Medical Assistant / Veterinary Research Technician
Quick facts
- Pay
- $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
- Type
- Full-time
- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Background
- MD / physician
- Skills
- Medical
- Industry
- Research and Science — 82 open jobs
- Visa in listing
- H-1B, OPT
- Apply
- Free to apply — never pay anyone for a job offer or visa sponsorship
Job description
Job Description Job Announcement: Medical Assistant / Veterinary Research Technician
Company: California Medical Innovations Institute (CalMI2)
Location: San Diego, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Pay Rate: $25.00 – $30.00 / hour (commensurate with experience)
Start Date: Immediate start available / Available to start as soon as possible
Work authorization requirements: Applicants with CPT/OPT are welcome, and H-1B visa support is available for eligible non-U.S. candidates. Green card (permanent residency) sponsorship may be offered after three years of employment if performance is outstanding.
About Us California Medical Innovations Institute (CalMI) is a non-profit medical research organization dedicated to translational research and medical device innovation across multiple biological systems, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, lymphatic, and endocrine systems. We are seeking a motivated Medical Assistant / Veterinary Research Technician to join our research team.
Key Responsibilities
1. Surgical & Interventional Procedure Support
- Assist medical doctors, veterinarians, and principal investigators during acute and chronic surgical, interventional, and catheterization procedures on large and small animal models, including pigs, dogs, rabbits, rats, and mice.
- Prepare operating rooms, organize surgical trays, and ensure sterile fields and appropriate instrumentation for cardiovascular, GI, lymphatic, and endocrine studies.
- Assist in animal positioning, physiological monitoring (ECG, blood pressure, airway dynamics), and anesthesia logging under veterinary oversight.
2. Pre- and Post-Operative Care
- Manage pre-procedure preparation, including fasting schedules, pre-medication administration, and surgical site clipping/cleansing.
- Monitor animals during post-operative recovery, including vital sign tracking, pain assessment, and administration of prescribed medications/treatments.
- Maintain clear and accurate surgical logs, recovery records, and medical progress notes.
3. Daily Animal Care & Husbandry
- Perform daily animal husbandry, feeding, health checks, and behavioral observation for research models in compliance with facility standards.
- Collect blood, tissue, and biological fluid samples following study protocols and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) principles.
- Support animal acclimation, handling, and habituation to minimize stress and ensure study compliance.
4. Technical Support & Laboratory Maintenance
- Maintain, clean, sterilize, and inventory surgical tools, anesthesia machines, monitoring equipment, and lab consumables.
- Ensure procedure rooms and holding facilities are sanitized and prepared in accordance with institutional guidelines.
- Assist with specimen processing, tissue harvesting, and preliminary lab testing/storage.
5. Compliance & Teamwork
- Strictly adhere to IACUC protocols, Institutional Safety Guidelines, USDA regulations, and GLP standards.
- Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams including scientists, surgeons, veterinarians, and laboratory personnel.
- Demonstrate flexibility in adopting new experimental procedures, handling various species, and fulfilling additional operational duties as assigned.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Animal Science, Health Sciences, or a related field.
- Availability & Schedule: Available for an immediate start. Weekend and holiday work is required.
- Experience: Open to recent graduates as well as experienced candidates. Prior hands-on lab or animal care experience is a plus, but comprehensive training will be provided.
- Key Traits: Adaptable, eager to learn new technical skills, strong work ethic, and attention to detail.
Physical Demands & Work Environment
- Exposure to animal allergens and repetitive motion.
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, lift up to 50 lbs individually, and team-lift up to 250 lbs.
- Required immunizations/screenings based on species exposure (e.g., Tetanus, Rabies, TB, MMR, Hepatitis B).
Benefits & Growth
Comprehensive Training: Extensive hands-on professional training provided.
Benefits & Perks:
- Competitive compensation
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid time (PTO) and paid holidays
Visa & Permanent Residency Support:
- H-1B visa sponsorship available for qualified non-U.S. candidates.
- Green Card (permanent residency) sponsorship available after 3 years of employment, contingent upon outstanding work performance.
How to Apply Interested candidates please email your resume/CV and a brief cover letter to MWang@CalMI2.org. Please indicate your Work Authorization type and the earliest available start date in your application.
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
Visa sponsorship record: The California Medical Innovations institute Inc.
Sponsors occasionally| Fiscal year | H-1B LCAs | USCIS approvals | USCIS denials | PERM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
This exact kind of role (Veterinarians) isn't among the roles The California Medical Innovations institute Inc. sponsored most often.
Roles they sponsor most
- software developer3 LCAs · median $110k
Full sponsorship history of The California Medical Innovations institute Inc. →
Which visas can work for this job
Occupation: Veterinarians (SOC 29-1131) — estimated from the job title.
- Mentioned in the listing
H-1B, OPT
- H-1B cap-exempt employer
Regular cap-subject employer — a new H-1B needs to win the lottery in March (unless you already hold cap-counted H-1B status).
- TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico)
This kind of role may fit the USMCA profession “Veterinarian” — it depends on the actual duties. No lottery, no cap; you need the matching degree or license.
- E-3 (Australia) and H-1B1 (Chile, Singapore)
Same degree requirement as H-1B, but no lottery and a separate quota that is rarely filled.
- O-1 (extraordinary ability)
For candidates with awards, publications, press, a high salary or critical roles at distinguished organizations. No cap, no lottery; the employer files a petition.
Salary vs prevailing wage
Below Level IVeterinarians · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. Annual prevailing wages set by the Department of Labor (OFLC).
| Level | Prevailing wage | H-1B lottery odds* |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | $90,293 | ~15% |
| Level II | $126,506 | ~31% |
| Level III | $162,698 | ~46% |
| Level IV | $198,910 | ~61% |
This job pays $52,000–$62,400 a year (converted from an hourly rate, 2,080 hours) — below the Level I prevailing wage. For H-1B the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage, so the offer would have to go up.
* Odds are DHS projections for the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery (actual results vary by year and employer). Since the FY2027 cap season the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: Level I = 1 entry, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4. The level is set by the offered wage against the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. Separately, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions for workers outside the US was announced in 2025; as of September 2026 a federal court ruling keeps it unenforceable while appeals continue — check the current status.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data (H-1B/H-1B1/E-3 LCA, PERM), OFLC prevailing wage data, USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, E-Verify participating employers. Data loaded: LCA FY2024–FY2026, PERM, USCIS Data Hub, OFLC wages; updated 2026-10-03. Employers are matched by name, so records of companies with similar names can occasionally be mixed up. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to an immigration attorney about your case.