Veterinary Technician / Surgical Technician

Are you looking to take your career to new heights with a leader in healthcare? SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is one of the nation's leading metropolitan medical centers. As the only academic medical center in Brooklyn, we serve a large population that is among the most diverse in the world. We are also highly-ranked by Castle Connolly Medical, a healthcare rating company for consumers, among the top 5 leading U.S. medical schools for training doctors.

Bargaining Unit:

UUP

Job Summary:

The Division of Comparative Medicine at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is seeking a full-time Veterinary Technician/Surgical Technician.

This position reports to the Veterinary Technician Supervisor in the Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) but will also take clinical direction from the facility Veterinarian as necessary.  The position requires strong communication and analysis skills. The role's primary responsibility will be to care for a variety of animals housed at DCM. Key responsibilities include:

• Morning and afternoon daily rounds of assigned rooms in the vivarium to assess and document their health status; identifying animals exhibiting signs of psychological stress;
• Regular communication with Principal Investigators and their staff as well as other DCM staff about non-compliance issues discovered on rounds like sick or dead animals and any other issues that violate DCM policies and procedures, as well as to brainstorm strategies for treating animals displaying concerning or abnormal behaviors.
• All health cases must be entered into Share Point; create & maintain a variety of official records that will be used to demonstrate compliance for various oversight bodies and should be kept in accordance with SUNY Downstate's record retention policy.
• Administer treatments prescribed by facility veterinarian as well as any necessary follow-up care, routine collection of biological tissues samples, performing diagnostic tests and physical examination to maintain compliance with state and federal laws and while animals are in quarantine or semi-annual testing.
• Take the lead in surgeries and/or active participation at all surgical levels pre, peri and postoperative with an emphasis on primates, swine and rabbits; prepare and autoclave surgical packs, provide in-depth anesthesia monitoring, including constant rate infusions for large animal species.
• Transfer and/or administer controlled substances; clean/maintain equipment in working order along with veterinary supplies inventory & stock.
• Implement and document IACUC-approved exemptions from enrichment or social housing; as assigned, provide enrichment to animals.
• Assist Veterinary Service Manager in rodent health surveillance program.
• Animal census management and review including working with Principal Investigators and their staff to correct animal census records in the DCM Database.
• As assigned, teach, demonstrate and train scientists, technicians, students, and others in the proper, humane, and safe methodologies in using animals (large or small).
• Training should be provided on a regular and frequent basis so as not to delay research protocol progress and/or IACUC approvals. Liaise with the IACUC to provide USDA required documentation of enrichment and behavioral monitoring.
• Procedural, technical and/or vet supply charges must be entered into DCM database.
• Work with Investigators/lab personnel to improve animal surgical maintenance/ procedures and recovery.
• Provide excellent customer service to Principal Investigators and their Research Laboratory staff.
• Be flexible and able to adapt to a dynamic work environment as well as be a dependable teammate, working with other DCM staff to provide the best animal care possible.
• Assist in the writing, revising and editing of SOPs as needed.
• Duties may require lifting heavy animals.
• Occasional weekend/evening and on call rotations required & acts as alternate for colleagues in their absence.
• Various other duties may also be assigned based on departmental needs.

Required Qualifications:

• 3 or more years of experience as a Veterinary Technician, with at least two of those years in a hands-on role in an animal research facility working with all species including taking the lead in surgery.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, Outlook, and the ability to learn various Department of Comparative Medicine databases for documentation.
• Knowledge of the most recent editions of the Guide for Care and Use of Lab Animals, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), and Good Laboratory Practice are essential.
• Flexibility to adapt to the dynamic work environment whose census and species type may change at any time. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preferred Associate Degree of Veterinary Technology with New York State Veterinary Technician license and/or LATG, plus in-depth knowledge of standard laboratory procedures and techniques;
  • OR a high school diploma/equivalency, plus 3-years of laboratory animal science experience;
  • OR an AA/AS Degree, plus 2-years of laboratory animal science experience;
  • OR high school diploma/equivalency, plus laboratory animal science certification, with 1-year laboratory animal science experience preferably with surgical experience in large animals.

Work Schedule:

Monday to Friday; 8:00am to 4:00pm

Salary Grade/Rank:

Salary Range:

Commensurate with experience and qualifications

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:

  An approved COVID-19 vaccination.

Executive Order:

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation.  If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction, and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.

Women, minorities, veterans, individuals with disabilities and members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact Human Resources at ada@downstate.edu