Animal Care Intern

Team Description: 

The Animal Care Team is responsible for providing care for Neuralink 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 positive reinforcement training and the science of Applied Behavior Analysis. Team members will also coordinate with engineers and researchers to 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 and Description: 

• Perform animal husbandry including but not limited to enclosure cleaning, feeding, watering, health observations, and documentation of husbandry procedures
• Help create and implement behavior intervention plans for animals using Behavior Analysis techniques, and maintain behavioral data records
• Assist in animal training for a wide range of voluntary husbandry, research, and co-operative care behaviors using methodology based in Positive Reinforcement Training
• Conduct behavior scans to monitor animal behavior and social housing dynamics
• Help design and implement innovative enrichment devices for animals that enhance cognitive stimulation through various means, including food, exercise, and socialization
• Assist in development and implementation of novel refinements that promote animal agency and joy to optimize welfare 
• Assist in collecting and analyzing data for refinement projects to be presented at animal welfare conferences 
• Follow standard operating procedures to ensure optimal safety of both animals and personnel 
• Adhere to federal, state and local laws

Required Qualifications:

• Experience training animals using force-free techniques 
• Comfortable with exposure to animal bodily fluids, including blood
• No specific degree or current student status required; relevant experience and skills are prioritized

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience working in a lab animal research environment or other related animal training/ ABA experience
• Experience working closely with non-human primates, swine, or sheep
• Ability to travel to/from and work at Fremont, CA facility 1-2 times for coverage purposes as needed
• Proficient in statistical analysis

Work Environment: Animal care facilities, Vivarium, Office.