Applications are invited for a motivated and experienced Biofacility Manager / Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer (NACWO) to lead operations within an Experimental Barrier, located at busy and pioneering biomedical facility in Cambridge, as part of the University Biomedical Services division.
The facility, inaugurated in 2020, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to support cutting-edge biomedical research. It features five rodent barriers, an aquatics barrier, a stores function, and a centralised automated cage-wash system, ensuring optimal efficiency and biosecurity. The Experimental Barrier, the largest full Individually Ventilated Cage (IVC) Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) facility within the building, boasts an impressive capacity of 12,000 cages. It also includes a comprehensive Surgery Suite and multiple specialised research rooms, providing a versatile and highly controlled environment for a wide range of experimental studies.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead a state-of-the-art facility contributing to ground breaking research. You will work with a diverse and collaborative team committed to maintaining high standards in animal care and research support.
This essential role oversees the operational and strategic management of the facility, ensuring world-class animal welfare, regulatory compliance, and efficient service delivery to facilitate research requirements of users from other University departments, and external institutions. With a team of 30 staff under your leadership, you will foster collaboration, promote best practices, and drive continuous improvement in research support.
Key Responsibilities:
• Leadership and oversight of the Experimental Barrier, managing Deputy Managers and technical teams. • Undertake the role of a NACWO, named on the University of Cambridge Home Office Establishment License. • Upholding Home Office regulations and best practices for animal welfare. • Acting as a liaison between researchers, licence holders, and technical staff to support compliance and operational excellence. • Budgetary oversight, ensuring efficient resource allocation and cost recovery. • Developing and maintaining a culture of excellence to the highest ethical standards in animal care and welfare. • Participate in the facility's emergency out-of-hours rota and provide support for weekend and Bank Holiday care as needed.
We seek an experienced professional with a strong background in biofacility management and a passion for animal welfare. Key requirements include: • Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including experience overseeing large teams. • Proven ability to work collaboratively across diverse stakeholder groups. • Extensive experience managing laboratory animal facilities combined with a strong commitment to promoting the highest standards of animal welfare. • Comprehensive knowledge of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and related guidelines. • Exceptional organisational, communication and administrative skills, including accurate record-keeping and financial oversight.
The role is available immediately and subject to a 9-month probationary period.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment and a security check.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Informal enquiries and enquiries regarding the application process are welcomed and should be directed to: UBS recruitment team: ubsrecruitment@admin.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference AQ44461 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.