Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Animal Laboratory Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Animal Laboratory Technician is responsible for daily care and technical support of research animals in vivarium and laboratory settings. This role ensures animal welfare, regulatory compliance (IACUC, USDA, AAALAC), accurate data and sample collection, and routine maintenance of vivarium facilities and laboratory equipment. The ideal candidate combines hands-on animal handling skills (rodent and small mammal experience preferred), knowledge of aseptic technique and anesthesia monitoring, strong record-keeping, and the ability to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) under supervised research protocols.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Veterinary Assistant or Kennel Technician transitioning into laboratory animal care
Research Assistant or Laboratory Aide with basic lab experience
Animal Caretaker from academic or commercial animal facilities

Advancement To:

Senior Animal Technologist / Lead Animal Technician
Vivarium or Facility Manager overseeing animal housing and compliance
Research Technician / Lab Supervisor supporting specialized experimental work
Laboratory Animal Veterinarian (with further education) or Clinical Research Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

Histology Technician (sample processing and slide prep)
Quality Assurance or Regulatory Affairs Technician (compliance focus)
Behavioral Testing Technician or Surgical Support Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide daily husbandry and welfare for research animals (rodents, rabbits, small mammals), including feeding, watering, cage changes, environmental enrichment, and monitoring of health and behavior to ensure humane care and experimental integrity.
Execute routine and study-specific procedures such as dosing, gavage, injections (IP, SC, IM), blood collection, tail vein sampling, and urine/feces collection in accordance with approved protocols and SOPs.
Prepare, sterilize, and maintain vivarium and laboratory equipment, including autoclaves, surgical instruments, ventilated racks, water systems, and cages, ensuring calibration and service records are up to date.
Assist in surgical procedures and post-operative care: prepare sterile fields, monitor anesthesia, provide analgesia per veterinary direction, and document recovery and complications in animal health records.
Perform euthanasia humanely following AVMA guidelines and institutional policy; conduct and document necropsies and sample harvests for downstream analysis when required by the study.
Maintain accurate, audit-ready animal records and colony inventories using electronic systems or paper logs—track cage cards, treatment records, breeding data, veterinary interventions, and facility utilization for regulatory inspections.
Manage breeding colonies and perform genetic identification tasks: set up and check breedings, genotypeing sample collection coordination, wean litters, and maintain pedigree and housing records to support research timelines.
Implement and monitor environmental controls—light cycles, temperature, humidity, ventilation—and report deviations while performing routine facility rounds and instrumentation checks.
Ensure all animal-related work complies with institutional IACUC protocols, USDA, OLAW, and local biosafety regulations; prepare materials and data for protocol renewals and regulatory inspections.
Process and label biological samples (blood, tissues, swabs), prepare specimens for histology/biochemistry, and coordinate sample transport to core labs while maintaining cold chain and chain-of-custody documentation.
Conduct routine health surveillance and sentinel programs, collect and ship samples for pathogen screening, and coordinate with veterinary staff for treatment plans and quarantine procedures.
Maintain biocontainment and biosafety practices for work with infectious agents or hazardous substances: use appropriate PPE, follow BSL2/BSL3 protocols where applicable, and ensure waste segregation and biohazard disposal compliance.
Train and mentor junior technicians, research staff, and new hires on proper handling techniques, SOPs, humane endpoints, and emergency procedures to promote a culture of animal welfare and research reproducibility.
Support experimental setup and data integrity by preparing dosing solutions, maintaining reagent inventories, calibrating pipettes and balances, and documenting reagent lot numbers and expiration dates.
Coordinate scheduling and logistics for animal use in experiments: allocate cages/rooms, stage animals for procedures, minimize stress through acclimation, and communicate timelines to research teams.
Troubleshoot facility equipment failures and coordinate with facility engineering or third-party vendors for maintenance and rapid repairs to minimize impact on animal welfare and study continuity.
Participate in endpoint determinations and humane intervention decisions in consultation with veterinary staff; document outcomes and implement follow-up corrective actions or protocol amendments as needed.
Perform limited laboratory analyses as required—centrifugation, aliquoting, sample labeling, simple assays, and data entry—to expedite workflow while maintaining sample integrity and chain-of-custody.
Sterilize and stock surgical and procedure kits, prepare anesthetic agents and monitoring equipment, verify expiration dates, and ensure availability of emergency drugs and oxygen supplies for procedural safety.
Maintain PPE and consumable inventory, place orders for feed, bedding, disinfectants, and specialized supplies, and track budgets allocated to vivarium operations to control costs and prevent shortages.
Execute emergency and disaster response duties including evacuation, triage, and continuity-of-care procedures for animals during facility incidents, power outages, or environmental threats.
Collaborate cross-functionally with research scientists, veterinarians, histology staff, and quality assurance to align husbandry practices with study requirements and contribute to reproducible, high-quality research outputs.

Secondary Functions

Support protocol development by providing practical feedback on feasibility of animal procedures, endpoints, and scheduling to investigators and IACUC committees.
Assist in internal audits and corrective action planning for AAALAC, IACUC, or sponsor inspections to maintain accreditation and regulatory compliance.
Contribute to training materials, SOP updates, and standardization efforts across vivarium units to improve animal welfare and operational efficiency.
Maintain digital records and databases (LIMS, vivarium management systems) by entering treatment, breeding, and inventory data; generate routine reports for supervisors and investigators.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives—lean workflows, 5S, and risk assessments—to enhance vivarium throughput and reduce animal stress.
Engage in professional development activities to stay current with laboratory animal science best practices, emerging technologies, and evolving regulatory requirements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven animal handling and husbandry skills for rodents and small mammals (cage change, gavage, injections, blood draws).
Proficiency with aseptic technique, sterile surgical prep, and basic surgical assistance including anesthesia induction and monitoring.
Experience in colony management: breeding setup, weaning, record-keeping, and genotype/sample coordination.
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and compliance: IACUC protocol adherence, USDA, OLAW, AAALAC standards, and AVMA euthanasia guidelines.
Competence in sample collection and processing (blood, tissue, swabs), sample labeling, cold-chain management, and chain-of-custody documentation.
Familiarity with vivarium equipment operation and maintenance: autoclaves, ventilated racks, chemical disinfectants, and environmental monitoring systems.
Ability to perform humane euthanasia and necropsy procedures per institution SOPs and document findings for pathology.
Experience with electronic animal management systems, LIMS, or databases for inventory, health records, and scheduling.
Basic laboratory skills: pipetting, centrifugation, specimen aliquoting, and performing routine lab assays or plate preparations where required.
Understanding of biosafety and biosecurity practices, proper PPE use, and hazardous waste handling specific to animal facilities.
Certifications or training in laboratory animal science (ALAT, LAT, LATG) or veterinary technician coursework strongly preferred.
Competence with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and the ability to generate data reports, maintain logs, and communicate findings clearly.

Soft Skills

Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality, reproducible data and animal welfare.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for documentation, training, and cross-functional collaboration with researchers and veterinary staff.
Good organizational and time-management skills to balance daily husbandry duties, experimental schedules, and urgent veterinary needs.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to troubleshoot equipment or procedure-related issues under time constraints.
Team-oriented attitude and willingness to mentor and train junior technicians and rotating research staff.
Flexibility and adaptability to shift work, weekend coverage, or emergency response duties as needed by the vivarium.
Professional integrity and ethical judgment in maintaining confidentiality of research protocols and sensitive animal data.
Resilience and stress management skills to perform calmly during medical emergencies or high-throughput study periods.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED with 1–2 years of hands-on experience in laboratory or animal care settings; or completion of a veterinary assistant or animal care certificate program.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree in Laboratory Animal Technology, Veterinary Technology, Animal Science, Biology, or related life sciences.
Certification or coursework in laboratory animal science (ALAT, LAT, LATG) or completed externship at an accredited vivarium.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Laboratory Animal Science
Veterinary Technology
Biology / Zoology
Animal Science
Biomedical Sciences

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of experience working in a vivarium, research animal facility, or veterinary environment with demonstrated animal handling and procedural skills.

Preferred:

2–4 years of hands-on experience in a regulated research setting with documented exposure to IACUC-regulated protocols, surgical assistance, anesthesia monitoring, and euthanasia/necropsy procedures.
Prior experience with colony management, sample processing for pathology/histology, and electronic vivarium management systems.
Relevant certifications (ALAT/LAT/LATG) and up-to-date training in biosafety, hazardous waste handling, and animal welfare compliance are highly desirable.