Training/ QA Specialist

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: 65,300-75,000

Position Summary

The Training and Quality Assurance Specialist oversees and ensures the consistent and standardized implementation of animal husbandry practices across various buildings and campuses. This involves managing training and certification programs for all animal facility users, including researchers, staff, and veterinary personnel. The role also includes monitoring and supporting ongoing animal handling skills and biosecurity practices, maintaining SOPs and guidelines, and managing vendor relationships. Additionally, the position is responsible for communication and education through newsletters, informational sessions, and webinars, as well as overseeing sanitation practices and testing procedures to ensure the overall health and safety of the animal facilities and managing animal import and exportation process.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for assessing and ensuring standardized husbandry practices are performed across various buildings and campuses. (5%)
• Organize and deliver training for all animal facility users, including animal researchers, ICM husbandry staff, veterinary technicians, building supervisors, and veterinarians. Ensure continuous monitoring and provide additional training as needed to support veterinary skills and biosecurity procedures for all animal users, husbandry, and veterinary staff.
• Conduct skills assessments and provide individual or group retraining to address any identified knowledge gaps.
• Organize and oversee AALAS certification classes, reviews, and mock exams, and proctor in-house AALAS exams. Lead or support the review of training materials and mock exams to ensure participants are well-prepared for certification.
• Maintain a review schedule to ensure that SOPs, guidelines, policies, and computer-based training are reviewed at least every three years. Update and manage the ICM website with information on barrier facility health status, approved vendors, SOPs, policies, and guidelines.
• Maintains approved vendor list: animals, feed, bedding, and offsite animal housing locations. Ensures that vendor list is reviewed at least annually
• Create, edit, and distribute a quarterly ICM newsletter to inform staff of updates, policy changes, and other essential information. Ensure the ICM website remains up-to-date. Arrange informational sessions or webinars for investigative staff on topics related to animal management and animal models.
• Conduct quarterly bioluminescence testing and annual water quality sampling. Maintain sanitation validation records and perform regular sanitation checks on behavioral equipment.
• Manages the export and transportation of all animal shipments shipped from the Columbia University to other institutions. This includes both domestic and international shipments. Schedules additional testing/treatments as requested by receiving institution. Maintains all supplies necessary for shipping.Communicates status reports on project milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks and issues to senior management and key stakeholders. Manages the import of all animal shipments from nonapproved vendors received at Columbia University from other institutions. This includes both domestic and international imports.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific field, or equivalent combination of education, training, and years of experience and/or a veterinary technician certification; plus 3 years of related work experience.
• Some of the experience requirement may be waived with a Master's degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Qualifications

• AALAS certification (e.g., LATG - Laboratory Animal Technologist) or willingness to obtain certification within a specific timeframe.
• Previous experience training staff in animal care, husbandry, or biosecurity procedures.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.