IACUC Quality Assurance Specialist

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Penn State's Office for Research Protections (ORP) seeks a highly motivated and experienced professional to serve as an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Quality Assurance Specialist.

The IACUC Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist will report to the Director of the IACUC and work closely with researchers, IACUC program staff, the Animal Resource Program, and other University offices to ensure the University's Animal Care and Use Program maintains compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and policies governing the use of vertebrate animals in research, teaching, or testing.

Key Responsibilities: This position will perform the following responsibilities:

• Assist the Director with the development of the post-approval monitoring (PAM) and quality assurance (QA) program including development of SOPs, forms, and supporting documentation and educational materials.

• Coordinate the PAM and QA reviews of approved animal research activities to ensure compliance with approved protocols and applicable regulations. Activities include review of animal health and procedure records, animal research training records, and other documentation in support of institutional policies and procedures. Some activities will require travel to University Park, Commonwealth Campuses, and other research locations for in-person visits.

• Serve as a resource for the animal research community to facilitate interactions with the IACUC and other animal care and use program stakeholders as appropriate.

• Work with institutional units such as the Animal Resource Program and Environmental Health and Safety to assist researchers with resolution of PAM and QA findings and other compliance concerns as needed.

• Present post-approval and QA reports to the Director and the IACUC. Track trends in findings and provide recommendations to eliminate gaps or improve compliance.

• In collaboration with the ORP Education team, develop educational materials (SOPs, templates, websites, webinars, newsletter articles) to provide education and outreach for the Penn State animal research community.

• Assist the IACUC program as needed for activities such as electronic protocol review process management, on-campus semi-annual inspections, annual compliance reporting, and regulatory visits (i.e., USDA, AAALAC, OLAW).

Minimum Qualifications: This position requires a Bachelor's degree or higher and 3+ years of related experience with animal subject research, animal subject research-related activities, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. CPIA (Certified Professional IACUC Administrator) credential required within one year of eligibility.

The Ideal candidate will:

• have strong attention to detail.
• be able to exercise a wide range of independent judgment and discretion.
• maintain confidentiality and navigate sensitive situations carefully.
• have excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• support Penn State's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).
• be proficient with the Microsoft Office 365 suite, digital technology solutions, electronic data management systems.

Work Arrangement: This position is a hybrid position and will require periodic on-campus meetings, inspections, and other in-person activities.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion inallits forms.We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to tuition discounts (75% discount for spouse and children), and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/current-employee/benefits for more detailed information.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: