Title: Forensic Support Assistant

State Role Title: Laboratory and Research Tech

Hiring Range: $16.75-$20.00

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINR-WST

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), Western District, located in Roanoke, Virginia, is actively seeking to recruit a Forensic Support Assistant. This is a wage position and averages 15-29 hours per week, not to exceed 1500 hours in a year, and is not eligible for benefits. The Forensic Support Assistant is responsible for processing the receipt and release of bodies at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which includes physically moving dead bodies, processing the evidence/personal belongings, 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 support to the forensic autopsy technicians in the morgue after hours, on weekends, and on holidays. This position is responsible for the cleanliness of the morgue while on duty, laundering and organization of linens in the morgue, and may assist with other duties, such as organizing toxicology specimens and supplies, assisting local medical examiners with external examinations, etc. The FSA will monitor the surveillance refrigeration systems of body storage areas, monitor access and admittance of all individuals entering the morgue areas, while on duty, including law enforcement, funeral home/transport personnel, and organ procurement organizations, and report unusual or emergency conditions to appropriate personnel and authorities. This position will also perform administrative duties, including but not limited to filing, faxing, and photocopying.

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 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 and safety, security procedures
• Must be able to work days, evenings, nights, weekends, and state holidays
• Reading and writing ability to properly complete the chain of evidence documents and reading of surveillance thermometers
• Must have experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) with strong
keyboarding and data-entry 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 on the chain of custody and the handling of 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.