Director of Laboratory Animal Resources and Attending Veterinarian

Position Title:

Director of Laboratory Animal Resources and Attending Veterinarian

Job Group:

Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of related experience

Special Required Qualifications

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM, DMV, DVSc, VetMB, VMD), Drivers License

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in Laboratory Animal Science.
Experience managing an animal research unit in a university setting.
Experience working closely with an Institutional Care and Use Committee and Institutional Biosafety Committee in a university setting.
Additional certifications/licenses/accreditations such as ACLAM Board Certification, USDA Veterinary Accreditation, and DEA license.
Strong familiarity with PHS, USDA, and appropriate regulatory agency policies and regulations, along with experience with external accreditation bodies such as AAALAC.
Experience as an Attending Veterinarian for a major animal research unit.
Experience supervising/leading a large team (25+ individuals).

Job Description:

Do you thrive in fast-paced environments where no two days are the same? Are you looking for a role where you can play a crucial part in delivering exceptional care?

If so, The Office of the Vice President for Research at Iowa State University seeks candidates for Director of Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR) and Attending Veterinarian (AV)! This individual oversees the facilities, veterinary staff, animal care staff, housing and husbandry of animals in the LAR facilities and is the Attending Veterinarian for Iowa State University.

The Director will perform leadership duties, including budgeting, personnel management, and long-term planning for LAR. The individual will lead the effort to enhance the facilities and services provided by LAR and collaborate closely with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to ensure that animal care in LAR is consistent with all applicable federal regulations. They will supervise and manage the LAR staff, including veterinarians, office staff, and animal care staff and will keep up to date on applicable regulations and laws. The Director will confer with federal agencies as needed and respond to media and external contacts relevant to animal welfare and related topics.

The incumbent will also serve as the Iowa State University Attending Veterinarian. Responsibilities will be oversight of the health and welfare of live vertebrate animals used in research, teaching, and testing, including:

• Maintaining and monitoring an adequate program of veterinary care in compliance with the requirements and expectations of the USDA, the Guide, Ag Guide, and PHS Policy.

• Assuring appropriate methods to prevent, control, diagnose, and treat disease and injuries.

• Assuring appropriate documentation of treatment of animals, including resolution of the concerns.

The Director will serve as a member of the IACUC and participate in protocol review, inspections, investigator support, research support and consultation and will collaborate with the Office of Research Ethics and relevant colleges to achieve AAALAC accreditation. This individual will report directly to the Associate Vice President for Research. 

The successful candidate will be able to motivate and lead staff in a complex organization and achieve primary strategic objectives for LAR. The candidate will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and can communicate effectively with university administrators, faculty, and staff. 

This position will be classified as a Director Research Administration.

This position serves at the pleasure of university administration and is exempt from certain P&S policies.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an on-going basis without sponsorship.

Level Guidelines
• May provide input into the strategic planning process
• Operationalizes annual goals and objectives from strategic plan with department(s) to develop annual departmental objective and action plans
• Develops and recommends institution policy within area of functional or operational expertise
• Scope of influence may be a function, a large sub function, or multiple sub functions
• Manages staff and sets priorities for department(s)
• Typically has sufficient staff to have multiple Managers or Supervisors as direct reports
• Has full management responsibility for direct reports, specifically the authority to hire, fire, and counsel
• Understands key drivers of financial performance for operational areas
• Provides substantial input to the budgeting process
• Responsible for budgetary decisions according to gui