Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Veterinary Research Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Veterinary Research Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing animal-based research studies across preclinical and translational pipelines. This role ensures animal welfare, regulatory compliance (IACUC, USDA, GLP/GCP), rigorous data collection, and seamless communication between investigators, veterinary staff, sponsors, and core facilities. The ideal candidate balances hands-on animal care and laboratory techniques with study management, documentation, QC, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver reproducible, high-quality research outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Veterinary Technician / Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Research Assistant or Laboratory Animal Technician
Animal Care Specialist or Husbandry Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Veterinary Research Coordinator / Study Director
Research Manager or Lab Manager (Preclinical)
Clinical Trials Manager or Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Animal Welfare and Compliance Officer
Comparative Medicine Clinician or Laboratory Veterinarian
Quality Assurance / GLP Compliance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate and manage the full lifecycle of animal research studies including protocol setup, pre-study planning, scheduling, execution, monitoring, and close-out while ensuring alignment with sponsor and institutional objectives.
Draft, review, and implement animal study protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that comply with IACUC standards, GLP/GCP guidelines, and institutional policies to uphold animal welfare and scientific rigor.
Act as the primary liaison between principal investigators, veterinary staff, research technicians, study sponsors, and external CROs to facilitate clear communication, timely decision-making, and milestone delivery.
Oversee daily animal care operations for study animals, including husbandry, feeding, enrichment, clinical observations, restraint, dosing, and humane endpoints to maintain welfare and data integrity.
Perform or supervise technical procedures such as blood collection, dosing (oral, IV, IM, SQ), catheter placement, anesthesia monitoring, imaging preparation, and sample collection for histology, microbiology, and molecular assays.
Maintain detailed case report forms, laboratory notebooks, electronic data capture systems, and study files; prepare and organize regulatory binders, IACUC submissions, and protocol amendments.
Implement and maintain quality control and quality assurance measures, including GLP-compliant documentation, calibration logs, equipment maintenance, and deviation investigations to ensure study reproducibility.
Train and mentor veterinary technicians, research assistants, and students on study procedures, biosafety, aseptic technique, animal handling, and humane care consistent with institutional training programs.
Coordinate specimen processing workflows (e.g., serum/plasma separation, tissue fixation, cryopreservation) and ensure chain-of-custody, proper labeling, aliquoting, and sample storage for downstream analyses.
Manage study logistics including procurement of animals, reagents, PPE, and consumables; schedule facility space, surgical suites, imaging time, and contract laboratory services as required.
Monitor and report animal health and adverse events promptly, execute medical treatments under veterinarian supervision, and manage euthanasia and necropsy procedures in accordance with approved protocols.
Oversee or support data entry, data validation, and preliminary statistical summarization; prepare figures, study summaries, and technical reports for investigators, grants, and regulatory submissions.
Support and coordinate sponsor visits, external audits, and inspections by maintaining audit-ready records and addressing corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) efficiently and transparently.
Develop and manage study budgets and expense tracking; prepare cost estimates for new studies, track invoicing, and collaborate with grants and contract administrators to ensure fiscal compliance.
Coordinate environmental monitoring and biosafety programs (animal room monitoring, infection control, waste management) to mitigate risk and maintain facility accreditation and licensure.
Participate in study design and experimental troubleshooting with investigators, recommending refinements to improve statistical power, reduce animal use, and optimize endpoints consistent with the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).
Maintain and operate laboratory equipment commonly used in animal research (anesthesia machines, surgical instruments, centrifuges, flow cytometers, biosafety cabinets) and coordinate preventative maintenance and service.
Compile and prepare regulatory submissions and continuing reviews for IACUC, local biosafety committees, and external funding agencies; ensure timely renewals and training compliance across study personnel.
Lead or support translational activities including sample shipment, lab-to-clinic handoffs, and communication of preclinical results to clinical development teams or external partners.
Ensure accurate and traceable inventory management for colony records, biologics, and controlled reagents; oversee animal identification systems (tattoo, microchip, ear tag) and breeding colony programs when applicable.
Engage in continuous improvement initiatives by reviewing post-study metrics, SOP effectiveness, and training outcomes to drive process improvements and enhance study throughput.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc statistical and data analysis requests and collaborate with biostatisticians to validate study endpoints and power calculations.
Contribute to grant writing, protocol budgets, and investigator-initiated study submissions to secure funding and institutional support.
Participate in institutional committees (IACUC subcommittees, biosafety, animal ethics) to influence policy and ensure study alignment with evolving regulations.
Assist with outreach and collaboration efforts, including vendor evaluations, CRO selection, and negotiations for outsourced study components.
Maintain and update training modules and competency assessments for new hires and rotating staff to ensure consistent technical performance.
Coordinate internal cross-functional meetings (PI, lab, veterinary, pathology, imaging) to synchronize milestone delivery and resolve scientific or operational bottlenecks.
Support data management initiatives such as LIMS, EDC, and ELN implementations and provide user feedback to improve research informatics.
Engage in vendor quality assessment for critical reagents, assay validation, and instrument qualification, and lead corrective actions when supplier issues impact study quality.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

IACUC Protocol Development & Compliance — proven experience writing, submitting, and managing animal study protocols and continuing reviews.
GLP and GCP Principles — demonstrated application of Good Laboratory and Clinical Practice frameworks for preclinical and translational studies.
Surgical and Procedural Skills — competence in aseptic technique, anesthesia, analgesia, catheterization, and post-operative care for multiple species.
Clinical Sampling & Laboratory Techniques — phlebotomy, tissue biopsies, necropsy, histology sample prep, PCR, ELISA, and basic molecular biology workflows.
Data Management & EDC/LIMS — experience with electronic data capture systems, LIMS, ELN, and maintaining audit-ready electronic records.
Animal Husbandry & Colony Management — practical knowledge of breeding programs, population health surveillance, and colony biosecurity practices.
Biosafety & Hazardous Materials Handling — training and operational experience with BSL practices, PPE, Sharps, and animal waste contamination control.
Imaging & Instrumentation — familiarity with in vivo imaging (ultrasound, X-ray, MRI), flow cytometry basics, and routine lab equipment qualification.
Statistical Literacy — ability to collaborate on study design, understand power/sample size calculations, and implement basic descriptive analyses.
Regulatory Documentation — preparing regulatory submissions, maintaining controlled documents, and responding to auditor findings.
Sample Logistics & Chain-of-Custody — management of sample labeling, storage conditions (cold chain), shipping guidance, and external lab coordination.
Budgeting & Project Management Tools — schedule management, resource allocation, and use of project management software (e.g., MS Project, Asana, Jira).

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication — articulate study summaries, technical reports, and clear messaging between scientific and operational stakeholders.
Detail-oriented with strong documentation discipline — ensures reproducibility, traceability, and timeliness of regulatory and study records.
Problem-solving and critical thinking — identifies experimental issues, proposes practical solutions, and escalates appropriately to mitigate scientific risk.
Leadership and team development — trains staff, delegates effectively, and fosters a collaborative laboratory culture.
Time management and prioritization — manages multiple concurrent studies, urgent animal health issues, and evolving sponsor timelines.
Ethical judgment and animal welfare advocacy — applies best practices for humane endpoints, balancing scientific objectives and welfare.
Adaptability and learning orientation — embraces new techniques, regulatory changes, and continuous process improvements.
Stakeholder management — builds productive relationships with investigators, veterinarians, sponsors, and external service providers.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Biology, Veterinary Technology, Zoology, or a related life sciences field with demonstrated animal research experience.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Comparative Medicine, Animal Science, Laboratory Animal Medicine, or DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) with research coordination experience or certifications (e.g., AALAS LAT/LVT, CCRP).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Veterinary Medicine / Veterinary Technology
Animal Science / Laboratory Animal Science
Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Molecular Biology
Comparative Medicine / Preclinical Research
Public Health (relevant to zoonotic risk and biosafety)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–7 years of hands-on experience coordinating or performing animal research studies in academic, biotech, pharmaceutical, or contract research settings.

Preferred:

3+ years of direct study coordination for GLP/non-GLP preclinical studies or clinical translational projects.
Documented experience with IACUC submissions, animal welfare oversight, and cross-functional study leadership.
Prior work with rodents, non-rodent species, or both depending on the institutional focus, plus exposure to infectious disease, oncology, or surgical models where applicable.
Demonstrated competency with laboratory documentation systems (ELN/LIMS/EDC), sample logistics, and sponsor communication for industry-sponsored studies.