Director, Research Animal Welfare

About the position The Director, Research Animal Welfare works at the System level to provide veterinary services for multiple members. The Director will provide and coordinate veterinary oversight for research animal programs at multiple members, ensuring high standards of animal health and welfare. As a participant in member research animal programs, they shall serve on Institutional Animal Care & Use and Institutional Biosafety Committees (IACUCs and IBCs) for System members.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the attending veterinarian (AV) for multiple System members.
• Provide veterinary oversight for animal care and use programs across multiple members.
• Deliver clinical veterinary services, including diagnostics, treatments, preventative care, and emergency care for research animals as needed, will include the coordination of such care with other veterinarians.
• Supervise other veterinarians as required.
• Develop, review, and implement animal care and use programs consistent with relevant requirements (USDA, NIH, AAALAC, ACURO, etc.)
• Write, review, or assist with the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidelines, or other institutional policies related to animal care and use
• Communicate regularly with System member Institutional Officials (IO) and IACUC leadership
• Serve as the veterinary member of multiple System member IACUCs.
• Provide expert veterinary consultation during IACUC protocol review.
• Participate in committee meetings including semi-annual facility inspections and program reviews.
• Provide IACUC member training.
• Participate in compliance reviews and work with System member leadership to resolve veterinary concerns.
• Ensure System member institutional compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Assist System members in preparation for and response to regulatory inspections and accreditation reviews.
• Support corrective action plans as identified by the IACUC and System member leadership.
• Support the oversight of research with animals involving biohazards by serving on System member IBCs or providing consultative services where applicable.
• Provide consultative support to researchers.
• Contribute to training programs for researchers.
• Coordinate veterinary oversight and practices across multiple System members to promote consistency while maintaining appropriate local operational differences.
• Serve as a liaison among System members to share best practices, address emerging issues, and support programmatic improvement.
• Work with the System Research Compliance Office to support all members through providing guidance and training on a variety of research compliance focused topics.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Veterinary medical degree from an AVMA accredited school.
• Ten years of related animal research experience as a veterinarian including clinical care, Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee operations, and training at institutions that maintain a USDA research registration, PHS OLAW Assurance, and/or AAALAC accreditation.
• Licensed in the United States as a Veterinary.
• Strong clinical and surgical skills.
• Ability to effectively train.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Expertise in animal research oversight requirements.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of work time.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
• This is a security-sensitive position and is restricted to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents only.

Nice-to-haves

• Certification as a Certified Professional in IACUC Administration (CPIA).
• Additional graduate level course work or graduate degree (Master's or PhD) with an animal welfare focus
• Board certification or eligibility for the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine or American College of Animal Welfare.

Benefits

• competitive health benefits
• paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• a defined benefit retirement plan to include an employer contribution through Teachers Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• if applicable, a defined contribution retirement plan to include an employer contribution through an approved ORP vendor
• additional voluntary tax deferred annuity (TDA) options
• tuition assistance
• wellness programs to promote work/life balance

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