Lab Rats Jobs in San Diego, CA (NOW HIRING)

Payroll Title:
LAB AST 2 Department:
PSYCHIATRY Hiring Pay Scale
$27.54 - $30.61 / Hour Worksite:
Campus Appointment Type:
Limited Appointment Appointment Percent:
50% Union:
TX Contract Total Openings:
1 Work Schedule:
Days, Variable
#140497 Laboratory Assistant II - Psychiatry
Extended Review Date: Thu 8/20/2026
Apply Now
UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.
This position is a part-time limited position with the possibility of extension/career conversion.
Reassignment Applicants : Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.
This position will remain open until a successful candidate has been identified.
DESCRIPTION
UCSD Department of Psychiatry is one of the most innovative and productive academic departments in the country, offering challenging career opportunities in the diverse areas of advanced educational programs, cutting-edge research, and state-of-the-art clinical services. The department is committed to offering a dynamic learning environment and growing opportunities to its talented and dedicated employees.
Under supervision, the incumbent will be working as a Laboratory Assistant II assisting in performing experiments involving animal models of key psychiatric and neurological symptom dimensions aimed at developing new biomarkers and treatment targets. The incumbent will also assist in performing surgeries aimed at enabling neural recording and manipulation including intracranial injections and fiber implants; will assist and perform mice and rat behavioral assays, will assist and perform mice and rats euthanasia, ear tag and tail number, keep journals and publication files up to date, and assist in maintaining lab cleanliness. Assist with processing tissue for image analysis to support investigation of changes in neuronal connectivity and confirmation of injection/implant (e.g. transcranial perfusions, sectioning, IHC, mounting slides). Assist with imaging slices and caring for mouse colony through animal husbandry to support all laboratory research. Assist with other project and miscellaneous duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and one year of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in the natural, physical or social sciences; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
• Demonstrated experience handling mice.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated organizational and record-keeping skills.
• Demonstrated experience with filing, alphabetizing and clerical tasks.
• General laboratory experience.
• Demonstrated ability to run updates and install a variety of different software platforms with minimal supervision (Systat, Sigmaplot, SPSS, End Note, BMDP, Adobe, Mozilla, etc.).
• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Proven ability to work under own initiative as well as to work meticulously under close direction.
• Ability to resolve computer equipment malfunctions.
• Good communication skills.
• Proven ability to maintain lab equipment by performing the following tasks: set-up, operation, test, calibrate, and clean used equipment, including microscopes, micro centrifuges, and behavioral equipment.
• Experience in assisting with caring for Mouse colonies through animal husbandry to support all laboratory research.
• Familiarity with neural data analysis.
• Familiarity with testing mouse studies using behavioral assays.
• Proven ability to assist with immunohistochemistry.
• Knowledge and ability to set up and carry out machine learning based analysis of behavioral data and/or proficiency with MATLAB/Python.
• Knowledge and ability to manage lab computational infrastructure to support data acquisition and analysis.
• Knowledge and experience with rodent models of disease.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.
• Must be willing to handle and euthanize rats and mice.
• Must be willing to work flexible hours, nights, and/or weekends if necessary for experimental purposes.

Pay Transparency Act
Annual Full Pay Range: $57,504 - $69,175 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)
Hourly Equivalent: $27.54 - $33.13
Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).
Apply Now
If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements. If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.
UC San Diego Health Sciences is comprised of our School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and our Student Health and Well-Being Department. We have long been at the forefront of translational - or "bench-to-bedside" - research, transforming patient care through discovery and innovation leading to new drugs and technologies. Translational research is carried out every day in the hundreds of clinical trials of promising new therapies offered through UC San Diego Health, and in the drive of our researchers and clinician-scientists who are committed to having a significant impact on patient care. We invite you to join our team!
Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.
To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community .
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.
For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination
UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.
UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.
Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.
a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace