Director of Forensic Laboratory

Duties

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Directs and has administrative oversight and responsibility for all forensic analysis of evidence conducted by the laboratory;
• Develops, directs and implements policies, programs, and initiatives to be undertaken by the laboratory to supply adequate services bases on workload, advances in technology and scientific knowledge, legal requirements and local policies;
• Plans and anticipates for future services and goals of the laboratory by evaluating workload statistics, monitoring legal decisions and law changes, reviewing higher level municipal directives and requests by other municipal departments and law enforcement agencies for service by establishing budget requirements, evaluating priorities, developing policies, and allocating resources;
• Responsible for submittal of budgetary requests for all aspects of laboratory functioning;
• Directs internal and external proficiency testing programs, the coordination of programs and activities involving shared resources, training of personnel, or analytical services of the laboratory;
• Ensures that staffing levels are adequate in numbers, training and experience to properly perform assigned work, and monitors staff development in light of future needs;
• Oversees the recruitment and selection of applicants for recommendation to the Sheriff, or the Sheriff’s designee, for all laboratory positions;
• Consults, advises or directs lower level personnel relative to technical scientific problems or requests for information, and provides similar consultation and advice to personnel from other departments and local law enforcement agencies;
• Meets with attorneys, investigators and other related personnel regarding approaches to analysis and results in pretrial conferences;
• Participates in scientific meetings, seminars, and other training as assigned;
• Testifies in court regarding laboratory analyses and the significance of the results as required.

 Earn a Degree in Crime Scene Investigation, Forensic Science, Computer Forensics or Forensic Psychology

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with a Doctoral Degree in a natural science, a forensic science, an engineering science, toxicology, or criminalistics, including or supplemented by at least twelve (12) credit hours in chemistry at the graduate or undergraduate level, and four (4) years of full-time or its part-time equivalent experience in a forensic laboratory conducting analysis in a forensic discipline, two (2) years of which must have been in a supervisory or managerial position;
OR
• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with a Master’s Degree in a natural science, a forensic science, an engineering science, toxicology, or criminalistics, including or supplemented by at least twelve (12) credit hours in chemistry at the graduate or undergraduate level, and five (5) years of full-time or its part-time equivalent experience in a forensic laboratory conducting analysis in a forensic discipline, two (2) years of which must have been in a supervisory or managerial position;
OR
• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with a Bachelor’s Degree in a natural science, a forensic science, an engineering science, toxicology, or criminalistics, including or supplemented by at least twelve (12) credit hours in chemistry, and six (6) years of full-time or its part-time equivalent experience in a forensic laboratory conducting analysis in a forensic discipline, two (2) years of which must have been in a supervisory or managerial position;
OR
• An equivalent combination of training and experience that is defined by the limits above.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Possession of a valid New York State driver’s license at time of appointment and throughout employment;
• Successful completion of a background check;
• Additional continuing education and training may be required as condition of employment, including training courses in management and administration.

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