Facility Animal Care Manager - New York State Psychiatry Institute

Job Title: Facility Animal Care Manger

Grade: 29

Salary: $112,451 -$133,975

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Facility Animal Care Manager in the Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) of the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) reporting to DCM Director/NYSPI Attending Veterinarian. DCM is responsible for the health and welfare of all laboratory animals studied at NYSPI. DCM provides animal husbandry, veterinary medical and surgical care, and services to NYSPI's laboratory animals, as well as training to investigators and their research staff. NYSPI is committed to maintaining policies and procedures to assure NYSPI's compliance with laws, rules, and regulations of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), at the National Institutes of Health, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the American Association of Animal Care International (AAALACI).

A central aspect of this role is a liaison between multiple research teams and NYSPI administration to ensure animal welfare. The Facility Animal Care Manager position requires excellent oral and written communication, organizational and management skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with administrators, faculty, and staff. This position is eligible for an annual performance-based bonus.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Directs and manages the animal care operations of DCM's rodents and non-human primates under the supervision of the DCM Director/NYSPI Attending Veterinarian.
• Oversees animal care operations, inventories of equipment and supplies, and animal procurement.
• Supervises DCM's floor supervisors and animal care technicians. Assists the DCM Director/NYSPI Attending Veterinarian in evaluations of staff performance, provides ongoing staff mentoring and counselling. Provides training on handling, husbandry, and sanitation to the animal care staff.
• Assists the DCM Director/NYSPI Attending Veterinarian with planning and oversight of construction and renovations.
• Coordinates and oversees security, emergencies, and infection control with NYSPI's Security, Safety Engineering, and Infection Control offices.
• Apprises the DCM Director/NYSPI Attending Veterinarian of investigators and staff's concerns. Implements changes as required and monitors effective solutions.
• Develops and oversees DCM's budget, maintains financial accountability of DCM's budget - its expenses, incomes, and capital purchases.
• Provides regular reports of animal populations and other colony related data.
• Monitors animal husbandry procedures to ensure they meet animal welfare laws, rules, and regulations.
• Interfaces with the offices of Environmental Health & Safety and Occupational Health.
• Assists the DCM Director/NYSPI Attending Veterinarian in developing and implementing policies and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance and quality service.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, a collegial attitude, and ability to successfully work with faculty, staff, and trainees.

 Minimum Qualifications:

• Associate or bachelor's degree
• Seven (7) years of experience in laboratory operations
• Four (4) years of supervisory experience
• Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree.
• Certification by AALAS at the Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR) level.
• 1 year experience with Administrative/regulatory software systems.
• 1 year experience implementing acquisition/reporting software in close cooperation with an IT team.
• Knowledge of inventory assessment systems involving RFID/QR/Barcode technology.
• Knowledge of and expertise with in vivo techniques for research.

Work Location: 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032

To Apply: Submit an application through our website at https://nyspi.applicantpro.com/jobs/. Please note only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

The Mission of the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. RFMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, RFMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring that RFMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. RFMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

The Research Foundation is a private not-for-profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. Excellent Benefits Package. Employer/Minority/Women/Disabled/Veteran Employer. VEVRAA 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) compliant.