Job Specification
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.
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.
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.
REQUIREMENTS:
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.
NOTE: 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.
EXPERIENCE:
Three (3) years of full-time experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator
(MLDI).
NOTE: A Master's degree in Criminal Justice and/or Forensic Science may
be substituted for one (1) year of experience.
LICENSE/CERTIFICATION:
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.
KNOWLEDGE 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.
This job specification is applicable to the following title code: | | Job
Spec
Code | Variant | State,
Local or
Common | Class of
Service | Work
Week | State
Class
Code | Local
Class
Code | Salary
Range | Note | | 56807C | Office Of Chief State Medical Examiner | C | C | N4 | 25 | 30 | R26 | - |
This job specification is for state and local government use.
Salary range is only applicable to state government.
Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions.
7/18/2020 |
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