Quality Assurance Analyst - Animal

Date Posted: 02/11/2025
Req ID: 41625
Faculty/Division: VP - Research
Department: Research Oversight & Compliance Office
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00039077

Description:

About us:

The Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI) portfolio supports the University of Toronto as a top public research university in the world. Our mission is to create the most supportive environment possible so that our researchers, innovators and learners can do what they do best — advance understanding and apply new knowledge. Our work supports, fosters and promotes the research and innovation culture and activities of our faculty, staff and students, along with our partner hospitals, funding sponsors, and partners in the public and private sector. VPRI provides a full range of services including guidance to faculty, staff and students on funding opportunities, research agreement negotiation, oversight andaccountability services including research accounting, environmental health and safety, innovation and entrepreneurship, partnerships, policies and procedures, and institutional awards and honours.

Your opportunity:

With familiarity and knowledge of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) policies and guidelines, as well as the provincial Animals for Research Act legislation, the Quality Assurance Analyst (QAA), works to ensure that CCAC, provincial and University of Toronto guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and animal care committees (ACCs) decisions are followed throughout the Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP). The incumbent contributes to the ongoing Post-Approval Review (PAR) of animal use protocols and research projects by performing quality assurance (QA) visits to observe procedures, collect information about practices/spaces in use, by creating reports for these visits and communicating findings to relevant parties and by following up to ensure findings are addressed. The QAA consults and works with the University’s veterinary and animal care staff, the Animal Ethics & Compliance Supervisor (AECS), and members of the various ACCs in the course of their work to implement program changes ranging from the individual protocol to the institutional level, in part based on QA visit data analysis for trends and by helping manage the process for creating and revising SOPs. The latter includes organization, access control, and management of a centralized SOP database for the entire ACUP and assist with ensuring all SOPs are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

The QAA is required to recognize potential issues in many diverse areas relating to animal care and use, including, but not limited to, animal husbandry and care, surgical techniques, staff safety (e.g., biosafety-related) concerns and occupational hazards.
Position responsibilities include travel to all University campuses and occasionally to off-campus locations for inspection of field research locations within Ontario.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing and advising on best practices regarding animal use protocols (AUPs) for research and teaching
• Conducting site visits to ensure adherence to animal care according to committee approved AUPs
• Writing reports on site visit findings
• Keeping well-informed on animal care policies, guidelines and regulations
• Editing animal useguidelines for approval
• Serving as a resource to others by providing (non-supervisory) job-related guidance

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in an animal research-related field plus postgraduate specialization/professional designation/certification in lab animal. Registered Lab Animal Technician and/or Veterinary Technician certification preferred, or an acceptable equivalent or combination of education and experience.
• Minimum four (4) years relevant experience in a university or hospital or equivalent setting.
• Hands-on experience in animal research setting.
• Knowledge and understanding of Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) policies and guidelines as well as provincial Animals for Research Act legislation.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to apply protocols to a variety of situations.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, ability to write clearly, concisely and using writing styles appropriate to an academic audience.
• Demonstrated diplomacy, confidentiality, and judgment.
• Ability to adapt to change, to work with staff at various levels of an organization and with a variety of working styles.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, Visio, Forms).

Assets (Nonessential):

• Experience serving on an animal care committee is an asset.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Adaptable
• Diplomatic
• Multi-tasker
• Resourceful
• Tactful
• Team player

Closing Date: 02/25/2025, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW 
Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing 
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:  
USW Pay Band 11 -- $75,223. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $96,196. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol. 
Job Category: Research Administration & Teaching
Recruiter: Anita Chooraman

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.