Small Animal Lab Assistant (Part-Time)

Hiring Department

The University of Texas Permian Basin's Department of Biology welcomes applications for the position of a part-time Small Animal Lab Assistant.

Salary Range

$12.00 an hour

Essential Functions

The Small Animal Care Lab Assistant plays an essential role in the Department of Biology, supporting the care and maintenance of laboratory animals and assisting with biological research activities. This position is responsible for daily feeding and monitoring of small lab animals (mice), preparing and sanitizing cages and supplies, and maintaining a clean, regulated environment that supports humane care and scientific integrity. The Lab Assistant works closely with faculty researchers, lab staff, and student assistants to ensure the animal facility operates smoothly and safely. In addition to animal care, the role contributes to lab preparation tasks such as solution mixing and assisting with cell culture experiments. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is detail-oriented, dependable, and interested in gaining hands-on experience in animal care and laboratory research within a collaborative academic setting.

Schedule to be developed with director Supervisor at an estimated 13-15 hours per week with flexibility between the time period of 7AM-7PM Monday-Friday and for two (2) hours during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) between 7AM-7PM but not to exceed 19.5 hours any given week.

• Care for small lab animals (mice), including daily checking/supplying animal food and water in each cage
• Monitor and record humidity and temperature in the animal room, fill the humidity equipment with water.
• Prepare clean rodent cages with food, water bottles, bedding and appropriate covering into assembled, sanitized cages
• Observe animals for signs of disease, illness, or injury
• Notify Supervisor of deaths or births, as requested, by e-mail or telephone
• Maintain detailed records of animal facility maintenance schedules
• Pre-clean mouse cages for cage wash machinery, including scrape and empty cages of soiled bedding, once each week; load cages onto cage washer and return clean cages to animal room after washing
• Load, operate, and unload steam autoclaves for water bottles and caps
• Animal Faculty Waste Management – perform waste management tasks including transferring soiled bedding materials to trash bin outside Science and Technology building, once each week

Required Qualifications

1. Undergraduate students focused on biology, or bachelor's degree holder.
2. Possess or be willing to learn:

Animal care skills
b) Maintaining equipment
c) Ability to follow the specific small animal care directions.

Preferred Qualifications

us animal handling experience
taken one or more of the following courses: General Biology I and/or General Chemistry