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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Veterinary Research Supervisor

💰 $80,000 - $120,000

Veterinary ResearchAnimal HealthSupervisoryScientific ResearchLaboratory Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Veterinary Research Supervisor leads and coordinates animal-based research programs from protocol development through data delivery, ensuring scientific rigor, regulatory compliance (IACUC, GLP, USDA/FDA where applicable), and high standards of animal welfare. This role combines people management, operational leadership of vivaria/laboratories, protocol and study design oversight, data quality assurance, and active participation in scientific reporting and grant development. The ideal candidate is a clinician-scientist or research scientist with strong supervisory experience, hands-on knowledge of animal models and laboratory techniques, and a track record of publishing and managing externally funded projects.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Research Associate or Research Scientist with experience in animal models
  • Clinical Veterinarian or Laboratory Animal Veterinarian (LAV)
  • Experienced Veterinary Technician / Animal Care Supervisor in research settings

Advancement To:

  • Senior Research Scientist / Principal Investigator
  • Director of Research or Head of Animal Research Programs
  • Laboratory Operations Director / Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Chair

Lateral Moves:

  • Clinical Research Manager
  • Laboratory Animal Medicine Specialist
  • Quality Assurance / Regulatory Affairs Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead design, implementation, and oversight of preclinical and translational animal studies, including establishing study objectives, timelines, endpoints, and sample size calculations to meet scientific and regulatory requirements.
  • Supervise, mentor, and evaluate a multidisciplinary team of veterinarians, research scientists, technicians, and animal care staff; recruit talent, set performance goals, and deliver ongoing training in animal handling and research techniques.
  • Ensure full compliance with institutional, local and federal regulations and standards (IACUC, GLP, AAALAC, USDA, FDA), prepare regulatory submissions, and act as primary contact during inspections and audits.
  • Develop, review, and approve study protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and quality assurance plans to ensure reproducible, defensible research results and high standards of animal welfare.
  • Oversee daily operations of vivarium/laboratory facilities, including animal husbandry, enrichment programs, breeding colony management, husbandry scheduling, and facility maintenance to safeguard animal health and experimental integrity.
  • Implement and manage biosafety and biosecurity procedures, hazardous material handling, waste management, and personal protective equipment (PPE) programs to protect personnel and research integrity.
  • Coordinate and supervise clinical procedures, anesthesia, surgical interventions, necropsy, and sample collection, ensuring appropriate analgesia, aseptic technique, and perioperative care.
  • Lead data quality initiatives: define metadata standards, oversee electronic data capture, validate laboratory and clinical data, and collaborate with biostatisticians to ensure statistical rigor and reproducibility.
  • Manage study budgets, procurement of specialized equipment and consumables, contract research relationships (CROs), and vendor negotiations to optimize resource allocation and fiscal accountability.
  • Design and implement animal model development and validation studies, optimizing translational relevance and reproducibility while documenting phenotype characterization and endpoint validation.
  • Drive protocol-related adverse event reporting, root-cause analyses, CAPA (corrective and preventive action) planning, and follow through to closure to maintain regulatory compliance and continuous improvement.
  • Oversee laboratory instrumentation and equipment calibration, preventive maintenance schedules, and validation to minimize downtime and ensure assay reliability.
  • Lead or support grant writing, proposal development, budget justification, and reporting to secure external funding and support long-term research programs.
  • Coordinate multi-site or collaborative studies, harmonize SOPs across sites, manage sample chain-of-custody procedures, and ensure standardized data collection across collaborators.
  • Prepare, review, and author scientific manuscripts, technical reports, and regulatory documentation; present findings at internal reviews, sponsor meetings, and scientific conferences.
  • Implement and monitor quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) programs for histology, pathology, clinical pathology, imaging, and molecular assays used to generate study endpoints.
  • Maintain detailed and auditable study records, laboratory notebooks, animal medical records, and electronic data systems in accordance with GLP and institutional policies.
  • Provide clinical oversight for patient/animal welfare: triage clinical cases, develop treatment plans, and make euthanasia decisions when ethically warranted, communicating decisions compassionately to stakeholders.
  • Drive training programs for staff and investigators on experimental design, humane endpoints, aseptic technique, and data integrity to build institutional capacity and reduce protocol deviations.
  • Establish performance metrics for the research program (study timelines, audit findings, animal health indicators) and report program-level KPIs to senior leadership to inform strategic decisions.
  • Collaborate with institutional committees (IACUC, biosafety, radiation safety, environmental health & safety) to align research practices with institutional policy and continuous improvement initiatives.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to help investigators interpret findings and refine follow-up study designs.
  • Contribute to the organization's research strategy and roadmap by identifying scientific opportunities, technological investments, and resource needs.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams—pathology, pharmacology, biostatistics, regulatory affairs, and manufacturing—to translate study results into actionable development plans.
  • Participate in project planning, sprint reviews, and agile-style prioritization of research deliverables when working in collaborative, cross-disciplinary programs.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for institutional training programs, conference workshops, and outreach to external collaborators or industry partners.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Experimental design and statistical literacy (power analysis, randomization, blinding) to ensure robust preclinical studies.
  • Clinical veterinary skills relevant to research species (domestic and laboratory animals), including anesthesia, surgery, analgesia, and perioperative care.
  • In-depth knowledge of regulatory frameworks and compliance standards: IACUC, GLP, AAALAC accreditation, USDA, and FDA preclinical guidance.
  • Strong experience with SOP development, protocol writing, and quality management systems (QMS) in a research setting.
  • Proficiency with laboratory techniques commonly used in veterinary research: histology, immunohistochemistry, PCR/qPCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, imaging modalities (ultrasound, CT, MRI) as applicable.
  • Data management and analysis skills: familiarity with LIMS, REDCap, electronic data capture (EDC) systems, and statistical packages (R, SAS, Python, or SPSS).
  • Project and program management skills, including budget planning, resource forecasting, vendor and CRO management.
  • Experience in animal colony management and specialized husbandry (e.g., transgenic lines, SPF colonies, large animal models).
  • Grant and scientific writing proficiency for preparation of funding proposals, study reports, and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
  • Quality assurance and audit readiness, including corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes and inspection remediation.
  • Biosafety and biosecurity knowledge, including handling of infectious agents, containment practices, and PPE selection/qualification.

Soft Skills

  • Proven leadership and people-management skills with ability to motivate interdisciplinary teams and resolve conflict.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for scientific writing, regulatory submissions, and stakeholder presentations.
  • Strong ethical judgment, integrity, and commitment to animal welfare and humane research practices.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude to troubleshoot study deviations, technical failures, and operational bottlenecks.
  • Organizational skills and attention to detail to maintain rigorous documentation and meet regulatory timelines.
  • Collaborative mindset and ability to build productive relationships with internal teams, external partners, and regulatory bodies.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance concurrent projects, supervisory duties, and administrative responsibilities.
  • Mentorship and training capability to develop junior staff, foster career growth, and promote continuous learning.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced research environments and during inspection or funding-related pressures.
  • Stakeholder management and customer-service orientation toward principal investigators, sponsors, and institutional leadership.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or PhD in Veterinary Science, Animal Science, Biomedical Sciences, or closely related discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • DVM plus advanced research degree (PhD or MSc) or PhD with strong veterinary/laboratory animal experience.
  • Board certification (e.g., ACLAM, ACVS, ACVP) or equivalent laboratory animal medicine credential is highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Laboratory Animal Medicine
  • Animal Science
  • Biomedical Sciences / Preclinical Research
  • Pathology, Toxicology, Pharmacology
  • Epidemiology / Comparative Medicine

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–10+ years of progressive experience in preclinical animal research, laboratory animal medicine, or veterinary clinical research settings.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years leading research teams or managing vivarium/laboratory operations, with documented experience in study design, regulatory submissions (IACUC/GLP), and successful oversight of funded preclinical programs.
  • Prior experience with multi-site studies, CRO partnerships, and external sponsor relationships is preferred.
  • Demonstrated publication record in peer-reviewed journals and experience securing or supporting externally funded research grants.
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