Veterinary Research Associate
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Position Summary
Clinical Veterinarian
The Laboratory Animal Resource Center (LARC) at an esteemed institution is in search of a person who is committed to customer service to join our team as a clinical laboratory animal veterinarian and Assistant Director. Our research programs cover a wide range of biomedical research activities and study areas, with a focus on various fields such as cardiovascular disease, alcoholism, hematopoietic cancer, behavioral research, aging, and gene therapy. At LARC, we offer comprehensive care and housing for multiple species of laboratory animals, with an emphasis on swine, dogs, rabbits, frogs, and rodents. Our program is accredited by AAALAC International and our team consists of approximately 90 animal program staff members, including seven veterinarians.
This position is a non-faculty, research track role. The position starts as an assistant scientist, but qualified individuals with established past academic rank progression may be eligible for the associate scientist faculty rank.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for working with animals in biomedical research, including the Animal Welfare Act & Regulations, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, local policies, and other applicable regulations.
- Provide veterinary preventive, clinical, diagnostic, technical, and surgical services, with a primary focus on USDA-regulated species, frogs, laboratory mice and rats. Conduct regular rounds and check-ins.
- Perform routine surgeries such as spay/neuter, jugular/carotid catheter implantation, and other surgeries as necessary for experimental model development.
- Assist researchers in grant budget construction for technical and surgical services. Coordinate pre-initiation preparatory planning meetings with researchers. Order and maintain supplies for studies, ensuring thorough oversight and communication. Track supplies and labor for accurate billing.
- Communicate with internal and external customers regarding significant changes in animal health, husbandry/environment, and study conduct.
- Review vendor health records and animal orders. Assist with imports/exports.
- Provide consultation to investigators on anesthesia, analgesia, surgery, breeding, housing/environment, hazards, model selection, protocol writing, and other study-related needs.
- Participate in training programs for LARC employees, research personnel, veterinary residents, veterinary students, and others. Create and implement training content for classes and instruction.
- Offer expertise and assistance for specialty areas such as GLP, immune-compromised, gnotobiotic, hazards, or ABSL-2/3 restricted areas as required.
- Provide leadership within operations teams to prevent problems, identify opportunities, and solve complex challenges.
- Directly or indirectly supervise and oversee veterinary technical staff, supervisors, and other operational staff. Perform human-resource-related duties, including hiring, mentoring, coaching, and performance management.
- Assist in writing/updating Standard Operating Procedures and policies.
- Serve on department, campus, and university committees as assigned (e.g., IACUC, IBC). Review IACUC and IBC protocols and conduct post-approval monitoring.
- Stay informed about issues in laboratory animal medicine, animal care, and science.
- Participate in the quality assurance program. Conduct routine facility inspections, perform quality checks, and oversee surgical suite maintenance.
- Participate in site visits/audits by external oversight organizations such as AAALAC-International, USDA, OLAW, DEA, and State of Indiana Board of Pharmacy.
- Share after-hours and holiday emergency on-call services with other veterinary staff on a rotating basis.
- Perform other assigned duties.
Required Qualifications:
- Ability to have direct physical contact with and prolonged exposure to all common laboratory animal species.
- Availability to work full-time and on-site.
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) from an AVMA-accredited program.
- Current license to practice veterinary medicine in at least one state in the United States, with eligibility