Animal Care and Operations Pre-Apprenticeship

The 9 week paid pre-apprenticeship for high school juniors will occur during the academic summer break. Working under constant supervision of Animal Care and Operations Trainers, over 7 weeks, the pre-apprentice will learn the principles of basic animal care, husbandry, animal room maintenance and operations (including the acquisition, sanitation and distribution of supplies), information systems and record keeping. Activities are highly structured and performed as prescribed. For the last 2 weeks of the pre-apprenticeship, the incumbent will have the opportunity to perform specific tasks in Animal Care or Operations semi-independently as well as additional opportunities for extended learning on a case-by-case basis. At the end of the pre-apprenticeship, the incumbent may be extended a job offer in Animal Care or Operations, with the opportunity for employment once the incumbent has turned 18 years old and graduated high school. Participation in the pre-apprenticeship program may allow the incumbent to fast-track through Animal Care Trainee I or Operations Trainee I training upon future employment.

Visit www.jax.org/pre-apprenticeship for more information.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:Basic Husbandry

Perform proper animal care, husbandry, production room maintenance through standard operating procedures

Perform daily, weekly and monthly room sanitation

Perform daily Animal Welfare Checks: daily check for food, water, bedding and well-being.

Identify abnormal animals.

Gain appreciation for quality of work as well as efficiency

Operations

Disassemble dirty materials

Sanitize a variety of materials for use in a variety of rooms with purpose-built equipment

Assemble clean materials

Transport clean and soiled supplies through materials airlock.

Prepare shipping boxes

Gain appreciation for quality of work as well as efficiency

Information Processing & General Record Keeping

Learn basic data entry

Effectively exchange information; the right information to the right people at the right time to effectively get the job done

Maintain detailed record keeping

Use relevant computer systems

Respect for the Individual

Accept guidance and constructive feedback in a professional, self-esteem maintaining manner

Work in a team

Safety

Adhere to all safety rules and safe work practices

Perform entry and exit procedures: including donning personal protective equipment (PPE) through multiple Personnel Entry Locks (PEELs)

 Minimum Qualifications:

Must be over 16 years of age

Must be currently enrolled and in good standing at a Maine high school

Ability to work with a wide variety of people

Ability to perform a variety of manual tasks/duties

Ability to be accurate in transcribing/entering/extracting data

Please make sure to submit a teacher recommendation with your application. Visit this link for more details.

About JAX:

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.

Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community. For more information, please visit www.jax.org​​​​​​​.

EEO Statement:

The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws.