University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Employers By State in 2021.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the University of Pennsylvania. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the University. For more information about Penn’s vaccine requirements, visit the Penn COVID-19 Response website for the latest information.

Posted Job Title

Lead, Animal Husbandry & Facilities (Gene Therapy Program)

Job Profile Title

Supervisor, Animal Laboratory

Job Description Summary

Provides supervision of the daily husbandry in the animal facility including but not limited to the scheduling of work duties, ; supervision of work production and providing the husbandry with daily direction. Utilizing the quality performance worksheets the facility supervisor will review and perform quality assessments of husbandry personnel work performance throughout the facility. Interfaces with husbandry and investigator personnel to troubleshoot problems, issues and customer service concerns of a routine nature.

Job Description

Consisting of four satellite facilities totaling ~150,000 net square feet of animal housing and support space; and a daily census of up to 40,000 animals, the Laboratory Animal Supervisor will assist Facility Mangers with execution of husbandry and care activities for a multisite animal care and use program managed by the Gene Therapy Program (GTP). The Lead, Animal Husbandry & Facilities may also support non-GTP cage wash operations as directed by the Facility Manager.

The successful candidate is expected to perform his/her duties as assigned. Key Responsibilities will include:
- Lead and manage animal inventory and census tracking for four satellite facilities using Penn’s Online Laboratory Animal Resources Information System (POLARIS)
- Develop and communicate work schedules and lead animal care technicians to perform daily husbandry and care activities including cage changes; cage sanitation; providing feed and water to animals; completion of daily animal health checks and reporting abnormal conditions to veterinary staff and manager
-Interface with research staff and University Laboratory Animal Resource personnel regarding equipment needs and research requests
- Facilitate packing and shipping of animals between satellite facilities
- Ensure timely and accurate completion of facility records, including but not limited to animal room and environment forms; equipment sterilization logs; animal receipt and disposition logs (hard copy or computer generated records may be required)
- Set schedules to sanitize animal facility and assigned rooms according to GTP Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
-Assist with receipt, stocking and maintenance of all supply inventories related to animal husbandry.
-Execute environmental and microbial monitoring programs per standard operating procedures (i.e., cage sanitation; autoclave validation; water quality monitoring)
- May be asked to deploy and assist in husbandry and technical support duties within rodent and large animal research programs across satellite locations
-Train research and technical staff in husbandry practices and POLARIS functions (i.e., cage card orders; scanning cage cards, etc.)
-Follow, review, and author standard operating procedures related to animal care and use and Good Laboratory Practice compliance

The Lead, Animal Husbandry & Facilities role is an hourly position based at the Discovery Labs location (King of Prussia, PA); however, travel between satellite facilities may be required (up to 30 miles per trip) to support physical plant activities.

The Lead, Animal Husbandry & Facilities is considered to be essential personnel and will be required to come to work during an emergency and with scheduled or unscheduled University closures to ensure essential duties of the animal care and use program are completed. Weekend and overtime work may also be required.

Qualifications

• High School Grad/GE Degree and 5 to 7 years of animal husbandry or relevant animal care work experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required.

• Bachelor's Degree in Biological Science or other related field and 5 to 7 years of experience preferred.

• Graduation from a veterinary technical program preferred.

• 1 year of laboratory animal experience and certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) as an Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) preferred.

• 2 years of animal husbandry or related animal care experience required.

• 1 to 2 years of supervisory experience preferred OR completion of supervisor training within one year of hire required.

• Previous experience working with infectious agents (ABSL/BSL-2) required.

• Requires a working knowledge of basic computer skills (POLARIS; word processing, spreadsheets, and other related software).

• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.

• Must have the ability to work with nonhuman primates and other laboratory animal species without jeopardizing biosecurity.

• Provide assurance regarding deployment to satellite facilities as needed and directed.

• May be required to operate facility vehicle.

• Experience in working in ABSL 2 facilities. Ability to perform job duties while wearing respiratory protection may be required.

• Certification by American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (at any level) is preferred. Certification at ALAT required within one year of employment.

• On call 24h/7 days per week for emergencies.

Job Location - City, State

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$20.45 - $30.82

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay