Job opportunity - Monkey Enrichment Specialist - SNPRC Behavioral Services
Ken Sayers
Research Assistant/Associate Position (Monkey Enrichment Specialist) in Behavioral Services
The Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, TX, is searching for an enthusiastic, organized, creative, and skilled full-time Research Assistant or Research Associate in the field of primate behavior. The candidate will be working as part of the Behavioral Services group to design, coordinate, evaluate and deliver enrichment and environmental enhancement to a variety of nonhuman primates in care of the center. The individual will have the opportunity to participate in independent or collaborative research on primate behavior, cognition, evolution, behavioral management, and related topics, and will join an innovative, cooperative, and dedicated behavioral team.
The Role:
• Maintain standards of existing enrichment program
• Create weekly enrichment plans/schedules
• Deliver enrichment to 300-400 monkeys on a routine schedule
• Clean and sanitize enrichment that has been distributed to animals
• Clean and maintain Enrichment Kitchen including sweeping, mopping, and wiping down surfaces
• Design, assess, and build new enrichment devices
• Maintain and evaluate records of enrichment distribution in a computerized database
• Conduct annual staff training presentations on enrichment
• Participate in meetings related to enrichment and primate behavior management
• Participate in research projects
• Keep current on literature on enrichment and primate behavior management
• Participate in journal/book club on topics related to primate behavior management
• Other duties as assigned
Our Ideal Candidate:
• BS in psychology, anthropology, biology, or related fields
• Good organization and computer skills
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Capacity to lift and carry upwards of 50 lbs for short distances on a regular basis
• Experience working with animals in a captive environment is preferred, but such experience is not required if course work provided sufficient training for assignment
• Enthusiasm for primate behavior, and its study
Who we are:
Texas Biomedical Research Institute is one of the world's leading independent biomedical research institutions dedicated to advancing global human health through innovative biomedical research. Texas Biomed aims to unravel the mysteries of infectious diseases through innovative thinking, creative problem-solving, and cutting-edge technologies. Texas Biomed is host institution to the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC), one of only seven such centers in the United States. SNPRC is a national resource and is home to a wide variety of nonhuman primate species, including large breeding colonies of baboons, rhesus macaques, and marmosets. For almost six decades, we have served as a hub for innovative basic and translational research in all facets of primate biology.
What we can offer you:
• Competitive pay
• 7% Employer-Funded retirement contribution starting day one
• Full insurance benefits
• Holidays, PTO, and a paid week off for the last week of December
Other:
Work can involve strenuous physical activities of various kinds with routine exposure to animals, hazardous substances, potentially dangerous situations, and unpleasant work conditions (e.g. exposure to unpleasant odors or adverse weather conditions).
** All new hires must present proof of an up-to-date COVID-19 immunization record to include booster(s), if eligible.
Apply at: https://txbiomed.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/461?c=txbiomed