INVESTIGATOR TRAINEE, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER
Office Of Chief State Medical Examiner
Investigator Trainee, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner is a non-competitive state or local civil service title, so there is no ranked exam. You qualify by meeting the stated education and experience.
The main requirement is a bachelor's degree. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $57,158 to $59,763.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
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Investigator Trainee, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner is a common title, so it is used in both State and local service. The local side is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, which set their own pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule.
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Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under the close supervision of an Investigator 3, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner or other supervisory official in the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, Department of Health, or a County Medical Office in local government, as a trainee and productive worker, learns to perform and conduct routine investigations of deaths reported to the Regional Medical Examiner Offices; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Under close supervision, as a trainee and productive worker:
- Learns to perform and document routine medicolegal death investigations in an accurate, comprehensive, and timely manner, in accordance with NJ statutes and regulations that govern the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner and applicable standard operating procedures.
- Learns to determine case types and jurisdiction response through scene investigation and/or interviews including but not limited to law enforcement, family members, friends, witnesses, and physicians.
- Learns to participate in joint investigations and/or surveillance with other departments, such as public health or other law enforcement agencies.
- Learns to assist in obtaining and/or securing 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.
- Maintains the confidentiality of investigations.
- Learns to photographically document the scene and secure property and/or evidence in the appropriate packaging; learns to transport property/evidence back to the appropriate Regional Medical Examiner Office.
- Learns to analyze the information gathered through the use of cameras and other investigative equipment.
- Learns to follow universal precautions when handling human remains or in an environment that requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Learns to utilize the Case Management System (CMS) to generate new cases; fill out all pertinent information (demographics, case information discovery, next of kin, identifications, objections and organ and tissue procurement organizations, and case notes); upload all reports and medical records.
- Learns to assess the time of death and postmortem changes of the human body.
- Learns to develop an organized, concise, and accurate death report in a timely manner.
- Learns to prepare written reports of all investigative activities containing objective facts, findings, and assessments.
- Learns to create and review correspondence relating to inquiries and prepare drafts of replies consistent with applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, and relevant documentation for review and approval.
- Learns to assist in the preparation of legal documents for review and further processing.
- May act as a witness and testify for the State before grand juries, courts of law, administrative hearings, or other judicial bodies as required.
- Maintains 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.
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 medical terminology, human anatomy, and physiology.
- Ability to learn the legal terminology used in investigative work.
- Ability to learn the State of NJ statutes and regulations that govern the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner and standard operating procedures.
- Ability to learn the medicolegal death investigation policies, procedures, and statutes which encompass investigation procedures, case reporting, and computer data entry.
- Ability to learn death scene investigations, including forensic photography.
- Ability to learn the procedures for collecting evidence and property.
- Ability to learn the biological, chemical, and physical hazards related to forensic investigation.
- Ability to learn the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Ability to learn the methods used to research and obtain background data.
- Ability to learn legal documents such as subpoenas, affidavits, and search warrants, and the procedures for requesting, obtaining, and executing them.
- Ability to learn interviewing techniques.
- Ability to learn the Case Management System (CMS).
- Ability to conduct or participate as a member of a team in assigned office and/or field investigative duties.
- Ability to learn to recognize chemical, biological, and physical hazards when gathering information about a death scene and take proper precautions.
- Ability to learn to operate a camera with appropriate settings to achieve the highest quality photos as possible.
- Ability to learn to identify traumatic vs. non-traumatic injuries, types of bodily fluids, and decomposition changes to the body.
- Ability to learn to assess time of death and postmortem changes of the human body.
- Ability to learn to interview witnesses and take proper statements from them to introduce into evidence.
- Ability to learn 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 learn to prepare death reports and reports of investigative activities.
- Ability to maintain essential records and files.
- Ability to prepare correspondence.
- 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.
- <b>ADVANCEMENT:</b>
- Applicants who successfully complete the twelve (12) month training period will be eligible for advancement to the title of Investigator 1, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, in accordance with New Jersey Civil Service Commission procedures.
- The inability of an employee in this trainee title to attain a level of performance warranting advancement to the Investigator 1, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner title listed above shall be considered as cause for separation.
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.