Title: Forensic Autopsy Technician - Western District

State Role Title: Laboratory & Research Spec I

Hiring Range: $23.50 - $25.00

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINR-WST

Agency Website: www.vdh.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

This is a part-time hourly wage position and is required to work less than 1500 hours per year. Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has been a model statewide medical examiner system since 1946.  The OCME has four regional offices throughout the Commonwealth that is staffed with administrative, autopsy services, medicolegal death investigators, Assistant Chief Medical Examiners, and other support staff who work diligently to ensure medicolegal death investigations are completed within a timely manner and in compliance with the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) accreditation standards.  All four regional offices are currently NAME accredited.  
OCME staff members take pride in performing their day-to-day job responsibilities which ensures that the cause and manner of death for decedents are determined in a timely manner.  All OCME staff members recognize that families are grieving the loss of their loved one; therefore, they dedicate the needed attention to families to ensure they understand OCME procedures and how their loved one died.  The OCME interacts with several external organizations (e.g., funeral homes, law enforcement agencies, hospitals) that are critical to the OCME being able to provide excellent medical examiner services to the people of Virginia.  

If you have a genuine care for others and enjoy a fast-paced environment, then the OCME may be the employer for you!

Wage employees are subject to the following conditions of employment:
• Wage employees serve at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.
• Wage employees are not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. Therefore, they are not eligible for benefits which are provided to salaried employees, such as leave credits, holiday pay, insurance, access to the grievance procedure, etc.
• Wage employees are paid only for the hours they actually work.
• Virginia state law currently requires that agencies not permit wage employees to work in excess of 29 hours per week on average over the course of a year. Wage employees may not work for VDH beyond 1,500 hours during the period of May 1 – April 30 of the following year (the Standard Measurement Period).
• Once a wage employee works the maximum of 1,500 hours during the Standard Measurement Period, the employee may be rehired as a wage employee of VDH only after the next Standard Measurement Period has begun.
• Wage employees are eligible to apply for all classified positions for which recruitment has been initiated, including those limited to State Employees Only.
• If a wage employee becomes employed in a classified position, he/she will be eligible to purchase retirement credit for the time worked as a wage employee.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience effectively communicating effectively verbally and in writing
• Must have general working knowledge of anatomy, evidence collection, chain of custody, autopsy assistance, morgue operations, and confidentiality through direct experience or equivalent education
• Must have experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), database usage and data entry with strong keyboarding skills
• Required to push/pull/maneuver weights up to 500+ pounds, with and without assistance, stand for long periods of time, traverse uphill, rocky or otherwise unstable terrain
• Must be able to respond to mass disaster scenes and other out-of-district assignments for up to a 2-week rotation
• Basic photography skills: to include knowledge of digital photography with a digital camera and the ability to save images on various types of media (CD, USB, digital server)

Additional Considerations

• Previous experience with human remains in a hospital, morgue, funeral home or medical examiner’s facility.
• Relevant training and experience in forensic sciences, health sciences, or related field preferred.
• Training as an autopsy technician or medicolegal death investigator is preferred.
• Experience with obtaining/maintaining/shipping collected specimens for analyses, consultations, etc.
• Training and experience in digital radiography and digital dental radiography preferred.
• Knowledge of OSHA regulations for biohazard and chemical work environments preferred.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

VDH accepts only on-line applications. Faxed, mailed, or e-mailed applications will not be considered. Applications are accepted until 11:55 p.m. on the job closing date. Applications and/or resumes should include relevant work history which indicates your qualifications for this position. Supplemental questions are encouraged to be answered in a comprehensive manner and reference any pertinent knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as any previous experience that relates to the position.

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a state and federal criminal history background check and the Department of Social Service’s Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check, U.S. HHSIG Exclusion List check, employment reference check and E-Verify. Other financial, credit, driving, background checks or completion of Statement of Economic Interests may be required for certain positions.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and VDH that all aspects of human resource management be conducted without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists); sex; color; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; age; veteran status; political affiliation; disability; genetic information; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. VDH employees have a shared Code of Ethics, which can be found in the bottom banner of our website: www.vdh.virginia.gov.

If you have been affected by DHRM Policy 1.30 layoff and possess a valid Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Card) or a Preferential Hiring Form (Blue Card), you must submit the card before the closing date for this position. The Card may be submitted with the state application as an attachment.

As a V3 (Virginia Values Veterans) employer VDH Welcomes Veterans to apply!

Contact Information

Name: Kourtney Dudley

Phone: 804-659-6366

Email: kourtney.dudley@vdh.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.