INVESTIGATOR 3, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER

Definition

Under the direction of a Chief State Medical Examiner or other higher level supervisory official in the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, Department of Health, or a County Medical Office in local government, supervises a unit or team of investigators who perform investigations of deaths reported to the Regional Medical Examiner Offices; assists the Chief State Medical Examiner in the determination of all aspects of cause and manner of death; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Supervises work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
• Supervises the performance and documentation of medicolegal death investigations in an accurate, comprehensive, and timely manner, in accordance with New Jersey statutes and regulations that govern the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner and applicable standard operating procedures.
• Organizes work assignments of subordinates and provides instructions.
• Trains or assigns training of new investigators.
• Oversees the determination of case types and jurisdiction response through scene investigation and/or interviews including but not limited to law enforcement, family members, friends, witnesses, and physicians.
• Supervises and instructs investigative team members in interviewing witnesses to obtain highly confidential, accurate, and comprehensive supporting documentation.
• Participates in complex and major phases of investigations and directs the course of investigations.
• Acts as principal liaison with State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies, local authorities, and other State departments in matters of mutual interest.
• Obtains and/or secures records and biological specimens from outside agencies for a complete medical/social background needed for identification purposes and to determine the cause and manner of death.
• Ensures that confidentiality of investigations is maintained.
• Supervises the photographical documentation of scenes and the securing of property and/or evidence in the appropriate packaging; supervises the transportation of property/evidence back to the appropriate Regional Medical Examiner Office.
• Analyzes the information gathered through the use of cameras and other investigative equipment.
• Ensures that universal precautions are followed when handling human remains or in an environment that requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); takes corrective action if needed.
• Utilizes the Case Management System (CMS) to generate new cases; fills out all pertinent information (demographics, case information discovery, next of kin, identifications, objections and organ and tissue procurement organizations, and case notes); uploads all reports and medical records.
• Assesses the time of death and postmortem changes of the human body.
• Supervises the development of an organized, concise, and accurate death report in a timely manner.
• Examines and analyzes reports of investigations filed by subordinate investigators and prepares summaries containing facts, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Supervises the preparation of correspondence in the course of official duties.
• Supervises the preparation of legal documents for review and further processing.
• Acts as a witness and testifies for the State before grand juries, courts of law, administrative hearings, or other judicial bodies as required.
• Supervises the maintenance of records and files relevant to investigative matters in the administration of duties and assignments.
• Will be required to learn 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 Bachelor's degree in Forensic Science, Criminal Justice, or Nursing; or graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Physical or Natural Science with twelve (12) semester hour credits in physical or biological science, six (6) semester hour credits in human anatomy, and twelve (12) semester hour credits in chemistry.

Experience

Three (3) years of full-time experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator (MLDI).

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy, and physiology.
• Knowledge of the legal terminology used in investigative work.
• Knowledge of the State of NJ statutes and regulations that govern the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner and standard operating procedures.
• Knowledge of the medicolegal death investigation policies, procedures, and statutes which encompass investigation procedures, case reporting, and computer data entry.
• Knowledge of death scene investigations, including forensic photography.
• Knowledge of the procedures for collecting evidence and property.
• Knowledge of the biological, chemical, and physical hazards related to forensic investigation.
• Knowledge of the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Knowledge of the methods used to research and obtain background data.
• Knowledge of legal documents such as subpoenas, affidavits, and search warrants and the procedures for requesting, obtaining, and executing them.
• Knowledge of interviewing techniques.
• Knowledge of the Case Management System (CMS).
• Knowledge of the types of information needed to prepare cases for hearing or trial.
• Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit.
• Ability to recognize chemical, biological, and physical hazards when gathering information about a death scene and take proper precautions.
• Ability to operate a camera with appropriate settings to achieve the highest quality photos as possible.
• Ability to identify traumatic vs. non-traumatic injuries, types of bodily fluids, and decomposition changes to the body.
• Ability to assess time of death and postmortem changes of the human body.
• Ability to interview witnesses and take proper statements from them to introduce into evidence.
• Ability to gather and preserve evidence.
• Ability to provide testimony under oath in administrative hearings, State and federal courts, or other judicial bodies.
• Ability to testify to the accuracy, time, place, and direction of photographs to lay a foundation for their introduction as evidence.
• Ability to obtain and review reports of police and other law enforcement agencies.
• Ability to supervise the preparation of death reports and reports of investigative activities.
• Ability to supervise the preparation of correspondence.
• Ability to supervise the maintenance of essential records and files.
• Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• 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.

Possession of a valid registry basic certification issued by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree.

A Master's degree in Criminal Justice and/or Forensic Science may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.

<b>LICENSE/CERTIFICATION:</b>

NOTE: Appointees must possess a valid registry basic certification from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI).

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 essential duties of the position.