Director, Office of Laboratory Animal Care (6096U) 73444About BerkeleyAt the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.
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Departmental OverviewThe Office of Laboratory Animal Care (OLAC) is a research support unit reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California, Berkeley. UC Berkeley conducts a broad range of animal research, including numerous field studies, involving a diverse range of animal species. OLAC's mission is to support Berkeley's quality research program by promoting the highest standards of animal care, welfare, regulatory compliance, education, training and customer service.
OLAC is responsible for operating UC Berkeley's centralized animal care program, distributed across multiple buildings on the Berkeley campus and a local field station. OLAC provides animal care, research and teaching assistance, and housing facilities for all vertebrate animals used for research and teaching on campus. OLAC provides a range of services, including daily animal care; administration of the animal health care program; facility maintenance; quality control and biosecurity; processing of animal and pharmaceutical orders; veterinary research service support, including quarantine; transfer and shipment of animals; and working with controlled substances and their disposal. In coordination with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), OLAC works with investigators to ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations, and provides information regarding training requirements. OLAC provides campus-wide assistance to the research investigators, faculty and students, to fulfill the mission of the University in research and teaching.
Job SummaryReporting to the Vice Chancellor for Research, the Director of the Office of Laboratory Animal Care (OLAC) is a multifaceted leadership position responsible for the strategic oversight and management of UC Berkeley's laboratory animal care program. The role involves broad evaluations of the animal research and teaching program, guiding the development and implementation of strategies to manage research facilities while fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for both staff and researchers.
The Director serves as the Attending Veterinarian, and is responsible for managing an exemplary program of laboratory animal care and use on the Berkeley campus. Leading the institution's animal care program, the Director is responsible for maintaining exceptional standards of animal welfare and ensuring rigorous regulatory compliance.
The Director oversees a highly specialized technical team that provides and supports direct animal care, ensuring compliance with regulations. The Director has significant responsibility to achieve broadly stated goals through subordinate managers. This role determines objectives, directs programs, develops strategies and policies, manages human, financial, and physical resources, and functions with a high degree of autonomy. In addition, the director proactively assesses risk to establish systems and procedures to protect organizational assets and determines strategies for a program with organization-wide impact.
The OLAC Director oversees a range of research facilities, cultivating a collaborative environment for researchers and staff, and strengthening communication within and across the research community, including with other campus compliance offices and committees. The Director is responsible for managing an annual budget of $8 million and a team of 37 FTE (4 direct reports) that provides animal care for a wide variety of animal species across multiple locations; advocating for resources and space needs ensuring compliance with regulations; maintaining AAALAC accreditation.
In addition, the Director serves as a voting member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), providing essential guidance to ensure both regulatory compliance and the welfare of the animals. Strong leadership, effective communication, and a forward-looking strategic vision are essential for success in this role. The ability to cultivate professional relationships with researchers in ensuring the health and welfare of animals, while maintaining stringent compliance standards, and navigating the complexities of a large public university are key to the position's responsibilities.
ResponsibilitiesInstitutional Leadership and Veterinary Expertise
The Director of the Office of Laboratory Animal Care (OLAC) will play a pivotal role in promoting the highest standards of animal care and welfare. The Director will:
- Lead the campus's efforts to maintain rigorous regulatory compliance, ensuring adherence to federal and state regulations while serving as a trusted resource for faculty, students, and staff.
- Serve as a voting member on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the campus Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), providing expert guidance on animal care and research protocols.
- Serve as a member of the campus animal research space allocation committee. Oversee facility maintenance and collaborate on the design and development of new or remodeled animal care facilities to ensure regulatory and accreditation standards are met and ensure strategic and efficient space use to support research.
- Stay current with emerging trends in animal research, veterinary care, and husbandry practices, adapting and developing protocols to meet the evolving needs of researchers and animal welfare standards.
- Build and maintain relationships across the institution and with external stakeholders, representing UC Berkeley at local, regional, and national levels on matters related to animal care and research.
- Contribute to grant and contract applications, collaborating on extramural funding initiatives that advance research goals.
Unit Operations
The Director will oversee the operational and strategic functions of OLAC, ensuring seamless daily operations across all research facilities. Key responsibilities include:
- Setting the departmental vision and providing leadership in the management of laboratory animal care, health programs, facility maintenance, and biosecurity measures.
- Managing and mentoring veterinary staff and supervisors, overseeing their development, scheduling, and performance evaluations, while maintaining high standards of care.
- Ensuring financial sustainability by managing the OLAC budget, procurement processes, and recharge models for investigators, while advocating for resources that align with the campus's research needs.
- Providing veterinary support as needed, including backup care, and addressing escalated operational or personnel matters to maintain a high functioning, motivated team.
Compliance and Accreditation
The Director will take a proactive approach to maintaining and advancing regulatory compliance and accreditation, ensuring that the animal care program meets or exceeds required standards. This includes:
- Overseeing the development and administration of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), training programs, and facility protocols to comply with all animal use regulations.
- Leading the campus response for AAALAC accreditation reviews, ensuring all documentation and facility standards are maintained, while preparing for and facilitating successful accreditation visits.
- Coordinating with the Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU) to ensure that research protocols meet regulatory and ethical standards, including biosecurity, infectious disease control, and safety protocols.
- Continuously monitoring compliance with government regulations (USDA, Cal OSHA, EH&S), enforcing all departmental and University policies, and managing emergency preparedness plans for OLAC facilities.
- Setting expectations and providing expert advice and training to principal investigators and laboratory staff to promote understanding and compliance with animal care standards, responding to and addressing any adverse events or unanticipated outcomes.
Attending Veterinarian - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL):
The Director will provide veterinary oversight and leadership to ensure the well-being of animals used in research at LBNL. This includes:
- Serving as the Attending Veterinarian for LBNL's animal care program, ensuring adherence to all relevant veterinary care and research standards.
- Participating as a voting member of the LBNL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), conducting routine facility inspections to uphold compliance and animal welfare standards.
- Meeting quarterly with LBNL animal care leadership to provide guidance on animal health and facility protocols.
- Coordinating backup veterinary care and technical assistance from UC Berkeley's OLAC staff as needed to ensure continuity of care.
- Providing expert consultation on animal care practices, helping to resolve issues, and ensuring seamless communication between the LBNL and UC Berkeley research communities.
Required Qualifications- Doctoral degree (D.V.M. / V.M.D.) from veterinary school that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Associate, or equivalent degree.
- Must have USDA Veterinary Accreditation, or must obtain within the first year of employment.
- Must have ACLAM certification for a minimum of 5 years.
- Valid U.S. license to practice veterinary medicine.
- Must have California license, or must obtain within the first year of employment.
- Excellent leadership abilities; directing, managing, supporting and motivating employees, maintaining a positive, collaborative, collegial, and efficient work environment, and sustaining accountability in a positive team culture, including a demonstrated leadership ability to work collaboratively in a complex and union environment.
- Excellent experience supervising management and professional staff performing animal health care functions including professionals and technicians performing patient care and diagnostic procedures.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with a diverse group of people including animal care staff, specialized committee members (such as the IACUC and Institutional Biosafety Committee), faculty researchers/PIs, research staff, students, institutional partners, volunteers and other stakeholders in regards to the veterinary care of animals.
- Strong political acumen and strategic skills in navigating a complex and matrixed environment to understand stakeholder needs and be able to leverage understanding and relationships to advance initiatives and solutions that positively impact operations. This includes the excellent ability to recognize when issues need to be escalated to central campus units and/or leadership to promote awareness and timely resolution of issues.
- Excellent ability to develop collaborative, trusting and professional relationships with faculty PIs and research staff, while maintaining the ability to intervene if/when needed on behalf of animals and OLAC staff to resolve conflict, protect animal welfare, negotiate standards, protocols and space use and maintain a safe, compliant and inclusive environment.
- Ability to provide leadership in emergency situations including natural disasters, facilities emergencies, protests and/or other escalations or tense situations.
- Thorough knowledge evaluating animal health and welfare and in performing anesthesia, monitoring and recovery of animals. Ability to perform animal surgeries as needed.
- Thorough knowledge associated with conducting examinations, prescribing and administering treatments, and advising PIs, laboratory staff and handlers.
- Thorough knowledge of electronic / medical records systems. Must possess computer literacy for related software and solutions.
- Significant number of years of progressively responsible laboratory management experience in a multi-species, multi-disciplinary research environment or similar.
Preferred Qualifications- Licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California.
- Experience, and ability to work with represented staff and manage effectively in a union environment. Experience working with Employee & Labor Relations as needed to resolve conflicts and foster a positive working environment.
- Knowledge and experience working with facilities, space allocation and resource management. Understanding of NIH financial recharge model for animal care costs.
- Curiosity, drive and creativity to strategically plan for, and collaboratively manage infrastructure and spaces.
- Experience with generating extramural funding, research, and grant proposal development.
Salary & BenefitsFor information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's
Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The anticipated/budgeted range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position will be in the mid to high 200s. The full salary range for this position classification is $171,000.00 to $345,600.00.
How to ApplyTo apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Diversity StatementPlease include, as part of your application a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your professional experience.
Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our UC Berkeley Principles of Community, which states that 'every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring, and humane environment in which these values can thrive.'
Other InformationThis search is supported by Berkeley Executive Search.
Conviction History BackgroundThis is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.
Equal Employment OpportunityThe University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.
The
University of California's Affirmative action policy.
The
University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.
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