High School diploma or equivalent; higher education desirable. Minimum 3 years' experience working in an animal test facility. Basic knowledge of animal husbandry, health and welfare for the specific species at the facility is required. Ability to perform physical work, i.e., lifting 50 pounds. Good verbal and written communication skills. Ability to maintain basic records. Additional Information Immunizations & routine blood sampling may be required to ensure human safety while working with zoonotic agents. Actual protocol may vary by site. Involves 365 days per year of animal work and responsibility. Involves routine indoor/outdoor exposure on a daily basis, travel from facility to facility, on-call status for animal care, and involves flexible work week and/or overtime.
Notes:
Hiring need: Two contract animal-care/research positions—one based in DeSoto, Kansas, and one in Williamsburg, Kansas.
Core work:
The work involves handling and caring for large animals, cleaning facilities, collecting tissue samples, and potentially supporting necropsies. The team is seeking applicants from the surrounding area with agricultural experience and proven hands-on work with large animals, especially cattle, pigs, or horses. Prior large-animal experience is strongly preferred because the team can train technical tasks but needs workers who are already comfortable handling large, potentially dangerous animals.
Schedule:
Usually Monday-Friday, approximately 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., but flexibility is essential for early starts, overtime, weekends/holidays, and occasional long days.
Mobility:
Contractor may travel or switch between the two sites based on workload; the requisition will indicate about 10% travel.
Requirements :
Hands-on experience handling large animals , especially horses, cattle, pigs, or calves. Agricultural, ranch, farm, livestock, equine, rodeo, veterinary, or animal-science backgrounds Comfort with physically demanding and messy work, including animal washing, feeding, cleaning stalls/pens, and manure removal Experience collecting tissue or biological samples; necropsy exposure is valuable Confidence working around large and potentially dangerous animals Schedule flexibility for: Monday-Friday shifts, typically around 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Occasional early startsWeekend and holiday rotationOccasional extended shifts and overtime Ability to travel between De Soto and Williamsburg , with the understanding that the home site may change according to business demand
Summary Of Position:
Basic animal husbandry, observation of animals, record keeping, and assisting with some technical procedures, in addition to cleaning and servicing of animal units.
Responsibilities:
Provide basic animal husbandry, i.e., feed, water, care, sanitation, socialization. Observations of test animals for adverse reactions. Cleaning and disinfection of animal units after an experiment is conducted. This includes initial cleaning, disinfecting, changing filters and fumigation of the units. Support AS and R&D personnel by assisting with technical procedures on animals, i.e., bleeding, restraining and inoculation. This includes collection of blood, nasal swabs and fecal sampling. Euthanasia of animals for collection of tissue by Attending Veterinarian and/or Project Leaders. Necropsy of animals for project leaders to evaluate lesions, tissue samples and disease. Keep accurate records on animals involved in studies. Contact Attending Veterinarian, Manager or Supervisor if animals show abnormal behavior. Review animal protocol studies within two weeks prior to initiation of the animal studies. Stock animal rooms, identify animals, i.e., tagging, placement of animals in proper facility.
