Police Forensic Scientist III-DNA
In order to be considered for this position you MUST apply at the link below;
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/scottsdaleaz/jobs/2532717/police-forensic-scientist-iii-dna?page=2&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
Class Summary
Performs highly specialized professional forensic science evaluations in connection with the identification and comparison of physical evidence submitted to the Crime Laboratory for forensic analysis.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Police Forensic Scientist III performs highly specialized forensic science evaluations in connection with the identification and comparison of physical evidence submitted to the Crime Laboratory for analysis through application of forensic science techniques and methodologies.
This classification is not supervisory but may be expected to perform as a team leader as required.
See 'Essential Functions' for list of possible duties.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience
All Assignments
A Bachelor's Degree in a physical or natural science from an accredited educational institution, with a minimum of 20 semester hours of chemistry related coursework.
Must have eight years of experience as a forensics examiner in a crime laboratory.
Must have a working expertise in one forensic discipline.
An equivalent combination of education and job related experience may substitute for the educational requirements on a year-for-year basis.
DNA Discipline – Examines evidence collected from crime scenes for the presence of biological substances, Isolates DNA and compares that to known individuals.
Must have completed successfully at least nine semester or equivalent credit hours in college course work or classes covering the subject areas of: biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology.
College course work or training in statistics and/or population genetics.
Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements
Must possess and maintain a valid, unrestricted Arizona driver's license with no major citations within the past 39 months prior to the start date.
Other pertinent licenses and/or certifications may be required of some positions depending on department/section assignment.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of:
The basic principles involved in scientific examination of physical evidence.
The principles of chemistry, physics, biochemistry, comparison techniques, and photography as related to forensic science.
The operation, maintenance, care and use of scientific instruments.
The basic uses and effects of hazardous and toxic chemicals.
Microsoft Office products and other relevant technologies.
Ability to:
Learn and apply rules of evidence, forensic procedures, crime scene procedures, State and Federal statutes and case law covering drugs and use of physical evidence in court.
Operate laboratory instruments, equipment and computer systems related to areas of responsibility.
Perform detailed work with a high degree of accuracy.
Follow prescribed procedures and policies; carefully follows verbal and written instructions; follows collection policies and procedures.
Chemically identify and quantify compounds.
Recover, preserve, and compare evidence.
Testify in court.
Interpret scientific data.
Comprehend and make inferences from written material.
Produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation and grammar.
Learn job-related material through oral instruction, observation, structured lecture and reading.
Work safely for protection of self and others.
Listen, communicate, and deal effectively and professionally in writing and verbally with peers, management, public officials, attorneys, representatives of other law enforcement agencies, city employees and the general public.
Adhere to quality assurance and discipline specific procedures.
Prioritize own case workload.
Research, recommend and validate new techniques, procedures, methods and equipment used in the laboratory.
Train others in the disciplines of forensics.
Prepare and conduct training programs for officers and other police employees.
Gain experience in accreditation procedures through attendance of appropriate training.
Possess and maintain a valid Arizona Driver License to perform essential functions.
Serve as acting supervisor role in absence of Forensic Scientist Supervisor.
Complete OSHA/Safety training is required.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Essential Functions
Performs duties and responsibilities commensurate with assigned functional area which may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following:
All Assignments
Serves as the discipline technical leader. Technical leader duties include development and maintenance of discipline procedure and training manuals, oversight of training of new personnel, quality assurance, validation and development of new procedures and technical troubleshooting. The technical leader must regularly review their assigned laboratory discipline specific work product and must be available for consultation. The technical leader will propose new or modified methods and document their approval of all validation and current methods utilized by their assigned discipline. The technical leader is responsible for the technical problem solving and oversees training and quality assurance for the discipline. With consultation from the section manager, quality assurance manager / laboratory director, the technical leader has the authority to suspend and resume analytical operations for that discipline and recommend suspension of work for an individual working within that discipline. The technical leader will be involved in implementing corrective actions to ensure findings resulting from an audit have been appropriately resolved.
Examines, identifies, interprets and evaluates suspected evidence.
Provides general scientific information as requested.
Enters and searches for information on the computerized individual characteristic database systems.
Compares analytical findings with known standards.
Discusses laboratory test results with other lab professionals, officers and attorneys.
Provides expert testimony in court.
Comprehends and follows detailed, highly technical, oral and written instructions to prepare clear, concise, comprehensive reports and records. Prepares and presents detailed reports.
Provides technical assistance and expertise at crime scenes.
Prioritizes own casework load.
Inspects and evaluates equipment, objects, information, and work-related conditions to determine compliance with prescribed operating and safety standards, regulations, and guidelines including manufacturer's specifications on computerized scientific equipment and national laboratory accreditation standards.
Conducts research and analyzes data to perform scientific examinations.
Develops training programs and manuals to train other forensic scientists.
Responds to crime scenes and court appearances as needed.
Visually distinguishes the full range of the color spectrum to perform forensic examinations.
Operate a City vehicle in order to perform forensic examinations in the field.
Pre-Employment Requirements
This is a safety-sensitive position that requires candidates to successfully pass a post-offer drug screen prior to start date.
As part of the medical examination, candidates must successfully pass a Visual/Ishihara Screening Test prior to start date.