The Team Lead, Vivarium, serves as a functional leader within the In Vivo Research team, coordinating daily activities and supporting process execution in line with study protocols. While this role does not have formal direct supervisory duties, the Team Lead is responsible for guiding team operations, facilitating communication between staff and management, and supporting new employee onboarding and training. This role involves supervising data collection from industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated studies, ensuring adherence to protocols and compliance with all regulatory and safety guidelines, and managing all procedures related to small animal handling, husbandry, surgery, drug preparation, and dosing. This position plays a key role in maintaining protocol compliance, animal welfare, and operational efficiency across the lab. 

 Essential Responsibilities:

• Facilitate daily team huddles to communicate study updates and cross-functional information.
• Serve as a key contributor in process improvement initiatives and ensure adherence to established standard work.
• Monitor and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as defined by leadership.
• Act as a resource and technical mentor to new hires and team members requiring additional support.
• Promote responsible use of resources and cost-effective practices.
• Ensure all study-related documentation is current, accurate, and audit-ready.
• Perform and oversee in vivo procedures, including small animal handling, dosing, surgery, tumor implantation, euthanasia, and sample collection/processing.
• Administer agents according to protocol-specific dosing schedules and routes.
• Collect and record data related to body weights, tumor measurements, and other endpoints using approved tools and software.
• Ensure health and welfare of animals, maintaining compliance with AAALAC and IACUC standards.
• Identify and escalate quality or compliance concerns to the appropriate supervisor or project manager.
• Monitor Key Quality Indicators (KQIs) and ensure lab environments are maintained in a clean, safe, and OSHA-compliant state.
• Participate in weekly cross-functional team meetings and provide study-related updates.
• Assist in aligning daily study conduct with customer-defined deliverables and expectations.
• Solicit feedback from internal stakeholders and escalate concerns as needed.
• Support operations review meetings and share team performance insights as applicable.
• Assist in the completion of study logs, inventory records, and compliance documentation.
• Ensure all documentation is aligned with SOPs and regulatory expectations.
• Other duties may be assigned at any time.

 Required Education and Experience:

•         Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field.
•         3 years of related experience.
•         Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
•         Strong attention to detail and documentation practices.
•         Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team environment.

 Preferred Education and Experience:

•            Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field.
•         Demonstrated experience in technical mentoring or functional leadership.
•         Formal training in animal handling and in vivo research procedures.
•         Familiarity with AAALAC, IACUC, and OSHA compliance.

 Physical and Travel Requirements:

• Ability to stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to perform daily tasks requiring fine motor skills.
• Ability to utilize full range of motion (reaching, bending, etc.).
• Ability to lift 40 pounds.
• Ability to handle and understand safety procedures associated with biological, investigational, or hazardous materials, not to exceed BSL2.
• Ability to work with and understand safety procedures associated with sharps, including but not limited to needles, scalpel blades, lancets, etc.
• Ability to don full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on shift, including but not limited to lab coat, gloves, mask, and bouffant.