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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary
The Research Assistant/Technician 4 will perform a senior and highly specialized role within a research program using large animal (Swine) models for spinal cord injury (SCI) research. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting complex surgical procedures, managing acute and post-operative animal care (including overnight and weekend shifts), and making informed decisions regarding veterinary interventions. A key aspect of this position is acting as a subject matter expert on veterinary best practices, ensuring strict compliance with CCAC guidelines, and taking part in the refinement of surgical techniques and animal care practices. This position requires a high degree of independent judgment and initiative, particularly in matters related to surgical procedures, post-operative care, and protocol development. 

Duties will be performed primarily at UBC’s Animal Care Services facility and occasionally at the main lab here at VGH; therefore, travel between facilities may be required. The work environment is technically complex, with the use of veterinary anesthetic machines, diagnostic and imaging devices, as well as specialized research equipment for in-vivo characterization of the spinal cord after injury.

This position is a grant-funded position and is available beginning Jan 15, 2027, for 1 year initially, with the possibility of an extension.

Organizational Status
ICORD is a world-leading health research centre focused on spinal cord injury. Located at Vancouver General Hospital in the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, ICORD is supported by UBC Faculties of Medicine and Science, and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. More details are available at www.icord.org. The Kwon Lab at ICORD specializes in translational research related to SCI, with both clinical and preclinical projects. For additional information, visit www.kwonlab.ca.

As part of the research team, the Animal Veterinary Research Technician reports to the Research Associate and Principal Investigator of the research group, but receives instructions from senior staff for specific tasks. They work closely with other staff and graduate students in the lab and may also collaborate with researchers and their teams from other ICORD labs and other national and international teams on collaborative projects. The position involves close collaboration with Animal Care Technicians and Clinical Veterinarians at the UBC Animal Care Services facility governed by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) and UBC Animal Care Committee (ACC). The incumbent may also provide guidance and supervision to junior staff and students.  

Work Performed
1. Surgical Procedures:

• Performs specialized and complex surgical procedures in large animal models, including surgical preparation, intraoperative technical support and completion of assigned surgical procedures, in accordance with approved protocols and applicable veterinary requirements.

• Provides anesthetic monitoring during surgical procedures using appropriate monitoring equipment.
• Collects tissues and biological samples for histological processing.

• Refines existing surgical techniques and animal care practices to minimize invasiveness, trauma, and postoperative complications, thereby enhancing animal welfare and improving research outcomes.

2. Perioperative Care, Veterinary, and Imaging Support:

• Leads and provides acute and post-operative care, including anesthetic recovery monitoring, routine veterinary nursing support and postoperative treatments in accordance with approved protocols and veterinary direction.
• Provides scheduled overnight monitoring of post-operative animals, documents observations, and makes informed determinations regarding the necessity and type of veterinary intervention required for animal health complications.
• Performs advanced technical procedures, including placement of intravenous catheters, setup and operation of monitoring equipment, and support for anesthetic induction and management
• Performs and provides technical oversight of fluoroscopic imaging during research procedures in accordance with approved protocols and radiation safety requirements.

3. Conduct Spinal Cord Injury Research Experiments:

• Participates in the collection of research data on spinal cord injury experiments, sample processing and data analysis, exploring treatment therapies for the management and improvement of function after injury.
• Contributes to the design of research experiments by providing subject matter expertise to help refine the research model and to improve the quality of collected data and experimental outcomes.

4. Veterinary and Ethical Compliance:

• Guides the development of animal ethics documentation, ensuring adherence to the highest standards of animal welfare and Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines.
• Documents animal welfare concerns, unexpected outcomes, and issues encountered during training or research procedures; contribute to the ongoing improvement of veterinary care standards within the research facility by reviewing and advising on proposed procedure changes that affect animal health.
• Tracks and compiles annual animal use numbers and maintains accurate records to support institutional reporting requirements.
• Performs other related duties as required.

5. Training and Mentorship:

• Train, mentor, and provide technical guidance to students and other lab personnel on complex surgical techniques, animal handling, and post-operative care.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Exercising poor judgment or carelessness in the Research Technician role carries severe consequences, potentially disrupting or ruining a research study, increasing costs, and jeopardizing future funding by damaging the lab's ability to compete for grants. Errors can lead to a deterioration in animal health, including mortality, which could result in the revocation of provincial licenses and research certificates for university personnel and the research group. Poor decisions can cause delays, loss of experimental data, skewed study results, and can severely damage the reputation of the Principal Investigator, the Centre, and the University.

The position requires sound independent judgment, strict adherence to approved protocols, and consistently high standards of animal care and technical precision.

Supervision Received
The Research Technician reports to the Research Associate and Principal Investigator of the research group but is expected to work under minimum supervision. For specific research activities conducted at the Animal Care Services facility, the technician receives day-to-day guidance from senior staff, animal care technicians, and clinical veterinarians, as appropriate. Sets priorities and performs most duties independently, occasionally consulting the supervisor with reference to new or complex problems.

Supervision Given
The Research Assistant/Technician 4 has a high degree of autonomy and provides supervision and training to junior staff and students on surgical techniques and animal care.

Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) designation and RLAT (or RLATR) CALAS certification are preferred. A DVM degree is an asset.

• Hands-on experience with complex surgical procedures, preferably in large animal models, such as dorsal thoracic laminectomy and spinal cord contusions, epidural and spinal cord device and biomaterial implantations, vascular catheterization for IV access and device implantation, and abdominal procedures to access various organs of interest for device implantation and monitoring of function.

• In-depth knowledge of veterinary best practices, CCAC guidelines, and ethical considerations in animal research.
• Experience providing perioperative care, anesthesia monitoring, and postoperative animal monitoring is preferred.

• Experience in designing and refining complex surgical and experimental protocols.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision and exercise sound judgment in complex veterinary and surgical situations.

Skills / Abilities

• Ability to operate veterinary medical and research equipment independently in accordance with established procedures and safety requirements (e.g., anesthetic machines, cautery machines, anesthetic monitoring equipment, pulse oximeter, Doppler, IV fluid pumps, syringe pumps, EtCO2 monitor, ventilator, imaging modalities, autoclaves, etc.).
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, overnight, weekends, and statutory holidays.
• Must be comfortable working alone, following UBC’s strict “working alone” policies.
• Exceptional organizational skills and record-keeping skills.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.

• Must be able to lift up to 40kg several times throughout the day and stand for long periods of time; work in an environment that requires continuous bending, stooping, twisting and turning; perform repetitive tasks; demonstrate good manual dexterity, mobility, auditory, olfactory, and visual skills.
• Ability to handle research animals safely and confidently and to work with laboratory reagents, research compounds, and chemicals in accordance with established protocols and safety requirements.
• Ability to perform the physical demands of the job, including: working in humid environments with varying temperatures; and continuous exposure to animal dander, odours, excreta, dust, and noise.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple concurrent research projects, tasks, and deadlines, while adapting to changing priorities in a fast-paced research environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including scientific writing and preparation of figures, reports, presentations, manuscripts, and other knowledge translation materials.
• Ability to train and provide technical guidance to students, trainees, and research personnel.