Career Opportunity

Medical Examiner's Investigator I (2577) - Office of the Chief Medical Examiner - ADM

Recruitment: RTF0153060-01090726

Published: November 28, 2024

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About:

The City and County of San Francisco, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is seeking a Medical Examiner’s Investigator I (Class #2577). The office recently moved into a state-of-the-art 52,000 sq. ft. facility in November of 2017, which includes a fully accredited laboratory, in-house histology services, ultra-modern radiology instrumentation, two-story autopsy suite that contains six main stations with three private auxiliary isolation suites and a 32ft high central skylight extending the length of the room. The facility was designed to specifically enhance the communication between the different divisions and, most importantly, enhance the work experience of staff and serve the needs of a 21st-century San Francisco. The ideal candidate will enjoy working with a diverse group of individuals who share a similar commitment to aspire towards excellence in the field of forensic science

Job Type: Temporary Provisional. This is not a permanent appointment. A provisional appointee must participate and be successful in a Civil Service examination for this classification and be selected through an open competitive process in order to be considered for permanent appointment. Provisional appointments may not exceed three (3) years.

Application Opening: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Application Closing: Friday, December 13, 2024, 11:59PM

Compensation Range: $93,184 - $113,204 annually

Recruitment ID: TPV-2577-153092

Role description

Role description:

Under general supervision, assists with investigations / autopsies / administrative tasks coming under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; and performs related duties as required.

Essential Duties: 

1. Respond to death scenes coming under the jurisdiction of the Chief Medical Examiner; assist in the removal of the body from the scene.

2. Assist forensic pathologist with forensic examinations including evidence collection, labeling, photography, specimen collection and autopsy of the deceased persons.

3. Assist Investigator in gathering forensic evidence and medical information; assist with examination of the body of deceased person and recording any pertinent evidence; assist with the examination of the surrounding vicinity and records findings; assists with the maintenance of chain of custody.

4. Assist in the collection and preservation of clothing, physical and biologic evidence for forensic analysis, including but not limited to gunshot residue collection, fingernail clippings, sexual assault specimen collection, 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 regulations according to protocol.

5. Assist in recording of valuables and property removed from the death scene or autopsies for safekeeping; assist in preparing detailed reports of investigation; assist in maintaining required records; assist in preparing clear and concise history of facts surrounding the death and/or medical history.

6. Assist in enforcing and interpreting investigative/ autopsy policies and procedures.

7. Assist in coordinating and conducting field investigations with other law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney, attorneys, interview witnesses, physicians, police officers, hospitals, family members and others to obtain facts concerning the death; assist in establishing the identification of deceased persons, and work with investigators from other agencies.

8. Assist in locating and notifying next of kin; represent the department in contacts with hospitals, funeral directors, law enforcement agencies, and others.

9. Assist in cleaning and maintaining autopsy suite, scale room, hallway parking lot and lobby areas; order and stock necessary supplies and equipment for proper function of the facility and vehicles in a manner that ensures a safe worksite, free of biohazards.

10. Assist other forensic consultants in forensic examinations, such as dental or anthropology examinations.

11. Assist in the identification of deceased persons, including those that are badly decomposed; take fingerprints from cadavers.

12. May testify in courtroom proceedings as necessary.

13. Keep vehicle mileage records and Limited Quantity Hauling Log.

14. Prepare daily indigent, amended and other electronic and printed death certificates; assist with filing of death records.

15. Register the storage position of all deceased persons and inventory those cases stored; confirm the identity and legal release of all deceased persons in accordance with departmental policies.

16. Perform other duties as required.

How to qualify

How to qualify

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 education on a year-for-year basis.

LICENSE

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

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.

Verification:  Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification. 

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:  The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluation qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited for an interview.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

What else should I know?

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
• 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 recruitment 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 (@careers.sf.gov, @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, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Melanie Bautista, at melanie.bautista@sfgov.org. 

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.