Job Description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

We are looking for a Veterinary Assistant for our Veterinary Services team at our Mattawan, MI site.

A Veterinary Assistant is in training to learn basic skills, which includes animal handling/restraint, housing maintenance and feeding procedures, collecting data, observing the animals for health status, administering treatments by various methods, and developing treatment plans. The individual in this role works under close supervision while gaining proficiency.

The pay range for this position is $21.50 - $23.00/hr USD. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure good welfare and humane care for all animals worked with through gentle, positive human-animal interactions.
• Perform basic skills of the department which may include animal handling/restraint, housing maintenance, and feeding procedures, collecting data, observing the animals for health status, calculating dosages, administering treatments by various methods, recommending treatment plans, directing, and conducting euthanasia, collecting biological specimens for analysis.
• Collect, document, review, and verify data on forms, or in electronic data capture systems.
• Review documentation of functions performed as part of quality control requirements.
• Use and maintain applicable instrumentation and equipment.
• Train on basic veterinary medical examinations, assessments, and treatments; begin to work closely with trainer(s) or veterinarians on case management for more advanced cases.
• Work closely with trainer(s) or veterinarians on case management for more advanced cases.
• Assist co-workers and veterinarians with protocol or SOP driven physical examinations and/or neurological examinations.
• Complete Sedation Recovering Monitoring and Emergency Response Capabilities training and perform skills under supervision of experienced staff.

Job Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.) required. Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) or equivalent in a biological science, preferred.
• Experience: At least six months of relevant experience.
• Certification/Licensure: None.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality results consistently and effectively, interpret protocol requirements, troubleshoot quality issues, and record accurate study and departmental data.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing at all levels inside and outside the organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities to achieve goals. Computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite), commensurate with Essential Duties and. Responsibilities, including the ability to learn a validated system.
• Ability to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained by observing all safety procedures and working methods by making proper use of protective clothing and equipment, and by reading, understanding, and following all safety documents issued or notified of.
• Ability to ensure the integrity of the studies and fulfill the regulatory agencies requirements by performing the activities according to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Business Operating Procedures (BOP) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) rules.
• Ability to work extended hours beyond normal work schedule to include, but not limited to evenings, weekends, extended shifts, and/or extra shifts, sometimes on short notice.
• Ability to work under specific time constraints.

About Safety Assessment
Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River Laboratories is an Equal Opportunity Employer - all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to [email protected]. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

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