Job Details

ULAR Diagnostic Services Technician

Position Number: 6119955
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Position Type: Agriculture - Veterinary Medicine

ULAR Diagnostic Services Technician

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
ULAR Diagnostic Services Technician

Job Profile Title
Technician, Veterinary Senior

Job Description Summary
This job entails a variety of support activities to monitor the health of rodents in the University of Pennsylvania colonies. The incumbent's primary responsibilities will be to assist the Rodent Quarantine Coordinator and to assist the Rodent Export Coordinator. The incumbent will also service the rodent quarantine facility when the Rodent Quarantine Coordinator is not on campus, and will process rodent export requests when the Rodent Export Coordinator is not on campus. In addition. the incumbent will help with the pre-scheduled testing of sentinel rodents, as well as investigations of outbreaks of infectious diseases; this will involve both hands-on specimen (blood, fur, cecal & colon contents) collection, shipping samples to an outside testing laboratory, and laboratory testing of serum samples for viral antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA).

Prior experience in rodent husbandry, handling, fur plucking, bleeding, and tissue collection is required. Past "wet" laboratory experience is not required, but is preferred. The job also requires computer skills: e-mail communications, and moderate expertise in Microsoft Excel and Word. Experience with Microsoft PowerPoint is not essential but is preferred. The incumbent must demonstrate a desire to acquire the preferred skills, if not previously acquired. In addition to technical skills, work sites are located at substantial distances from each other (approx. 1 sq. mi.), so ability to walk long distances is essential, and the ability to lift approximately 30 lbs is required.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Assist with rodent export requests. Complete tasks assigned by the Rodent Export Coordinator. Ensure the appropriate cages are marked for an export. Follow SOP for packing rodents for domestic and international shipments. Collect and ship samples for additional testing when requested. This duty requires the ability to lift approximately 30 lbs.
Assist with maintaining laboratory mice or rats in the Rodent Quarantine Facility. Complete tasks requested by the Rodent Quarantine Technician. Follow SOP for placing animals / materials in flexible front isolators and removing items from the isolators. Send approvals to non-approved sources, receive rodents from non-approved sources, and collect and ship samples for infectious disease testing. Scan quarantine cages. Release rodents when approved to do so. Assist with monitoring the supply inventory for the quarantine facility. Change isolator gloves as needed.
Assist with rodent sentinel monitoring program. Perform submandibular and/or cardiac bleeding from mouse and rat sentinels, pelt checks for ectoparasites, cecal exams and tape tests for endoparasites, collect fecal samples for endoparasite testing, process blood samples for in-house testing or shipping to contract laboratory, and ship whole animals to outside diagnostic testing facility. Collect both blood and other tissue samples from live animals to assist with infectious disease investigations in rodent colonies. Collect contact media from sentinel-free-soiled-bedding monitoring systems, and ship to outside testing facility.
Assist health monitoring program. Process blood samples (centrifugation and diluting), logging in samples, and performing serologic tests (ELISA, IFA) for quarterly testing of soiled bedding sentinel rodents.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

An Associate's degree and 1 to 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required; Bachelor's preferred.
Strong organizational skills.
Effective oral and written communication with peers and supervisor.
Computer skills (Word & Excel required, PowerPoint desirable).

Application Requirement

A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Provost's Center

Pay Range
$22.36 - $27.58 Hourly Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Veterinary-School/ULAR-Diagnostic-Services-Technician_JR00104711