INVESTIGATOR 1, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER
Office Of Chief State Medical Examiner
Career Family: INVESTIGATOR
Investigator 1, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner is a competitive state or local title, the kind you test for: the exam result, not a hiring manager's pick, decides where you land in line.
It expects a bachelor's degree and 1 year of relevant experience. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $62,499 to $91,249, and state payroll currently lists about 122 people in the title, led by Banking and Insurance.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 10 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 10 employers and how to apply →Who employs this title
Investigator 1, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner appears on the State payroll at 11 departments, most of them at Department of Banking & Insurance.
State departments
Showing the largest 8 of 11 departments. All agencies.
Where this title is used
Investigator 1, 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.
Check whether an employer is a civil service jurisdiction · How local civil service works
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Pay ladder: Investigator series
- Investigator 1 — $62,499 – $91,249
- Investigator 2 — $71,562 – $104,839
- Investigator 3 — $83,582 – $122,832
- Investigator 4 Law and Publc Safety — $83,582 – $122,832
Its top salary lands around the 34th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY 2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 122 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $60,385. The agencies employing the most are:
- Banking and Insurance (63)
- Children and Families (14)
- Health and Senior Services (12)
- Education (9)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
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, conducts routine investigations of deaths reported to the Regional Medical Examiner Offices; work is closely-monitored and regular feedback is received; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Performs and documents routine 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.
- Determines case types and jurisdiction response through scene investigation and/or interviews including but not limited to law enforcement, family members, friends, witnesses, and physicians.
- Participates in joint investigations and/or surveillance with other departments, such as public health or other law enforcement agencies.
- Assists 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.
- Photographically documents the scene and secures property and/or evidence in the appropriate packaging; transports property/evidence back to the appropriate Regional Medical Examiner Office.
- Analyzes the information gathered through the use of cameras and other investigative equipment.
- Follows universal precautions when handling human remains or in an environment that requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- 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.
- Assists in assessing the time of death and postmortem changes of the human body.
- Develops an organized, concise, and accurate death report in a timely manner.
- Prepares written reports of all investigative activities containing objective facts, findings, and assessments.
- Creates and reviews correspondence relating to inquiries and prepares drafts of replies consistent with applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, and relevant documentation for review and approval.
- Assists in 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.
- 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.
Experience
One (1) year of office and/or field experience conducting investigations, collecting evidence, and preparing investigative reports.
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).
- Ability to conduct or participate as a member of a team in assigned office and/or field investigative duties.
- 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 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.
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>
Appointees will be required to possess a valid registry basic certification from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) within two (2) years of appointment.
Per N.J.S.A. 26:6B-10, a medicolegal death investigator who engages in the investigation of deaths pursuant to this subsection shall obtain certification from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators within three years after the effective date of this act, or within three years after the person first takes action under this paragraph, whichever is later.
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.
To progress to the title of Investigator 2, OCSME, employees will be required to possess a valid registry basic certification from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) and have one (1) year of full-time experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator (MLDI).