Animal Care Specialist

Team info:

The animal care team is responsible for providing care for NLK animals in the areas of husbandry, enrichment, cooperative veterinary medicine, and behavioral health/ training. Animal care specialists will create and implement refinements that ensure animals have access to basic needs, species typical behaviors, agency, and joy (defined by engaging in preferred activities). They will also develop and maintain behavioral intervention plans to maximize wellbeing using methodology based in PRT and the science of Applied Behavior Analysis. Team members will also coordinate with engineers and researchers conduct voluntary research task sessions and collect data for study usage in order to maintain high welfare standards while furthering Neuralink’s mission. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform animal husbandry including but not limited to enclosure cleaning, feeding, watering, health observations, and documentation of husbandry procedures
• Develop behavior intervention plans using Behavior Analysis techniques in animals and maintain behavioral data records 
• Develop training plans for a wide range of voluntary husbandry, research, and co-operative care behaviors
• Conduct training sessions using methodology based in Positive Reinforcement Training
• Conduct behavior scans to monitor animal behavior and social housing dynamics
• Develop and implement novel enrichment devices for animals to maximize cognitive stimulation including food, exercise, and socialization
• Develop and implement novel refinements that promote animal agency and joy to optimize welfare 
• Support vet team in conducting health checks, obtaining health information, and providing treatments to animals
• Coordinate with and provide support to researchers in data collection of voluntary behavior experiments 
• Adhere to federal, state and local laws

Key qualifications:

• Adore animals and have experience training them using force free techniques
• B.A. or B.S.
• Able to lift 50 lbs
• Comfortable with exposure to animal bodily fluids, including blood

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working in a lab animal research environment 
• Experience working closely with non-human primates 
• Experience working in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) setting with Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification
• Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) certification
• Ability to travel to/ from and work in Austin 

Success Factors:

• Team player
• Ability to follow procedures
• Adapt to changing priorities and schedules
• Ability to perform core functions independently
• Tech Savvy: troubleshooting hardware and software, basic computer skills (proficient in Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Gmail)
• Enjoy solving hard problems

Work Environment: Animal care facilities, Vivarium, Office.