Animal Services Manager

The Company:Our client is a multinational manufacturer of pharmaceutical products.  A mainstay of the Animal Health industry for over 70 years in New Zealand, their Wellington site is currently going through a major expansion project to significantly increase the capacity of their facility in order to continue supplying sterile bacterial vaccines for the global market. 

The Opportunity: They are looking for an experienced Animal Services Manager who will oversee the Animal Services department.  A key role for the business, this leadership position manages and mentors a passionate team of 15 staff members comprised of animal management, laboratory, and facilities management staff.  Along with the team, the role is responsible for covering animal husbandry, breeding, and research.

The successful incumbent will manage all day-to-day issues as the primary senior person onsite. This will include ensuring that all planned production and scheduling requirements are met, oversight of site maintenance and any relevant equipment. The AS Manager will ensure the strict compliance of facilities and procedures to corporate and statutory guidelines and regulations. The incumbent will also work closely with other department managers to ensure timely completion of scheduled operations.

This is a full-time role, working 40 hours per week. The nature of animal work, however, will require flexibility to attend to duties outside of working hours on some occasions.

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Management of the sites annual and capital budgets.
• Ensuring suitable resources are requested / planned as appropriate to meet business objectives.
• Management of all staff training, scheduling, and development.
• Ensuring the sites facilities, procedures, and services, are compliant with relevant legislation, and regulations (e.g., GMP, GxP, Animal Welfare Act, MPI Quarantine Containment, Resource Management Act, Prescription Animal Remedy Use etc.)
• Providing assistance in regulatory audits and inspections.
• Actively contributing to the Animal Ethics Committee
• Ensuring the completion of corrective actions issued through internal, external, GAP or review audits.
• Assisting with product registrations as required
• Arranging and scheduling service contracts as required for site maintenance / development.
• Oversight of site EHS compliance, documentation, and training.
• Project management as required

You, the Candidate:

You may come from a veterinary, animal husbandry, or farming background, but you will have good experience with the care and husbandry of animals. Bringing strong people leadership skills and a strategic, forward-thinking approach to site management, you will be a self-sufficient and independent leader with a passion for animal welfare.

Ideally, you will also have the following skills and attributes:

• A tertiary qualification in science (veterinary, animal, biological sciences preferred)
• Extensive experience in animal breeding, husbandry, and animal facility management (10+ years' experience highly preferred)
• Knowledge of animal ethics requirements
• In depth understanding of GMP / GLP / Laboratory Quality Management Systems
• People management experience
• Understanding of vaccine or pharmaceutical manufacturing (highly preferred)

Please note: this site is not accessible via public transport, so it is critical that you have your own means of transport.

Apply: This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to animal welfare in a global organisation that is filled with like-minded people, passionate about Animal Health. To apply for this role, please select the relevant 'Apply' button. Alternatively, please contact Maya Carpenter-Salvador. Email