Surgical Specialist

About the role:

The Surgical Specialist position independently performs all aspects of the Vivarium surgical services. This includes pre-, intra-, and post-operative animal care for survival or acute studies, and surgically prepares animals for various surgical procedures. This position independently performs advanced or novel surgeries or technical procedures and works directly with researcher staff. This includes support for a variety of laboratory animal species, including, but not limited to mice and rats. The position will focus on ensuring the highest degree of animal care and welfare while supporting research in a dynamic team-oriented environment.

About Department:

The Surgery Team focuses on supporting the science by providing a shared surgical service for HHMI researchers. This position will support a variety of research animal species and provide technical support for basic science research, potentially impacting research objectives valued in excess of $10,000.

What we provide:

• A flexible schedule.

• A team that cultivates an environment where all members of the team help each other.

• A competitive compensation package with comprehensive health and welfare benefits.

• Professional development opportunities.

What you'll do:

• Perform multi-species surgical or technical support and advanced or novel surgical procedures with or without oversight of a Surgical SME, Researcher, or Veterinarian.

• Coordinate and create specialized or novel surgical procedures (Surgical Model Development) for lab or project needs, under guidance of Surgery Supervisor.

• Configure and troubleshoot specialized equipment related to Surgery or Vivarium-led Projects.Examples include: Stereotax and related instruments, sterilizers, anesthetic equipment, etc.

• With a high level of independence, actively support labs with IACUC protocol design and development.

• Assist in writing new surgical protocols under guidance of Surgery Supervisor.

• Conduct literature reviews to determine the most suitable surgical models and techniques for research projects.

• Attend, prepare, and present information on lab and Vivarium-led projects to labs or researchers, internal teams, and/or external conferences.

• Actively lead process and best practice refinements and standardization of surgical practices and procedures within the program.

• Assist with creating and/or maintaining Surgical Training Program under guidance of Surgery Supervisor and in collaboration with the Training Team.

• Serve as a peer leader in the group, providing training and guidance.

• Assist with training staff or researchers on routine and specialized tasks, use of specialized surgical equipment or standard surgical procedures.

• Effectively communicate with researchers regarding surgical requests, procedures, surgical outcomes, and all other support duties.

• Other duties as assigned.

What you bring:

• Bachelor's degree in life science or any other related field required (Master's preferred).

• LATG certified with AALAS required.

• SRA, SRT or SRS certifications preferred.

• LVT, CVT, or RVT preferred.

• Minimum eight years of experience working with vertebrate animal species, with at least six years of experience performing micro-surgical procedures under a microscope in a research environment.

• Experience in a basic or applied science research setting required. This could include academic, industry, or non-profit.

• Alternative combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Physical Requirements:

The following is the minimum physical requirements.

• Regularly required to sit, stand, move from one area to another, and reach with arms and hands.

• Occasionally lifts, moves, and/or carries objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

• Occasionally stoops and bends.

• Regularly required to type at a computer.

• Work is performed in a research animal facility where personnel are exposed to laboratory animal caging, sounds, and smells of various species including, but not limited to mice, rats, and aquatic species. Personnel may be exposed to wet, above average temperatures, and/or humid conditions, fumes, or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, biohazard materials and risk of electrical shock.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and occasionally high.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job's principal duties, responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed as an exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word "may," the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described above are "essential functions" of the job, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Compensation and Benefits

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective in many ways for their contributions to our mission, including competitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans, time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visit our site to learn more.

Compensation Range

Pay Type:

HHMI's salary structure is developed based on relevant job market data. HHMI considers a candidate's education, previous experiences, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity when making job offers. Typically, a new hire for this position in this location is compensated between the minimum and the midpoint of the salary range.