Career Opportunity

Medical Examiner’s Investigator I – Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – Office of the City Administrator (2577) – (132128)

Recruitment: RTF0132127-01077148

Published: May 15, 2023

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

We are responsible for the medicolegal investigation and the certification of the cause of death and the manner of death for only those deaths under our jurisdiction (sudden, unexpected, or violent deaths); such as deaths outside a hospital or the care of a physician, accidental drug overdose, or suspected suicides or homicides. Find out more below.

We are driven by a deep sense of purpose to:

• Uphold the highest standards of ethics, excellence, and empathy in conducting forensic investigations to determine the cause and manner of death within our jurisdiction;
• Deliver impartial forensic services the that benefit both the community and the justice system; and
• Provide data to inform public health initiatives.

Ultimately, we seek to bring closure to decedent families and their loved ones.

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: May 8, 2023
• Application Deadline: May 15, 2023
• Compensation Range: $87,594 - $106,444 annually
• Recruitment ID: #132128

Role description

Under general supervision, assists with investigations, autopsies, and other administrative tasks coming under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties:

• Assists forensic pathologist with forensic examination, which includes, but is not limited to, evidence collection, labeling, X-rays, photography, specimen collection and provides additional assistance during prosection of deceased persons during autopsy.
• Assists in the collection and preservation of clothing, physical and biologic evidence for forensic analysis, which includes, but is not limited to, gunshot residue collection, fingernail clippings, sexual assault specimen collection, collection of bodily fluids for forensic toxicology, clinical chemistry, serology and microbiologic testing; package and prepare evidence and specimens for storage or transport within a legal chain of custody; ensure proper biohazard waste disposal according to protocol.
• Assists in recording of valuables and property removed from the body during autopsy for safekeeping.
• Assists in cleaning and maintaining autopsy suite, scale room, body refrigeration coolers and freezers; ordering and stocking necessary supplies and equipment for proper functioning of the facility and vehicles in a manner that ensures a safe worksite free of biohazards.
• Assists other forensic consultants in performing procedures, such as dental or anthropology examinations.
• Assists in the identification of deceased person, which includes those that are badly decomposed; takes fingerprints from unidentified decedents.
• Prepares daily electronic and printed death certificates; assists with filing of death records with the Department of Public Health.
• Prepares shipment of decedents and/or indigent bodies for cremation.
• Registers the storage position of all deceased persons and inventory within refrigeration coolers; confirms the identity and legal release of all deceased persons in accordance with departmental polices.
• Responds to death scenes under the jurisdiction of the Chief Medical Examiner; assists Investigator in the removal of the body from the scene.
• Assists Investigator with gathering forensic evidence and medical information; assists with examination of the body of deceased person and recording any pertinent evidence and/or items of property, examination of the surrounding vicinity, recording findings and the maintenance of chain of custody.
• Assists in coordinating and conducting field investigations with other law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney, witnesses, physicians, police officers, hospitals, family members and others to obtain facts concerning the death; assists in establishing the identification of deceased persons; may notify medical examiner on-call and work with investigators from other agencies.
• Assists in locating and notifying next of kin; represents the department in contacts with hospitals, funeral directors, law enforcement agencies and others.
• Keeps vehicle mileage records and maintains equipment stock within investigations’ vans.
• Testifies in court proceedings as necessary, may appear as a witness in civil and criminal proceedings.
• Performs related duties as required.

How to qualify

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Possession of a BA/BS Degree in Biology, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Forensic Science or closely related field; OR

2. Possession of a current valid embalmer's license issued by the California State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers; OR

3. Diplomat Certification issued by the American Board of Medico-legal Death Investigators; OR

4. One year of verifiable experience in medical, nursing, medical examiner, coroner or investigative field. This experience must include working with deceased persons and/or their families.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience can be substituted for up to two years of the required education.

AND

License and Certification: Possession and maintenance of a valid California Driver's License within 30 days of hire.

Note(s):

• One-year full-time employment is considered equivalent to 2000 hours (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40 hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.
• Applicants must meet minimum qualification requirements by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be willing and able to work under adverse and/or hazardous conditions, involving frequent exposure to sudden, unexpected and sometimes violent deaths, decomposed bodies, bodies with extensive physical injuries; biohazards, unpleasant odors or conditions.
• Must be willing and able to work 24 hours rotating shifts, including weekends and holidays.
• Must be able to type 25 wpm within six months of employment.
• Willing and able to lift dead bodies weighing 175 pounds using acceptable removal techniques.
• Willing and able to complete a pulmonary function test and be fitted for an N-95 respirator.
• Willing and able to wear Personal Protective Equipment and respirators.
• Ability to comply with departmental policies regarding blood borne pathogens, radiation safety, biohazards and chemical exposure prevention, and other departmental policies and procedures.
• Must be able to comply with case confidentiality requirements of the department.

Candidates must pass the following:

• Review of Judicial and Driving Records (Fingerprinting);
• Employment, Character and Background Investigation;
• Medical Examination including pulmonary function test; AND
• Physical ability to lift dead bodies weighing 175 pounds to remove them from the scene of death using acceptable removal techniques.

Desirable Qualifications:
The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Experience in customer service including in-person interactions with customers and/or the general public
• Bilingual fluency
• Familiarity with autopsy/examination procedures and general best practices within the autopsy suite

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

SELECTION PROCEDURE/EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight 100%):
Candidates deemed to meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a supplemental questionnaire evaluation designed to measure their relative knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas, which may include, but not be limited to: knowledge of prosection examination procedures; standard procedures for gathering, preserving and presenting data and physical evidence; interview methods and techniques; state and local laws governing the operations of the Medical Examiner, such as Government, Penal, Health and Safety Codes, Estate Administration law, etc.; methods and procedures utilized in working with potentially hazardous biological and/or chemical materials; and ability to assist with investigations and examine decedent remains under challenging conditions with possible exposure to toxic chemicals and other biohazards; gather, analyze, evaluate and preserve evidence; interact courteously, fairly and effectively with individuals and groups from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds; remain calm under emergency and emotional situations; write reports and correspondence in a clear, concise, well-organized and effective manner using proper grammar and spelling; speak clearly and concisely, and listen and elicit information to effectively interview witnesses and others related to cases; perform strenuous physical activities including lifting and moving dead bodies; operate a motor vehicle.

A passing score must be achieved on the supplemental questionnaire in order to be ranked on the eligible list.

Eligible List/Score Report:
A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see: https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2022-23.pdf.

What else should I know?

Physical Ability Test:
Prior to appointment, candidates will be required to pass a physical ability test including the ability to lift and remove dead bodies weighing 175 pounds from the scene of death using acceptable removal techniques.

Background Investigation:
Candidates are required to have a thorough background investigation to determine their suitability for employment in this classification. Factors considered in the investigation may include employment history, criminal records; use of illegal/controlled substances. Reasons for rejection based on this investigation may include: but not limited to: applicable convictions, repeated or serious violations of the law, inability to accept supervision, inability to follow rules and regulations, falsification of application materials and/or other relevant factors.

Medical Examination:
Prior to appointment, candidates must successfully pass a medical examination including pulmonary function tests in order to determine their ability to perform the essential functions of the job. Recurrent medical screening and tests are required. Testing for use of controlled substance maybe required. Any illegal use of controlled substances after the date of appointment is a mandatory cause for rejection. Any use of controlled substances after the date of application may be cause for rejection. Rejection for prior use of controlled substance(s) is based on the type of substance(s) used and the frequency and recency of such usage. All information submitted by candidates regarding the use of controlled substance(s) will be reviewed.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY:
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” button or “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this announcement and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses @sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst at rosalie.platzer@sfgov.org.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.