Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoo Lab Technician

🎯 Role Definition

A Zoo Lab Technician performs laboratory and diagnostic functions to support veterinary care, conservation programs, and scientific research within a zoo or wildlife facility. This role includes collecting and processing biological samples, running clinical and research assays, assisting with necropsies and pathology workflows, maintaining biosafety and quality systems, managing laboratory inventory and equipment, and delivering clear technical documentation to veterinarians, researchers, and external laboratories. The ideal candidate balances meticulous laboratory technique with compassionate, safe animal handling and contributes to translational conservation and health surveillance programs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Animal Care Technician / Zookeeper with lab rotation experience
Veterinary Assistant or Veterinary Technician
Laboratory Assistant / Clinical Laboratory Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Lab Technician / Lead Laboratory Technician
Veterinary Pathology Technician or Veterinary Clinical Technologist
Research Technician or Field Research Coordinator
Laboratory Manager / Clinical Operations Supervisor

Lateral Moves:

Conservation Biology Technician
Animal Health & Welfare Specialist
Diagnostic Services Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Collect, label, transport and process a wide range of clinical and research specimens (blood, swabs, feces, urine, tissue, biopsies) from diverse taxa, ensuring chain-of-custody, cold chain maintenance, and compliance with institutional animal welfare and biosafety protocols.
Prepare and run routine hematology and clinical chemistry assays (manual blood smears, CBC preparation, automated analyzers calibration/usage, serum chemistry panels), interpret quality-control results, and escalate abnormalities to veterinary staff.
Perform microbiology duties including culture setup, inoculation, colony identification, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and maintenance of culture collections under biosafety and contamination-control procedures.
Execute molecular diagnostic techniques such as PCR, qPCR, nucleic acid extraction, and sample preparation for sequencing or external reference labs, adhering to contamination control and QA/QC standards.
Assist veterinarians and pathologists with necropsies and post-mortem tissue collection, including gross pathology documentation, aseptic tissue sampling for histology, microbiology and toxicology, and preparation of specimens for shipping.
Prepare, process and embed tissue samples for histology (fixation, trimming, cassettes, tissue processors), coordinate slide preparation/staining (H&E and special stains), and liaise with external pathology services for interpretation.
Maintain laboratory equipment: routine cleaning, calibration, performance verification, troubleshooting, and coordinating preventative maintenance and repairs with vendors to ensure continuous diagnostic capability.
Manage biohazardous and chemical waste disposal in accordance with institutional policies and regulatory requirements; maintain safety data sheets (SDS), chemical inventories and ensure proper PPE usage and biosafety cabinet certification records.
Implement, document and monitor quality assurance processes, including running positive/negative controls, recording lot numbers and expiration dates, and maintaining laboratory notebooks, LIMS entries, and chain-of-custody logs.
Coordinate specimen submission to external reference labs and shipping of hazardous biological materials (IATA/compliant packaging), prepare accession paperwork, and track results to ensure timely clinical decision support.
Conduct routine parasite diagnostics including fecal flotation/concentration, microscopic identification of protozoa and helminth eggs, and reporting of parasitology results to clinical or preventive medicine teams.
Support anesthetic monitoring during sample collection events by preparing sterile/aseptic supplies, running intra-procedural lab testing (blood gases, electrolytes), and rapidly processing emergent specimens for diagnostic triage.
Assist with radiology workflows when needed (preparing contrast agents, documenting specimen-linked imaging records) and support interdisciplinary diagnostics by correlating lab findings with clinical and imaging data.
Lead and document inventory management for reagents, consumables, and PPE; forecast ordering needs, perform cold-storage audits, and implement cost-effective inventory controls to minimize assay interruptions.
Maintain and curate diagnostic databases and laboratory information management systems (LIMS), entering specimen metadata, test results, and supporting searchable records for clinical and research use while ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
Support active research projects by executing standardized protocols, documenting methods and deviations, contributing to study sample tracking and data collection, and preparing samples for downstream analysis such as sequencing or serology.
Train and mentor animal care staff, veterinary students, interns and volunteers on safe specimen handling, basic laboratory techniques, sample labeling, and documentation best practices to preserve sample quality and animal welfare.
Participate in outbreak surveillance and epidemiology efforts by coordinating sampling campaigns, running targeted diagnostics for zoonoses, compiling results and working with veterinary/epidemiology teams to recommend containment or treatment strategies.
Ensure compliance with institutional policies, state and federal regulations (e.g., USDA, CDC, IACUC where applicable), grant and permit conditions for collection, transport and use of biological materials.
Generate and deliver clear, professional laboratory reports and technical summaries to veterinarians, curators, and research partners; highlight actionable findings, limitations and recommended follow-up diagnostics or treatments.
Maintain accurate, timely records for accreditation and audit readiness (e.g., external QA audits, grant reporting), prepare documentation for inspection visits and implement corrective actions when deficiencies are identified.
Participate in bench-level method development and validation, pilot new diagnostic workflows, evaluate vendor reagents and kits, and translate validated methods into routine protocols under veterinary oversight.

Secondary Functions

Support institutional surveillance programs by compiling datasets, producing periodic summary reports, and visualizing trends in animal health metrics for leadership and conservation program managers.
Assist with grant-supported research activities by preparing materials, labeling and tracking study samples, and coordinating shipment to partner labs or core facilities.
Contribute to educational programming and public-facing science communication by preparing non-sensitive lab imagery, drafting interpretive text for exhibits, and supporting behind-the-scenes tours with accurate, accessible explanations.
Help develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), biosafety manuals, and onboarding materials to ensure continuity and regulatory compliance across rotating staff and seasonal teams.
Provide backup support for on-call clinical diagnostics during weekends or emergency situations, ensuring critical tests can be performed and documented outside normal business hours.
Collaborate with veterinary, nutrition, and husbandry teams to translate diagnostic findings into management recommendations (diet changes, treatment plans, quarantine procedures) and monitor follow-up testing outcomes.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives by tracking turnaround times, error rates and implementing workflow optimizations to improve sample throughput and diagnostic reliability.
Maintain and support digital assets including LIMS templates, digital photograph archives of gross lesions, and secure sharing of clinical images/results with external consultants or pathology services.
Monitor and report on cold chain performance (refrigerators, freezers, liquid nitrogen systems), maintain temperature logs, troubleshoot excursions, and coordinate sample salvage or retesting as appropriate.
Coordinate procurement and validation of new lab supplies and equipment by preparing technical specifications, evaluating vendor quotes and participating in acceptance testing.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Clinical specimen collection and handling across multiple taxa (venipuncture, swabs, fecal collection, urine, tissue sampling) with chain-of-custody and cold-chain management.
Hematology and clinical chemistry techniques (blood smear prep, CBC support, analyzer operation and QC).
Microbiology skills including aseptic technique, culture inoculation, basic identification, and susceptibility testing.
Molecular diagnostics: nucleic acid extraction, PCR/qPCR setup, contamination control, and sample prep for sequencing.
Histology support: tissue fixation, embedding, microtomy, slide staining (H&E and special stains) and pre-analytical tissue handling.
Necropsy assistance: tissue sampling, gross pathology documentation, specimen triage for microbiology/histology/toxicology.
Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) usage and data entry, result reporting and sample tracking.
Biosafety and hazardous materials handling (PPE, BSL practices, waste disposal, IATA shipping rules).
Equipment calibration and maintenance for centrifuges, microscopes, analyzers, biosafety cabinets and cold storage units.
Digital documentation and record keeping, including laboratory notebooks, SOPs, quality-control logs and audit-ready reporting.
Basic statistical literacy and competence with spreadsheet tools (Excel) for QC, inventory and data summaries.
Competency with diagnostic reagent selection, lot tracking and inventory forecasting.

Soft Skills

Strong attention to detail and meticulous documentation habits to ensure diagnostic accuracy and regulatory compliance.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for clear handoffs between veterinary, husbandry, research and external lab teams.
Ability to prioritize tasks and multitask effectively in a dynamic clinical and research environment, including emergency response.
Collaborative team player with experience working in interdisciplinary teams and training junior staff or volunteers.
Problem-solving mindset with practical troubleshooting of assays, equipment and sample integrity issues.
Ethical judgment and commitment to animal welfare, confidentiality and responsible data stewardship.
Flexibility and adaptability to changing schedules, seasonal workload variations and field sampling campaigns.
Professionalism in client-facing interactions, including clear explanation of laboratory limitations and expectations.
Time management skills to balance routine diagnostic workload with research priorities and special projects.
Cultural competence and sensitivity when working with diverse colleagues, stakeholders and partner institutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED plus relevant vocational certification (e.g., Certified Veterinary Assistant, Clinical Laboratory Assistant) or equivalent hands-on experience in a clinical or zoo laboratory setting.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Certificate in Veterinary Technology, Clinical Laboratory Science, Biology, Zoology, or related life sciences.
Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Zoology, Veterinary Technology, or Wildlife Health is strongly preferred for advanced diagnostics and supervisory roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Veterinary Technology / Veterinary Science
Clinical Laboratory Science / Medical Laboratory Technology
Biology, Zoology, Wildlife Biology
Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Pathology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–5 years of laboratory experience in clinical, veterinary, zoo or wildlife diagnostics; experience with multiple animal species preferred.

Preferred:

2–4+ years working in a zoo, wildlife rehabilitation center, university comparative pathology lab or veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
Demonstrated experience with molecular diagnostics, histology support or necropsy assistance is highly desirable.
Experience with LIMS, regulated shipping (IATA) and biosafety protocols preferred.