Animal Care Contractor

Company:

Kidney disease is a severe and growing worldwide health challenge that affects 1 in 7 people. Without effective treatments patients can experience kidney failure leading to dialysis and transplantation, a high burden to patients, families and the health care system. Despite recent advances for certain kidney disease patients, many forms of highly prevalent kidney diseases do not have effective treatments.  

Borealis was founded on the premise that a convergence of scientific and translational breakthroughs will enable RNA therapeutics to address some of the largest untreated kidney diseases and beyond.  Borealis builds on the success of Chinook Therapeutics, a kidney disease company with a research site in Vancouver that was acquired by Novartis in 2023 for up to $3.5 billion. The Borealis team has strong leadership and academic advisors who were central to research at Chinook, together with additional leadership in the field of RNA therapeutics. We are headquartered in Vancouver, BC, with state-of-the-art wet labs for molecular and cellular biology, in vivo pharmacology, chemistry, DMPK, bioinformatics and analytical capabilities. 

We are a creative and innovative team that strives for excellence in all we do and has fun along the way. Our core focus is on helping patients and advancing science. For more information on Borealis, check out our sites https://borealisbio.com & https://www.linkedin.com/company/borealis-biosciences-inc. 

We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most innovative talent on our team. We are building a diverse and inclusive workforce – come and be a part of our growth! We strongly encourage candidates with less traditional backgrounds or those who may meet the qualifications in a different way to apply.

Position:

Borealis Biosciences is seeking an Animal Care Contractor to join the Translational Biology and Pharmacology team. Reporting to the Senior Animal Technician, the successful candidate will play a key role in supporting vivarium operations and animal care. The role offers the opportunity to collaborate with in vivo pharmacologists and contribute to daily vivarium operations.

This is a contract position (35-40 hours per week). We anticipate this position to be 1-year fixed term.

Responsibilities include:

• Conduct and document daily health observations of mice and rats, identifying and reporting any signs of illness, injury, or abnormal behaviour in accordance with CCAC guidelines
  


• Conduct routine husbandry tasks, including cage changing, feeding, watering, animal receiving and separation, weighing, daily animal census and administering appropriate health treatments
  


• Clean and disinfect metabolic cages and associated components; ensure all caging systems and equipment meet sanitation standards.
  


• Maintain cleanliness throughout the vivarium by sanitizing benchtops, floors, walls, and other surfaces; perform custodial tasks such as mopping, sweeping, and waste removal
  


• Appropriately dispose of biological samples and contaminated caging in compliance with biohazard procedures.
  


• Maintain accurate inventories of animals, caging supplies, feed, bedding, and general laboratory supplies; communicate supply needs in a timely manner.
  


• Support in vivo studies by assisting with animal randomization, organizing lab materials, printing labels, labeling tubes and sample containers, and performing accurate data entry, such as Excel and Benchling.
  


• Engage actively in maintaining a respectful, solution-oriented, and collaborative workplace culture aligned with Borealis Biosciences’ mission and values.
  


• Foster a positive, team-oriented culture by actively supporting colleagues and contributing to a collaborative work environment
  

Location: 

• This is an on-site lab-based position located in Borealis Bio's Vancouver, BC headquarters.  
  

Education, Experience, and Skills:

• High school diploma, B.Sc. degree or Animal Health Technology (AHT) diploma preferred. RLAT certification is an asset.


• In vivo experience with research rodents is an asset, particularly with handling, restraint, routine injections and collection of blood, urine, and tissue samples.
  


• Strong communication and organizational abilities with a proven capacity to follow SOPs, maintain accurate records, and manage multiple tasks independently and efficiently.
  


• Ability to take direction, work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced research environment.
  


• Demonstrates a positive attitude, high ethical standards, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to animal welfare and scientific integrity.
  

Compensation: The hourly rate ranges from $25.00 to $30.00 per hour. 

Borealis is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind.  We are committed to fostering an environment where ALL people are welcome and supported. We cultivate a culture of inclusion for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences enable us to be a better team – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation, and delivers better business results. Creativity and innovation flourish in an environment of openness, inclusion, and mutual respect.