Group Leader - Animal Products

Group Leader - Animal Products Req ID #:  159071 Location: 

Preston, CT, US, 06365 For 70 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about. Job Summary  

BASIC SUMMARY:  

Assist department supervisor with oversight and daily supervision of animal care staff and facilities. Serve as onsite lead/primary technician and perform technical duties and maintaining biosecurity of the sites. Maintain inventory for all facilities. Provide leadership, technical guidance, and serve as a mentor and role model to animal care staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assume functions of department supervisor in his/her absence.

Assist department supervisor with supervision of farm operations staff, including oversight of several poultry houses, to meet production standards and quality expectations.

Responsible for daily oversight of animal care staff at assigned facility to ensure accurate and timely completion of work and paperwork according to applicable SOPs and OPs.

Train staff on poultry husbandry duties and monitor training programs to ensure ongoing effectiveness. Training includes but are not limited to bird receipts, inoculations, test bleeds, environmental sampling, final bleeds, bursa harvests, temperature monitoring, and room recycling.

Provide input to Supervisor regarding personnel management activities such as personnel actions (interviewing, hiring, promotions, transfers, etc.)

Assist Supervisor in maintaining records according to SOPs and OPs.

Assist Supervisor with preventative maintenance and housekeeping of all farm property and production/processing equipment.

Provide leadership and serve as a role model for effective time management, communication, and utilization of resources.

Oversee day to day activities of assigned group(s) to ensure effective performance of function.

Assist in the development of short- and long-range operating objectives, organizational structure, and staffing requirements.  Assist in the development of a departmental plan for backup and succession of supervisory staff and key technical personnel.

Respond to alarm calls quickly and efficiently.

Assist in the communication of departmental policies and procedures; ensure communication of duties and responsibilities to employees.

Deliver product to laboratory for final testing.

Perform general animal husbandry and weekly test bleeds.

Perform general cleaning of facility, upkeep, and disinfecting of rooms. Recycle chicken houses following SOPs and USDA filed Facility Documents.

Perform various inoculations and harvests as scheduled without supervision.

Prepare inoculum per SOP and OP instructions without supervision. 

Works independently in the BDA laboratory and/or chicken houses as required.

Package and deliver product and samples to shipping and testing sites.

Provide inventory tracking, including but not limited to feed tracking, at assigned site.

Perform and coordinate basic grounds maintenance as required.

Complete required batch records, forms, and other paperwork associated with tasks completed. Ensure accurate documentation and paperwork is maintained.

Operate CO2 tank and cart, power washer, building fogger, laboratory equipment, and autoclave as assigned. 

Perform daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance, rounds, cleaning, and sterilization of glassware, equipment and laundry.

Assist with coordinating and prioritizing workload of animal care staff as needed; may assess workload and direct the work of others in the absence of the Animal Products Supervisor.

Communicate work related information and concerns with Management team.

Properly dispose of general trash and hazardous waste.

Works independently with minimal supervision on assigned projects and tasks.

Understand and conform to applicable methods and SOPs

Perform all other related duties as assigned. Job Qualifications  

QUALIFICATIONS:

  Education:  High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.). Experience:  3-4 years related experience and/or training. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above. Certification/Licensure:  Valid Driver’s license with a good driving record Other:  Basic leadership skills. Strong communication skills: verbal and written. Self motivated, dependable, flexible and able to work effectively as part of a team. Understanding of clinical signs. Strong prioritization and problem-solving skills. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

  Able to lift or otherwise move 30- 60 lbs. Able to stand for prolonged periods of time Able to wear applicable personal protective equipment (PPE).

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, toxic or caustic chemicals, and risk of electrical shock. Regularly wears protective clothing (scrubs, lab coats, safety glasses and gloves). Regularly required to use hands to pick up and hold birds, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. Regularly required to move about the production facilities and grounds, position self to work with birds and at times remain stationary. Regularly lift and move 30 pounds and up to 60 pounds frequently  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

COMMENTS: Provide after-hours and weekend coverage as needed.

The wage range for this position is generally $24.65 per hour to $41.08 per hour. Wage ranges are subject to change without notice by Charles River.

Vaccine Mandate

Charles River is a U.S. Federal Contractor.  As a result, we must follow the Presidential Executive Order to mandate vaccinations, and ensure our employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 8, 2021.  Our main priority is the wellbeing, health, and safety of our people. We will be requiring proof of vaccination from all employees. 

Anyone with requests for disability-related and/or religious exemptions should contact Talent Acquisition (crrecruitment_US@crl.com) so that information can be provided about the accommodation process at Charles River.

About Avian

Our Avian business group provides vaccine manufacturers and researchers the comfort of knowing that the raw materials used in their manufacturing process are free of extraneous agents. Charles River has established flock handling and egg production procedures that set the global industry standard.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 18,000 employees within 100 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. 

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of >80% of the drugs approved by the FDA for the past 3 years.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River Laboratories is an Equal Opportunity Employer - all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, veteran or disability status.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For more information, please visit www.criver.com.

Nearest Major Market: Hanover

Nearest Secondary Market: Chesterfield

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