintaining and documenting quality control for sterilization equipment processes and records. The work requires strict adherence to protocols that prevent the accidental introduction of disease. Mistakes in judgment and imprecise conduct of duties may have far-reaching impacts including impacts on animal wellbeing as well as financial and professional impacts on teaching.

Required Qualifications

Bachelors degree in animal science biology or related field or equivalent training and experience; previous experience handling restraining and providing basic veterinary care to animals especially horses cows pigs dogs cats and sheep; previous experience in animal husbandry; knowledge of health care procedures for animals; excellent organizational time management and communication skills; ability to independently prioritize and order assigned daily tasks; demonstrated ability to work flexibly with team members to accomplish department goals; demonstrated ability to recognize abnormal behavior and clinical signs in animals generate a basic rule out list for common disorders and determine when a veterinarian should be consulted. Rabies prophylaxis will be required (provided by employer).

Preferred Qualifications

Ability to drive a truck and trailer

Pay Band

3

Overtime Status

Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

Hours per week

40

Review Date

May 262026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its mottoUt Prosim(That I May Serve) Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world Virginia Tech is aninclusive communitydedicated to knowledge discovery and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36000 undergraduate graduate and professional students in eightundergraduate colleges aschool of medicine aveterinary medicinecollegeGraduate School andHonors College.The university has a significant presence across Virginia including Blacksburg the greater Washington D.C. area the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke sites in Newport News and Richmond and numerousExtension officesandresearch institutes.A leading global research institution Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

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