FORENSIC SCIENTIST 3

Definition

Under the direction of an Assistant Chief Forensic Scientist or the Chief Forensic Scientist, or other supervisory official, in the Department of Law and Public Safety or in the Department of Health, supervises the technical operation of a component within a Regional Forensic Laboratory, and supervises designated research projects within the Office of Forensic Sciences; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; performs other related field and laboratory work; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Supervises the performance of subordinate forensic scientists conducting chemical, physical, biological, toxicological, and/or serological analyses on submitted specimens, substances, evidence, and other materials sent by law enforcement agencies and Medical Examiners' Offices to be reviewed in connection with criminal investigations or other official queries.
• Participates in quality assurance and control programs by completing personal and laboratory proficiency tests as assigned, overseeing sectional audits, overseeing validation procedures on new instrumentation, maintaining detailed logbooks for standards and calibrations, and witnessing the analyses of colleagues.
• Reviews written and practical competency and proficiency tests for specialty areas and determines recommendations regarding further required training.
• Supervises the conduct of subordinate staff in the security and accountability controls of all specimens, substances, and evidence submitted to the laboratory for analyses and storage.
• Reviews and evaluates all cases submitted for laboratory analysis and obtains additional information as necessary; assigns cases to appropriate personnel within the laboratory component for testing and analysis based on the individual's knowledge, expertise and training.
• Assumes responsibility for the scientific and technical accuracy of all work performed in an assigned area of the laboratory; supervises case processing including reviewing all reports, notes, assigned graphs, and photographs prepared by subordinates, ensuring that all cases have been technically reviewed and that they include complete chemical, physical, biological, toxicological, and serological analyses on submitted specimens, and ensuring the comprehensive report for each case includes all determined facts and conclusions, as per laboratory protocols; ensures that tests and analyses meet criteria of the laboratory manual and that the reports are accurate, legible, and contain all relevant material.
• Performs administrative functions designated by the Assistant Chief Forensic Scientist, which may include taking inventory and ordering supplies; develops priority lists of equipment and budget requirements for the regional laboratory director and may participate in the annual budget preparation.
• Develops and enforces technical policies and procedures for the laboratory; keeps current of the most advanced scientific procedures consistent with state and federal court decisions and State Police regulations.
• Instructs and trains laboratory personnel in the administrative and laboratory procedures for the proper use and maintenance of scientific and forensic laboratory instruments and equipment.
• Supervises the safety, order, maintenance, and cleanliness of laboratory areas.
• Initiates research and develops new or improved analytical techniques and procedures, adapts or revises existing approaches based on current literature, and validates new procedures by experimenting on non-case evidence or control samples.
• Supervises the set-up and validation of new sophisticated computer-linked instrumentation with complicated software applications and ensures the accuracy and reliability of all laboratory equipment.
• Oversees and/or develops and presents lectures, seminars, and courses of instruction to law enforcement personnel or other groups regarding the proper submission of evidence and other areas related to forensic science.
• Oversees assigned research projects; supervises designated research work and participates in research relating to forensic matters.
• Stays current in topics in Forensic Science through webinars, available on-site training, literature search, workshops, participation in professional associations, and by attending discipline specific meetings.
• Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
• Supervises subordinate Forensic Scientists, Chemists and Laboratory Technicians in specialized techniques and analysis by demonstrating required skills and abilities.
• May act in place of the Assistant Chief Forensic Scientist in his/her absence and assumes supervision of a Regional Laboratory.
• Oversees the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative reports of chemical, microchemical, instrumental, and other laboratory examinations and analyses containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations; prepares detailed information and reports in a useable form for presentation in court by law enforcement agencies.
• Supervises the maintenance of essential laboratory records and files to provide extensive records of operation for quality control purposes.
• Provides recommendations on staff attendance at training, seminars, and meetings.
• Develops strategies to meet the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) standards.
• Ensures that all standards, procedures and guidelines address all reagents and chemicals used in the units adhere to the established criteria for suitability and purity, maintains paperwork for the traceability of established standards and usage of reagents.
• Supervises the development and dissemination of information procedures to communicate current regulations and laws such as Right to Know, record keeping requirements, and the policy for notification of interested parties.
• Supervises the development and awareness criteria for emergency laboratory response procedures and the determination of hazardous material classes, hazardous materials responders, levels of responder requirements, first aid measures.
• Supervises the development and awareness criteria for control measures to determine risk assessments and risk reductions, handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous materials, personal protective equipment, and engineering controls.
• Supervises the development and implementation of a laboratory-wide chemical hygiene plan to ensure health, safety, and hazardous material control measures are maintained; ensures that scientists and other laboratory personnel adhere to safety rules.
• Determines new methods and standards; evaluates outdated practices that are to be no longer utilized.
• Supervises sections in the laboratory to avoid duplication of work.
• Conducts monthly performance checks of instrument or reagent functionality.
• Supervises subordinates on the proper use of robotics and automated analyses.
• Supervises the scientific analysis and mathematical calculations on questioned samples of alcoholic beverages.
• Oversees the identification and analyses of body fluid and tissues, including DNA specimens to determine the source of the contributor of evidence such as blood, semen, hair roots, teeth, and bones.
• Supervises trace evidence analyses such as paint or fibers through visual, chemical, and microscopic examination, appropriate tests, and instrumentation.
• Oversees the analyses of evidence for controlled dangerous substances by Weighing evidence, microscopic examination for botanical identification, color tests through application of appropriate reagents, crystal test, and extracting drugs for further testing.
• Liaisons with other professionals to contribute and obtain information necessary to identify trends affecting controlled substances and potential controlled substances; keeps informed of new analytical methods of clandestine and legitimate drug manufacturing.
• Oversees the testing necessary for toxicological determinations regarding the ingestion of poisons and/or lethal drugs; conducts tests designed to reveal the presence of substances likely to cause toxic symptoms.
• Provides expertise and supervision to agencies at crime scenes regarding the collection and preservation of evidence.
• Provides information to attorneys and investigative officers concerning analytical findings and information to aid in analysis of cases.
• Supervises physical and chemical tests, measurements, and photographs as required; reproduces these in legible pictures or drawings for the use of the submitting agency in courts of law.
• Oversees and maintains the integrity of court evidence; keeps evidence in an appropriate environment and maintains a running log on all stages of analysis to prevent loss, tampering, theft, or biological or chemical degradation.
• Supervises the preparation of exhibits used in official proceedings and testifies under oath as an expert witness.
• Prepares detailed correspondence and memoranda.
• Maintains computer and analytical skills necessary for a specified discipline.
• Maintains proper fuel and oil in assigned state transportation and reports any problems.
• Will be required to learn the how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in Forensic Science, Chemistry, Biology, Bio-Chemistry. Degrees in related areas of biological or chemical science that contain a minimum of twenty-four (24) science semester hour credits in any combination of Forensic Science, Chemistry, Biology, or Bio-Chemistry are considered acceptable in meeting the education requirement.

Experience

Three (3) years of experience in performing comprehensive testing procedures to be utilized in conducting various types of chemical testing, retesting, analytical examination and analyses of bio-hazardous, organic and inorganic compounds, and other matter conducted in a modern scientific, pharmaceutical, medical, forensic chemistry, or DNA testing laboratory.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the principles, techniques, equipment, and functions of forensic chemistry and their application to scientific situations.
• Knowledge of the chemical laboratory standards, protocols, procedures, techniques, equipment, media, reagents, and supplies used to conduct chemical and related microscopic tests, assays, examinations, and analyses.
• Knowledge of toxic chemicals, dangerous biological diseases, and other environmental hazards encountered in evidence handling and in the usage of reagents and of the appropriate health and safety precautions.
• Knowledge of supervision techniques and methods.
• Knowledge of training techniques and methods.
• Knowledge of the factors affecting interpretation of scientific data, including conditions of evidence, environment of crime scene, sample substrate, and interfering substances.
• Knowledge of principles involved in the manufacture of goods and materials for each type of evidence.
• Knowledge of a lab-wide chemical hygiene plan.
• Knowledge of laboratory health and safety, and hazardous material control measures.
• Knowledge of a Bloodborne Pathogen Plan.
• Knowledge of the control measures used to determine risk assessments and risk reductions.
• Knowledge of the methods used to handle, store, transport, and dispose of hazardous materials, and the usage of personal protective equipment and engineering controls.
• Knowledge of emergency laboratory response procedures to determine first responder criteria, determination of hazardous material classes, hazardous materials responders, levels of responder requirements, first aid measures.
• Knowledge of record keeping requirements and the procedures for notification of interested parties.
• Knowledge of the form and content of laboratory reports of tests, examinations, and analyses.
• Knowledge of computer applications associated with instrumentation procedures and statistical analysis, and review standards.
• Knowledge of analytical chemistry, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and toxicology.
• Knowledge of physics, geology, statistics, and computers.
• Ability to operate an ultraviolet spectrophotometer, infrared spectrophotometer, x-ray diffraction unit, a DNA Genetic Analyzer and workstation, Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization LC/MS, Capillary Electrophoresis instrument, Pyrolysis Head space sampler for GC/MS, scanning electron microscope, gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph, data work stations, and other scientific equipment in the laboratory in the analysis of varied types of materials.
• Ability to use digital photographic equipment to photograph evidence to be used in a court of law.
• Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit.
• Ability to plan and schedule work for a component of a forensic science laboratory, to develop effective work procedures, and to check results of tests, examinations, and analyses made by subordinates and associate scientists.
• Ability to technically review reports of subordinates to ensure that the conclusions are reasonable and within the constraints of scientific knowledge.
• Ability to establish cooperative working relationships with technical personnel and law enforcement agencies/officials.
• Ability to keep current with new discoveries and current literature in the field of forensic sciences, and to investigate and initiate appropriate new methodologies and procedures.
• Ability to keep current with laws, regulations, and court decisions that affect methods, specimen security, chain of custody, record keeping, court testimony, and employee safety.
• Ability to set up, operate, and troubleshoot new scientific instruments and equipment.
• Ability to ensure that infrastructure processes are optimized and balanced.
• Ability to recognize circumstances as to when subordinates are at risk to increased exposure to blood borne pathogens and establish/enforce adherence to extensive procedures to reduce the risks governing biological waste management and promote personal safety.
• Ability to identify toxic chemicals, dangerous biological diseases, and other environmental hazards encountered in evidence handling and reagents.
• Ability to monitor the workplace environment for hazardous and toxic conditions and recognize acceptable limits of exposure or when exposure or conditions are deemed to be hazardous.
• Ability to identify and remediate mechanical, environmental, and electrical hazards.
• Ability to prepare and supervise staff in the preparation of standard and special reagents.
• Ability to follow standard and prescribed procedures when conducting specific tests, examinations, and analyses, in compliance with state and federal regulations and court stipulated guidelines.
• Ability to maintain a chain of custody record providing a comprehensive documented history of evidence review, transfer, and storage.
• Ability to successfully complete proficiency and/or competency tests in the assigned discipline.
• Ability to write articles about forensic and DNA sciences, and to take part in meetings and conferences of a professional nature.
• Ability to use statistics to validate instruments and methodologies, and to explain the significance of statistical results.
• Ability to use laboratory equipment and reagents in a manner that avoids unnecessary breakage and waste and to obtain accurate, reliable results.
• Ability to determine the origin and nature of materials and substances by conducting chemical, physical, and microchemical tests and analyses.
• Ability to conduct physical and chemical tests, measurements, and take photographs.
• Ability to choose a suitable analytical technique for the case of non-routine samples and in some cases, to refer the submitting agency to other appropriate laboratories when their requests are beyond the scope of the facility.
• Ability to supervise research into forensic and DNA matters.
• Ability to prepare and direct the preparation of scientifically sound and technically accurate reports of examinations, testing, and analyses containing findings and conclusions.
• Ability to supervise the compilation and preparation of data, detailed information, photographs, charts, tables and reports for use in court proceedings.
• Ability to supervise the preparation of legible drawings for use in official proceedings.
• Ability to evaluate courtroom testimony as to both presentation and scientific accuracy; ability to serve as an expert rebuttal witness, when necessary.
• Ability to give testimony and act as an expert witness in official proceedings concerning the results of laboratory examination and analyses in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to prepare detailed correspondence and memoranda.
• Ability to supervise the maintenance of essential records, reports, and files.
• Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to maintain computer and analytical skills necessary for a specified discipline.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Applicants who do not possess the required Master's degree, but who possess a Bachelor's degree in one of the four areas of science listed above, or possess a Bachelor's degree that includes a minimum of twenty-four (24) science semester hour credits in any combination of Forensic Science, Chemistry, Biology, or Bio-Chemistry, may substitute one (1) year of additional experience as indicated.

Possession of a Doctorate degree in Forensic Science, Chemistry, Biology, Bio-Chemistry, or related physical science area of study, may substitute this degree for two (2) years of experience as indicated above.

Appointees will be required to possess various certifications to perform Forensic DNA testing and analysis, issued by the standards established by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories and DNA Databasing Laboratories, and the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for specifications and accreditation for various scientific sub-disciplines relevant to such testing procedures, practices, and analysis to be considered as admissible in courts of law and other formal proceedings.