Animal Technician - Assistant Herpetologist
The Department of Parasitolgy has an exciting opportunity for a Animal Technician - Assistant Herpetologist to be part of the Alistair Reid Venomon Research Unit.
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for research in tropical diseases. Through the creation of effective links with governments, organisations and institutions and by responding to the health needs of communities, LSTM aims to promote improved health, particularly for people of the less developed/resource poorest countries in the tropics and sub-tropics.
Snakebite is a Neglected Tropical Disease that kills many thousands of victims each year and leaves many more survivors with poverty-inducing disabilities, particularly in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The research focus of LSTM’s Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit (ARVRU) is to develop the next generation of clinical tools to substantially and sustainably reduce the high rates of deaths and disability in sub-Saharan Africa.
Now, with substantive new funding we have established the African Snakebite Research Group (ASRG) which brings together African, UK, Asian and Australian expertise in snake venom therapy and biology, pharmacology, epidemiology, health economics and diagnostics development to establish self-sustaining regional hubs of snakebite expertise in strategically-selected units in Nigeria, Cameroon and Kenya. This provides an exciting opportunity for a Technician skilled in animal handling to join a pioneering, innovative and expanding team to assist with the daily activities of the Herpetarium and with our preclinical testing of venom toxicity and antivenom effectiveness.
This is a unique opportunity as the successful candidate will be given extensive training to (i) assist our Senior Herpetologist with ensuring the good health of the 300+ venomous snakes in our collection, and to (ii) conduct preclinical testing in a mouse model. You must be able to demonstrate a willingness, capability and aptitude to work in such environments and contribute to cleaning of the snake rooms and cages, processing snake venom samples and meticulous record keeping. Working with Mr Paul Rowley, the Senior Herpetologist and Dr Rob Harrison, the leader of the ASRG and ARVRU, the candidate will receive extensive training in the safe handling of venomous snakes, including in venom extraction, so we are looking for someone with real confidence and enthusiasm to progress within the department.
It is essential that you are qualified to a minimum of GCSE standard, and have relevant experience of working within a research laboratory. The successful candidate will also need to demonstrate experience of working in a team environment, with excellent attention to detail and communication skills, as you will be required to maintain accurate record keeping in a timely and concise manner. Excellent time management skills are also a prerequisite to meet targets and deadlines.
Closing Date: 14th August 2017
This job is unlikely to attract a Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (formerly a work permit). Applications from candidates who require Tier 2 immigration status to work in the UK may not be considered if there are a sufficient number of other suitable candidates. To apply for a Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship, employers need to demonstrate that they are unable to recruit a resident worker before recruiting an individual overseas
We believe that this post will not be suitable for individuals on Tier 5 visas as these posts are not considered to be supernumerary to the organisation. For further details, please visit the UKVI website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration
Take a look at some of the great work we have achieved over the past year 2015-2016 by viewing our annual report: http://www.lstmed.ac.uk/about/publications/lstm-annual-report-2015-2016
LSTM actively promotes an Equal Opportunities Policy
To apply please click HERE
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant        |
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