Criminalist I

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications and supplemental questionnaires will only be accepted on-line.

ABOUT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is a full service law enforcement agency accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for its law enforcement services, its Regional Training Center,  and its Dispatch Unit; the American Correctional Association (ACA) for its Detentions and Corrections Division; the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board for its Crime Lab; the Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board for its Explosive Ordinance Unit.  Additionally, the agency's health care provider, Well Path, has experience working with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). 

The Sheriff's Office has a current budget of approximately $444 million and has over 1600 authorized positions, including in excess of 1000 sworn personnel. The agency's Chief Executive Officer is Sheriff / Coroner Gregory J. Ahern, who is assisted in the operation of the agency by Undersheriff Richard T. Lucia, Assistant Sheriff's Casey Nice and Dennis Houghtelling.

The Sheriff of Alameda County is responsible for a vast array of tasks and duties, including the following:

• Providing security to the Consolidated Superior Courts
• Operating the Coroner's Bureau
• Operating a full service criminalistics laboratory
• Performing Civil Process
• Operating a County Jail (Santa Rita)
• Operating the County Office of Emergency Services
• Providing patrol and investigative services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County
• Pursuant to contractual agreements, providing patrol and investigative services to the City of Dublin, Peralta Community College District, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex, Oakland International Airport, Highland County Hospital, Social Services, and to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
• Conducting a basic academy pursuant to Police Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) requirements. [Sheriff's Academy Web Site] 
• Providing Fish and Game enforcement
• Project Director of the Narcotics Task Force
• Serving as the Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force
• Operating a Marine Patrol Unit in the San Francisco Bay waters.

 

For more detailed information about the agency, visit: Alameda County Sheriff's Office

 

 

THE POSITION 

Criminalists utilize scientific methods and techniques in the recognition, collection, and characterization of physical and digital evidence in the Crime Laboratory as well as at crime scenes. They prepare written reports regarding their findings and provide expert testimony in court. They perform related duties as required. All positions are located in the Sheriff's Office and may be subject to overtime.

 

For more detailed information about the job classification, visit:  Criminalist I (#8523)

 

 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate for the Criminalist I position will possess the following critical attributes:   

 

• Excels in technical knowledge and skill – keeps up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise.
• Approaches change positively – Maintains effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment.
• Learns and assimilates job related information – Applies new job-related information in a timely manner.
• Identifies issues and develops solutions – Identifies and understands problems and opportunities; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and consequences.
•  Operates with integrity – Interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.

Education:

Possession of a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biology, Criminalistics or a closely related physical science field.

License:

Candidates for all three classes must possess a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License.

Special Requirements:

1) Candidate for all three classes must be found to be free of uncorrected colorblindness at the time of the County pre-employment physical examination.
2) A thorough background investigation will be conducted of all prospective Criminalists to ensure they are suitable for law enforcement related work.
3) Criminalists will be required to work day, evening, night, rotating shifts, or call back shifts including weekends and holidays.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• The principles of forensic science, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, microscopy, statistics, photography, and natural sciences as related to forensic laboratory examinations and crime scene processing.
• Basic principles of operation for scientific instruments and apparatus used in forensic laboratory examinations and crime scene processing.
• Modern criminal investigation and identification techniques and procedures.
• Basic laboratory safety procedures.
• Basic legal and courtroom processes.


Ability to:

• Conduct basic chemical, instrumental, biological, microscopic, digital, and other forensic laboratory analyses as required.
• Conduct crime scene documentation, evidence collection, and interpretation as required.
• Present evidence clearly and accurately in court when called on as an expert witness.
• Prepare and maintain clear, accurate, and detailed case records, statistics, and reports.
• Provide training and assist in evaluating the work of others.
• Follow detailed technical instruction while maintaining an exceptional level of quality.
• Approach change positively.
• Learn and assimilate information in a timely manner.
• Identify issues and develop solutions.
• Maintain focus under pressure.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, with scientists, law enforcement personnel, attorneys, the public, and the courts.
• Work effectively in an environment in which incumbent may encounter disturbing, sensitive, or confidential situations.
• Work effectively in a highly structured, rank-organized environment.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.
• Work safely with a wide variety of materials which may contain biohazards and/or hazardous materials.
• Effectively resolve analytical problems through the application of logical thought processes, consultation of the scientific literature, and/or applied research.
• Respond to crime scenes outside of normal working hours.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) A review of candidates’ supplemental questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process.

3) An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:	Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at 5:00 PM
Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:	Monday, July 15, 2019
Supplemental Questionnaire Review for Best Qualified	Monday, September 10, 2019
Oral Interviews	*January 14, 15, & 16, 2020

*Updated 12/11/2019

 

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

 

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

 

 

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website: www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Employee Mortgage Loan Program
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

 

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

 

Elaine Lemi | Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
(510) 272-6434 | elaine.lemi@acgov.org

 

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer