Job Description
Our Mission
Our mission is to restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life.
For more information, see our website at altoslabs.com.
Our Value
Our Single Altos Value: Everyone Owns Achieving Our Inspiring Mission.
Diversity at Altos
Altos Labs has been named one of the Top 3 Biotech Companies and ranked for the second year on the Forbes 2026 Best Startups in America list. At Altos, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment.
What You Will Contribute To Altos
The Senior Animal Care Technician will be responsible for delivering high‑quality, humane rodent care and supporting reliable in vivo research at Altos Labs. In this role, you will focus on advanced, hands-on husbandry and rodent colony management to ensure animals are healthy, appropriately managed, and available on time for experimental needs. You will help maintain a clean, compliant, and inspection‑ready facility through meticulous animal care, accurate documentation, and adherence to IACUC protocols and SOPs. You will work closely with veterinary staff, vivarium leadership, and research teams to address animal‑related issues, share best practices, and support efficient, high‑integrity science in a fast‑paced environment.
Animal Care, Welfare & Vivarium Operations
Perform and oversee daily rodent husbandry, including cage changing, bedding and enrichment, feed/water provision, room cleaning, and rack/equipment sanitation per SOPs.
Perform routine animal observations and measurements (e.g., daily health and welfare checks, weighing per study/monitoring schedules)
Implement study or veterinary‑directed interventions, including special/experimental diets, medicated feed, and water treatments, and promptly escalate and treat health cases based on guidance from veterinary staff (e.g., illness, injury, abnormal behavior, weight loss).or welfare concerns (e.g., illness, injury, abnormal behavior, weight loss) to veterinary and supervisory staff.
Maintain species-appropriate environmental and housing conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, lighting, enrichment, group/single housing) in accordance with institutional and regulatory standards.
Receive research animals, assign identification and housing, manage transfers, and print/maintain cage cards and other identifiers to ensure accurate records of animals, breeding status, and study assignments.
Operate and perform routine care on vivarium facility equipment (e.g., ventilated racks, biosafety cabinets, sanitizing equipment); support recycling activities and general facility upkeep to maintain a clean, safe, and inspection‑ready environment.
Assist with ordering, receiving, and stocking of animal care and facility supplies to ensure continuous availability of required materials.
Prepare and maintain the facility in a state of readiness for internal IACUC inspections, including documentation, room/equipment condition, and follow‑up on corrective actions.
Adhere to biosafety and biosecurity procedures to maintain a safe and compliant environment.
Document all relevant husbandry, health, breeding, and environmental data in designated systems and support institutional health‑surveillance activities.
Follow IACUC‑approved protocols, SOPs, and institutional guidelines; communicate clearly with veterinary, management, and research staff and collaborate with colleagues to ensure consistent, compliant operations.
Colony Management
Plan, set up, and monitor rodent breeding schemes (pairs/trios) in alignment with requests and colony objectives.
Perform timely weaning and identification of animals, ensuring appropriate housing and minimizing stress.
Collect tissue samples for genotyping (e.g., ear punches, tail tips, or other IACUC-approved methods) following welfare-focused best practices.
Coordinate submission of genotyping samples to external vendors; ensure accurate sample labeling, documentation, and chain-of-custody.
Record breeding events, litters, weaning, animal assignments, diet changes and genotyping results in colony management software (e.g., SoftMouse or similar platforms).
Support investigators in ensuring the timely availability of correctly genotyped animals for experiments and in optimizing colony size to meet demand while minimizing surplus animals.
Who You Are
Requirements
Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Biology, Laboratory Animal Science, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience).
Minimum 5+ years of hands-on rodent vivarium experience in an industry setting (biotech, pharma, CRO, or other fast-paced, highly regulated research environment).
Strong attention to detail, organization, and documentation skills, including electronic recordkeeping.
Ability to work collaboratively in a team-based, SOP-driven environment, including participation in weekend/holiday rotations as required.
Preferred
AALAS certification (ALAT, LAT, or higher) or equivalent.
Experience using colony management software such as SoftMouse or similar tools for tracking breeding, genotyping, and animal use.
Familiarity with AAALAC accreditation standards and IACUC processes
The salary range for Redwood City:
Senior Animal Care Technician: $80,300 - $102,900
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Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.
For UK applicants, before submitting your application:
- Please click here to read the Altos Labs EU and UK Applicant Privacy Notice (bit.ly/eu_uk_privacy_notice)
- This Privacy Notice is not a contract, express or implied and it does not set terms or conditions of employment.
Equal Opportunity Employment
We value collaboration and scientific excellence.
We believe that a culture of belonging are foundational to scientific innovation and inquiry. At Altos Labs, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining an inclusive environment.
Altos Labs provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Altos prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Thank you for your interest in Altos Labs where we strive for a culture of scientific excellence, learning, and belonging.
Note: Altos Labs will not ask you to download a messaging app for an interview or outlay your own money to get started as an employee. If this sounds like your interaction with people claiming to be with Altos, it is not legitimate and has nothing to do with Altos. Learn more about a common job scam at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-spot-avoid-online-job-scams-biron-clark/