Professional Aide
About the Role
This is a temporary or on-call position providing professional support in a joint animal technician role for the Heath-Heckman and Braasch Labs at Michigan State University. The position is split equally between caring for the Heath-Heckman Lab bobtail squid facility and the Braasch Lab Ancient Fish Facility.
Term: Temporary employees can work two (2) nine (9) month terms with a one-week break in service in between. After the second term, they must terminate for three (3) months or switch to an on-call status. On-call employees are allowed to work up to 1,039 hours in any twelve (12) month period.
Responsibilities
- Aquarium and equipment maintenance
- Animal care and welfare checks
- Water chemistry measurement and maintenance
- Record keeping
- Facility organization and cleaning
- Oversight of facility users
- Instruction of undergraduate facility assistants
- Liaison to IACUC and EHS
Requirements
- Previous experience with salt and freshwater aquarium maintenance and aquatic animal care
- Access to a personal vehicle
Qualifications
- Experience with fish care
- Experience with cephalopod care
- Experience with custom aquatic systems
- M.S. degree in biology or related fields (desired)
Physical Demands
- Routinely lift and handle boxes of instant ocean weighing about 60 lbs
- Lift 5-gallon buckets of water weighing about 45 lbs
- Handle boxes of shipped fish and shrimp weighing about 30 lbs
Work Hours
Standard 8 AM – 5 PM schedule.
For questions regarding the position, contact Dr. Elizabeth Heath-Heckman (each@msu.edu) and Dr. Ingo Braasch (braasch@msu.edu).