Behavioral Associate - Veterinary Services

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 seeking an experienced Behavioral Associate for our Veterinary Services Team at our site located in Mattawan, MI.

A Behavioral Associate is responsible for: providing behavioral assessments, treatments, care, and well-being compliance, as determined by staff veterinarians, and assisting the veterinary staff in animal behavioral treatments of all laboratory animals in accordance with: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) policies, animal welfare standards and regulations by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Public Health Service – Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (PSH-OLAW). The individual in this role will mentor other technicians and assist with training when needed, as well as participate in, and lead, projects. The Behavioral Specialist supports the evaluation of a test article by performing assigned technical and administrative functions within the guidelines/requirements outlined in a protocol or Standard Operation Procedure (SOP).

Essential Functions (The fundamental Duties & Responsibilities of the role (products and services provided/results accomplished) include, but are not limited to, those listed:

• Perform animal well-being and behavioral assessments without supervision, consults on treatment plans, and administers treatments and enrichment, as directed by veterinary staff and in consultation with the Behavioral Specialist.
• Collect and documents animal physical and behavioral health data; performs final reviews and audits of departmental data and notifies appropriate management regarding any deviations.
• Management and veterinarians are satisfied that veterinary-related functions as stated in protocols and SOPs are executed effectively, accurately, and with care for wellbeing of the animals.
• Colleague and internal/external customers report that they are kept informed and updated about animals on behavioral consults and that communications are respectful and effective.
• Management observes that data is documented accurately and reviewed in a timely manner.
• Goals and objectives as defined in prior year’s performance review, as applicable.
• Other duties as assigned.

*The pay range for this position is $22-25/hr. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

Job Qualifications

Qualifications for the Behavioral Associate position include, but are not limited to:

• HS/GED/ Bachelor’s degree with 0-2 years of previous relevant experience; contract research organization experience preferred.
• Previous experience working with animals in the behavioral field is required.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing at all levels inside and outside the organization.
• Basic familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Computer skills, commensurate with Essential Functions, including the ability to learn a validated system.
• 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 is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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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