Title: Forensic Support Assistant

State Role Title: Laboratory and Research Tech

Hiring Range: $36,000-$40,500

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER-NO

Agency Website: www.vdh.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), Northern District, located in Manassas, Virginia, is seeking a full-time Forensic Support Assistant. The Forensic Support Assistant is responsible for working evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. This position would work a combination of shifts between 4pm and 7am, Monday through Friday, in addition to a variety of shifts on weekends and holidays based upon business need. A 40-hour work week and flexible availability are required.

The Forensic Support Assistant is responsible for the receipt and release of decedents at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which includes physically moving dead bodies, processing the evidence/personal belongings, managing paperwork and data entry associated with the transfer, and ensuring the integrity of the evidence recovered and stored at the Medical Examiner’s office, in accordance with policies and procedures.

This position provides administrative support to the Forensic Autopsy Services work Unit by answering telephone calls to the morgue during shift and field questions from hospitals, funeral homes, doctors, families, and police agencies, data entry, filing, faxing, photocopying, and printing photographs. This position is responsible for surveillance of refrigeration systems of body storage areas and reporting variances in a timely fashion. The Forensic Support Assistant is required to monitor and regulate the admittance of all individuals entering the morgue areas while on duty, including law enforcement, funeral home/transport personnel, and organ procurement organizations. This position is required to report unusual or emergency conditions to appropriate personnel and authorities in a timely fashion. This position also provides support to the Forensic Autopsy Services unit in the morgue. Providing support to this work unit includes maintaining the cleanliness of the morgue areas, laundering and organizing linens in the morgue, organizing toxicology specimens, restocking supplies, and assisting local medical examiners with external examinations, etc.

The Virginia Department of Health offers 12 paid holidays, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, retirement plans (including 401a Cash Match and 457 Deferred Compensation Plan) as well as sick, family/personal, and annual leave.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience performing administrative duties including faxing, filing and photocopying
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally
• Ability to follow office policies and procedures without direct supervision
• Knowledge of OSHA requirements and regulations related to working with biohazardous materials and lab safety, security procedures.
• Reading and writing ability to properly complete chain of evidence documents and reading of surveillance thermometers
• Must have experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), with strong keyboarding skills.
• Ability to push/pull 100 to 500lbs and lift with assistance

Additional Considerations

• Previous experience with human remains in a hospital, morgue, funeral home or medical examiner’s facility.
• Experience/training/education on chain of custody and the handling evidence and/or personal effects.
• Knowledge of digital photography and the ability to save images on various types of media (CD, USB, external hard drive, server).

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: Az'Jalaiyah Scott

Phone: n/a

Email: AzJalaiyah.Scott@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.