Senior Animal Care Technician

Key Responsibilities

• Perform and oversee daily husbandry for research animals (rodents), including:
  • Cage changing, bedding and enrichment, feed and water provision
  • Room cleaning and rack/equipment sanitation according to SOPs.
• Perform routine animal observations and basic measurements as needed, including:
  • Weighing animals according to study or health-monitoring schedules.
  • Changing or providing special/experimental diets, medicated feed, and water treatments as directed by veterinary staff or study protocols.
• Conduct and review daily health and welfare checks; promptly escalate concerns (e.g., illness, injury, abnormal behavior, weight loss) to veterinary and supervisory staff.
• Maintain species-appropriate environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, lighting, enrichment) in accordance with institutional and regulatory standards.
• Absorb and coordinate animal receipt, identification, housing assignments, and transfers, ensuring proper acclimation and accurate records.
• Operate and perform routine care on cage-wash machines, autoclaves, and related equipment; report issues promptly and support facility readiness for inspections and audits.
• Adhere to biosafety and biosecurity procedures (PPE, traffic flow, barrier practices) to maintain a safe and compliant environment.

Colony Management (Breeding, Weaning & Genotyping)

• Plan, set up, and monitor rodent breeding schemes (pairs/trios) in alignment with requests and colony objectives.
• Perform timely weaning, sexing, and identification of pups; ensure appropriate group housing and minimize stress.
• Collect tissue samples for genotyping (e.g., ear punches, tail tips, or other IACUC-approved methods) following welfare-focused best practices.
• Carefully coordinate submission of genotyping samples to external vendors; ensure accurate sample labeling, documentation, and chain-of-custody.
• Record breeding events, litters, weaning, animal assignments, diet changes (if tracked), and genotyping results in colony management software (e.g., SoftMouse or similar platforms).
• Maintain accurate genotype and lineage records; reconcile discrepancies between expected and observed genotypes and communicate impacts on study timelines and colony plans.
• Support investigators in ensuring timely availability of correctly genotyped animals for experiments and in optimizing colony size to meet demand while minimizing surplus animals.

Documentation, Compliance & Health Monitoring

• Accurately document all relevant activities, including husbandry tasks, health observations, body weights, mortality, breeding events, diet changes, and environmental monitoring in designated paper or electronic systems.
• Support institutional health surveillance programs through appropriate sample handling and reporting.
• Follow IACUC-approved protocols, SOPs, and institutional guidelines for animal care, breeding, genotyping, diet changes, and handling; identify and report potential deviations.

Communication

• Communicate clearly and promptly with veterinary staff, Vivarium manager, and research personnel regarding animal health, body weight trends, colony status, diet changes, room conditions, and any operational issues or deviations.
• Collaborate with colleagues to coordinate daily and weekly work assignments, ensure adequate coverage, and maintain consistent standards across rooms and functional areas.

Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Biology, Laboratory Animal Science, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience).
• Minimum 6+ years of hands-on rodent vivarium experience in an industry setting (biotech, pharma, CRO, or other fast-paced, highly regulated research environment).
• Demonstrated proficiency with:
  • Daily husbandry, health monitoring, environmental checks, and weighing of animals.
  • Rodent breeding, weaning, and sexing.
  • Collection of samples for genotyping and management of resulting data.
  • Implementing and documenting special diets or medicated feed/water as directed.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and documentation skills, including electronic recordkeeping.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-based, SOP-driven environment, including participation in weekend/holiday rotations as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• AALAS certification (ALAT, LAT, or higher) or equivalent.
• Experience using colony management software such as SoftMouse, Mosaic, or similar tools for tracking breeding, genotyping, and animal use.
• Familiarity with AAALAC accreditation standards and IACUC processes.

Pay

The salary range for San Diego, CA: Senior Animal Care Technician: $76,800 - $98,400

Benefits

Details on benefits are not provided in the job posting.

Schedule

Details on schedule are not provided in the job posting.

Company Information

Altos Labs has been named one of the Top 3 Biotech Companies and ranked for the second year on the Forbes 2026 Best Startups in America list. At Altos, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We value collaboration and scientific excellence. We believe that a culture of belonging are foundational to scientific innovation and inquiry. At Altos Labs, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining an inclusive environment. Altos Labs provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Altos prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Note

Altos Labs will not ask you to download a messaging app for an interview or outlay your own money to get started as an employee. If this sounds like your interaction with people claiming to be with Altos, it is not legitimate and has nothing to do with Altos. Learn more about a common job scam at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-spot-avoid-online-job-scams-biron-clark/.

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