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The Animal Care QA (Quality Assurance) Specialist (ACQAS) demonstrates mastery of all applicable regulations, laws, policies, and guidelines that govern humane care and use of laboratory animals, as well as knowledge of and skills related to common surgical and non-surgical procedures conducted in research animals. The ACQAS provides a high level of professional support to the Attending Veterinarian (AV), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC) research staff, in meeting CSMC's responsibilities associated with the program for the humane care and use of animals in research and education including the Post Approval Monitoring Program (PAM).

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Creates educational materials and conducts hands-on training sessions that focus on animal welfare and compliance with regulatory standards.

Provides comprehensive training in both lecture and practical formats. Training will include topics such as animal handling, anesthesia, euthanasia, and surgical and non-surgical procedures. Verify staff proficiency to comply with approved IACUC protocols, effectively and humanely conduct research involving animals, and maintain accurate and complete records.

Develops quality monitoring plans and SOPs and maintains quality standards in animal-related activities based on current best-practices.

Conducts scheduled and un-scheduled visits to monitor compliance with IACUC protocols, writes reports for the AV and the IACUC, and follows-up on deficiencies and other items as determined by the AV and/or the IACUC. Maintains an updated database for these activities

Composes clear, concise, and detailed correspondence to the AV, IACUC, and investigators to ensure that the concerns, and questions are quickly and intelligently communicated; maintains accurate updates in the PAM database

Attends IACUC meetings and provides technical reports on training and PAM matters

In collaboration with the IACUC Analyst team, responsible for establishing meetings with laboratories to coordinate training related to IACUC protocol submission and modifications, as well as activities associated with handling and conducting procedures in animals.

Participates in departmental/institutional quality improvement activities. Identifies operational needs and recommendations for improvement. Conducts special projects as assigned by the Executive Director.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Humanities or science related field required

 MS, or PhD in Science Related Field preferred

Experience

5 years of experience in animal care training, coordination, compliance, or other related functions within an animal care setting required.

Licenses and Certifications

Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) – Upon hire 

(AALS) certification as a Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) – Upon hire