Vet Teaching Technician

at  Massey University

Job Description: Teaching Technician
To provide technical and administrative support to undergraduate and
Position Purpose:
postgraduate teaching programmes carried out by the School of Veterinary
Science (SOVS), College of Sciences. These programmes include the
Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Master of Veterinary Medicine.
Department: Tāwharau Ora, School of Veterinary Science
Location: Manawatū campus, Palmerston North
Reports to: Head of School via the Group Leader of the Veterinary Education Group
Responsible for: Nil
Delegations: Nil
Job Title: Teaching Technician
Key relationships: Internal
Course coordinators in veterinary programmes.
Teachers (both academic and professional staff) in veterinary
programmes (including in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and at the
Large Animal Teaching Unit).
The SOVS procurement team.
Staff involved in the running of the Massey University Deer Farm, the
Canine Unit, the Feline Unit and the Small Animal Production Unit.
Students – undergraduate and postgraduate.
The rest of the team of Teaching Technicians.
External
Contacts at animal pounds and shelters.
Contacts at local abattoirs.
Massey University: We are a world-leading university in many academic disciplines and fields
of research. Our point of difference is research that is connected to
community and industry. Our researchers are developing expertise and
skills to advance human knowledge and understanding. Working together
across disciplines and locations, we solve national and global problems
through fundamental, applied and interdisciplinary research, while
culturally and artistically enriching our world.
We are deeply committed to being a Te Tiriti-led university, demonstrating
authentic leadership in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand as we uphold
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of our nation, and its principles
through our practice. We embrace this not just as an obligation but as a
real opportunity for the nation and its people.
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Our educators are preparing a new generation of global leaders. Our
students are diverse and are attracted to Massey because they want to
achieve their personal goals or make their mark in the world. They
experience world-class learning that recognises their intellectual and
cultural strengths, expands their horizons and prepares them to contribute
to a rapidly transforming world with skills, critical and creative thinking and
leadership.
We will be renowned for our passion and caring attitude. All Massey
campuses will be innovation ecosystems, acting as magnets for smart
enterprises. Wherever we are, we will operate in partnerships founded on
respect, trust and mutual benefit. Massey is not only defined by what we
do, but by how we do it.
About this area Tāwharau Ora, the School of Veterinary Science is Aotearoa New Zealand’s
only veterinary school. The School’s wawata (vision) is to be world-
renowned as the Veterinary School that everyone wants to be part of. The

School’s uara (values) are:

• Community/whanau: We value our communities/whānau.
• Inclusion – Mahi tahi: We embrace inclusion and encourage

participation from all members of our community.

• Integrity – Pono: We are authentic and professional in all that we do.
• Respect – Aroha: We respect each other and value differing

perspectives.

• Innovation and Excellence - Auaha, Hirana: We continually challenge

ourselves to grow as we strive to be the best that we can be as

individuals and as a community.

• Wellbeing – Hauora: We prioritise the wellbeing of animals, our

people and the environment.
Massey core capabilities

At Massey we are Tiriti-led, upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles through our practice, we:

• Demonstrate awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand

society.

• Understand the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in relation to the work of the University and

the people we serve.

• Embracing Te Reo in relevant and practical ways in our workplace interactions and engagement

with external stakeholders, giving expression to Tikanga Māori and protocols that
demonstrates that we respect and value Māori conventions in appropriate settings.

At Massey we work together with mutual respect and caring. we:

• Act with integrity and trustworthiness and give credit to others for the work they do.
• Work cooperatively and inter-dependently to foster and promote the One University approach.
• Share knowledge and communicate professionally with courtesy and mutual respect.
• Are ethical in all transactions, working within the parameters of our policies and procedures.
• Are direct, truthful and maintain confidentiality.
• Seek to understand and appreciate our differences.

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• Keep ourselves and others safe; work together to embrace with the University’s health, safety

and wellbeing policies, procedures and programmes; display commitment by actively
supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives: and by actively engaging in health and safety
improvement opportunities.

At Massey we are future-focused, results- oriented and strive for excellence. we:

• Take ownership and responsibility for delivering results to support achievement of University

objectives.

• Provide the best quality services to our customers (internal and external) ensuring our

students/ stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do.

• Deliver or support world-class research, teaching and learning and citizenship.
• Take personal responsibility for our performance, take pride in doing our job well, and commit

to ongoing personal and professional development.

• Are motivated and create a positive working environment where our values are reinforced.
• Anticipate and respond with agility and resilience to the changing needs of the University and

the communities we serve.

• Seek ways to improve our services to deliver in an efficient and effective way.
• Embrace technology and apply this innovatively to better meet the needs of those we serve.
• Challenge ourselves to reach our potential and help bring out the best in others.
• Understand how what we do contributes to the objectives of the University.

Accountabilities
Technical support of • Development of teaching resources including, but not limited to, filming
teaching in the and editing instructional videos, creation of online lessons and tutorials
School’s (on Stream and Kuracloud).
undergraduate and • Examination support – invigilation, practical exam set up / take down,

postgraduate courses setting up exams in Kuracloud from provided material.

• Assisting with the development and operation of the School’s Clinical

Skills Laboratory.

• Provide technical support and supervision for the SOVS undergraduate

Technical support and and postgraduate clinical and practical courses by liaising with academic
supervision for the staff and other technicians to manage and co-ordinate the booking, set-
School’s up, cleaning and re-stocking of areas utilised for laboratory and practical
undergraduate and classes.
postgraduate clinical • Help staff (professional and academic) solve technical or procedural
and practical courses problems or issues with their teaching resources including but not

limited to Stream and Kuracloud.

• Manage laboratory booking schedule for practical classes that haven’t

been booked through Central Booking at the start of the semester.

• Providing technical assistance to staff and students during the class.

These classes may include, but are not limited to: animal handling,
physiology and anatomy, medical, surgical & diagnostic procedures.

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• Co-ordinating the supply of teaching materials and supplies, including

sourcing live animals and cadavers for teaching purposes and working
with industry suppliers to source the most appropriate and cost-effective

consumables and teaching resources.

• Assisting students during practical and laboratory classes with the

development of technical and clinical skills, and non-technical

competencies including communication.

• Providing training in the use of equipment in the clinical and practical

classes.

• Developing and maintaining detailed study guides.
• Marking practical course work and collating student marks; marking of

other student assessments such as short answer assessments using

marking rubrics.

• Maintaining an inventory of instruments, stock and equipment in

teaching labs and clinics.

• Develop and use practical lab Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to

provide planning and consistency around the student experience.

• Ensuring the areas used to house animals for teaching purposes are

kept clean and well maintained.
Animal Ethics • Ensuring that practical sessions in which animals are used have an animal

ethics approval.

• Ensure the practical sessions in which animals are used adhere to the

conditions specified in the animal ethics approval.

• Ensuring the MPI animal-use register is kept up to date.

• Animal Handling • Handling animals as part of teaching veterinary and animal science
  students and teaching students how to handle a variety of species
  including: horses, cattle, sheep, deer, dogs, cats, alpacas, pigs, rats,

guinea pigs, and rabbits.

• Monitoring teaching animals during practical sessions for handling end

points to ensure legal, ethical, and welfare obligations are being met.

• Monitoring safety during student and animal interactions.

Health and Safety – • Help prepare for scheduled facility inspections.
physical health • Ensure appropriate health and safety standards are maintained in the
practical classes and that appropriate registers and records are

maintained

• Guide students to use Massey’s DONESAFE app to report accidents or

near misses.

• Ensure student health and safety during practical classes, including but

not limited to providing First Aid where needed.
Health and Safety – • Recognised students of concern and refer them to the appropriate

mental health service i.e., Student Care Team and Academic Dean or Year Coordinator.

• Ensure student mental wellbeing during practical classes.

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Technical support for When teaching commitments allow for it, Teaching Technicians may be
the School’s research involved in research activities:

activities • Assisting with research under the direction of the project leader.

• Collating, entering and maintaining accurate data.
• Monitoring the use of consumables and ordering supplies as required.
• Maintaining and updating health and safety registers and incident

reports.

• Assisting in setting up work areas for research.

University • Ensure that all University policies and codes of practice related to
responsibilities teaching, research, community service and administrative practices are

followed.

• Contribute to the development of the School working environment

through teamwork and cooperation.
Service to the • Participate in community activities that further advance the veterinary
Community
profession, School of Veterinary Science - Tāwharau Ora, and Massey
University which are consistent with the University Charter and Strategic
plan.
Qualifications and Experience
Qualifications: A Bachelor degree or higher in a relevant field. These include, although are
not limited to: Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Bachelor of Veterinary
Technology, Bachelor of Animal Science.
Experience: • Animal handling experience (across a range of domestic species

including companion and production animals).

• Low stress animal handling experience across a range of domestic

species is preferable and would be of benefit.

• Knowledge of surgical and medical nursing skills and techniques.
• Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of common domestic

species would be of benefit though is not essential.

• Safe lifting/carrying technique and ability.
• Experience working in a tertiary education organisation would be of

benefit though is not essential.

• A valid New Zealand driving licence is essential.

Capabilities - Behaviour
Communication • Written and oral communications that are clear and complete, and

Essential appropriate for a wide range of stakeholders.

• Able to assess an audience to understand their composition and

perspectives.

• Recognises which communications need to be formalised to provide clarity,

including when escalation is required.

• Conducts discussions in a respectful manner, that are sincere and

professional.

• Adapts listening and facilitation styles to others’ communication styles.

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Working Together • Works with key stakeholders internally and externally. Recognises and

Essential maintains issues of confidentiality.

• Adapts interaction style appropriate to different situations and people.
• Understands the factors for high performance, and creates positive

partnerships and cohesive teams.

• Works to understand alternative points of view to guide productive working

relationships.

• Ability to be flexible with work hours if required.
• Contribute to the development of SoVS working environment through

teamwork and cooperation.

• Contribute to the functionality of the MUVTH through teamwork and

cooperation when VTH departments are short staffed.
Accuracy and • Develops and uses checklists to ensure that information goes out free of
Attention to Detail errors.

Essential • Identifies tasks or outputs that require accuracy and detail-level attention.

• Processes and sends out detailed information with good accuracy i.e student

communications through Stream.

• Learns from mistakes and applies lessons learned.
• Develops and uses practical lab SOPs in order to provide consistency around

the student experience.
Priority Setting • Understands own role priorities on a day-to-day basis.

Essential • Able to plan and prioritise to work through a range of tasks

• Performs at least 2-3 concurrent activities without reducing productivity.
• Completes current work according to assigned priorities.
• Recognises changing demands and priorities; validates changes with

management.

• Responds to day-to-day operational priorities while still making progress on

project work.
Delivering Results • Maintains focus on critical work and expectations.

Essential • Able to track and complete agreed work in planned timeframes.

• Takes responsibility for escalating issues that impact on planned work and

outcomes.

• Supports self during change by remaining flexible, focusing on the positives,

and proactively seeking out opportunities to get involved.
Focused on • Acts with the internal/external stakeholder in mind, seeks to understand and
Service deliver on stakeholder perceptions and expectations.
Essential • Able to respond to common stakeholder queries and problems or escalate

if required.

• Responds to unexpected stakeholder requests with a sense of urgency and

positive action.

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• Provides a level of customer centric service excellence that contributes to

Tāwharau Ora’s vision and Mission statement.
Capabilities - Technical
Animal Handling • Capable of handling a range of the common domestic species as student
skills teaching includes horses, cattle, sheep, deer, dogs, cats, camelids, pigs and
Essential other small mammal pets. Experience or qualifications in low stress animal

handling techniques would be an advantage.

• Monitoring teaching animals during practical classes to ensure legal, ethical

and welfare obligations are being met.

• Monitoring the safety of students, staff and animals during practical classes.
• Comfortable with the euthanasia of healthy companion animals and

production animals.

• Comfortable viewing and handling animal tissues, cadavers, and cadaver

parts.
Digital skills • Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Essential • Ability to learn and use core Massey University systems e.g., Kuracloud,

Stream, EzyVet.

• Ability to develop proficiency in the use of SharePoint (create, new, open,

save).

• Ability to perform file management tasks such as folder management and

controlled document administration.
Laboratory • Consistently maintains laboratory facilities/equipment and teaching
Practice equipment/materials to high standard of safety, hygiene, tidiness, and

Essential functionality.

• Maintains high degree of organisation and record-keeping for all teaching

equipment/materials.

• Operational knowledge to recognise potential issues and apply appropriate

method to identify cause and manage solutions.

• Able to prepare laboratory and relevant equipment for tasks/activities as

required.

• Ensures laboratory supplies/equipment are stored and used appropriately

in line with safety and quality standards.

• Ensures laboratory supplies are ordered from preferred suppliers and

managed in accordance with good laboratory practice.
Pre-employment checks
Essential • Requirement to pass Driver’s Licence Check

• Requirement to pass a Qualifications Validation Check

• Requirement to pass a Criminal and Traffic Convictions (Security) Check

performed by the Ministry of Justice.

Essential • Identifies tasks or outputs that require accuracy and detail-level attention.

• Processes and sends out detailed information with good accuracy i.e studen

Essential • Able to plan and prioritise to work through a range of tasks

• Performs at least 2-3 concurrent activities without reducing productivity.
• Completes current work according to assigned priorities.
• Recognises changing demands and priorities; validates changes wit