Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU) Assistant Director

Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent and 8 years of professional experience

• Master's degree or DVM and minimum of five years directly related experience in IACUC or equivalent animal ethical review board at an institute of higher education or industry.
• Certification: Eligible to take the Certified Professional in IACUC Administration (CPIA) exam
• Certification: Current Certified Professional in IACUC Administration (CPIA) certification; AALAS
  
• Certifications: ALAT, LAT, LATG, CMAR
  

• Expert knowledge of regulations, and associated documents, concerning animal research protections (PHS Policy, The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, The Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals, The Animal Welfare Act and Regulations).
• Proven leadership and management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work dependably and cooperatively within a team and to establish and maintain effective and professional interpersonal relationships.
• Strong active listening skills, problem identification and solving skills, excellent customer service orientation, and attention to detail.
• Strong deductive reasoning and analytical and critical thinking.
• Strong reading comprehension and written and oral expression.
• Ability to maintain strict standards of confidentiality.
• Ability to develop specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work independently and to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted in order to meet specific service goals in a high-volume, fast-paced environment while demonstrating the ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information, when needed.

• Sitting or standing for long periods of time using a computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
• Frequent communication via email, Zoom, and other Internet modalities.
• Some in-person and telephone contact
• Driving to and walking for inspections.
• Driving ranges from on campus to a few hours from campus.
• Walking ranges from across campus to throughout various locations in a large building to around pastures
• Lift or carry up to 20 lbs.
• Occasional overnight inspections. Some inspections (2-3/year) require overnight stays (1-2 nights) at hotels.

• Writing routine reports: The USDA annual report, OLAW annual report, AAALAC annual report, OLAW Animal Welfare Assurance, and AAALAC Program Description
• Inspections from external agencies: AAALAC site visits, USDA inspections, and industry audit visits
• Development and implementation of the new protocol management system with associated new form and guidance documents; databases to track information external to the protocol system, such as inspections and deficiencies; a system to track animal use; and a system for oversight and documentation of annual disaster plan revisions and training
• Development and implementation of a formal Post Approval Monitoring (PAM) program to proactively support investigator compliance

• Managing IACUC protocol reviews (throughput, accuracy, thoroughness)
• Managing IACUC meetings (agenda, minutes, post-meeting revisions/approval)
• Managing the IACUC semi-annual inspection program (a current, accurate list of inspection locations, compliance with regulatory-enforced schedules, timely report distribution, and ensuring deficiencies are appropriately addressed)
• Drafting and updating IACUC policies, guidelines, and SOPs
• Implementation of new or revised IACUC policies and guidelines (broad posting/notification, guidance and training materials)
• Other duties such as ad hoc post-approval monitoring; compliance oversight after non-compliance events; the adoption program and subcommittee.

• Coordinate with the Director to ensure the work of the department meets best practice standards and perform OACU and IACUC quality assurance and quality improvement tasks, including monitoring performance metrics, conducting for-cause and routine audits of activities and documents, and assisting with testing electronic submission system updates to identify problems; perform needs assessments; and evaluate and analyze OACU effectiveness and consistency.

• Conduct preliminary review of animal research projects (protocols, amendments to protocols).
• Assess for completeness, accuracy, and regulatory compliance; determine whether a proposed activity meets regulatory and policy requirements to have IACUC approval and whether it requires related regulatory documents, such as Biosafety approval, chemical hazard information, MOUs, and/or Interinstitutional Agreements.

• Conduct IACUC inspections, including scheduling, recruiting IACUC members, and completing inspection reports.

• Coordinate with the Director by managing reports of incidents of concern, including adverse events, unexpected outcomes, possible non-compliances, and concerns related to animal research.
• Assist with investigations, documentation, and determining if regulatory self-reporting is required.
• Assist with Open Records request responses, including searching for and assessing potentially responsive records.

• Other work as assigned, including coverage for colleagues during vacation or during vacancies.
• In the absence of the Director, provide leadership of OACU operations and staff.