Chief Forensic Pathologist

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 online.

ABOUT THE CORONER’S BUREAU
The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau is located in the Oakland hills which serves a population of 1.6 million people and is currently the 7th most populous county in the state of California. The Coroner’s Bureau is the Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator for California’s Region II (16 counties) whose responsibility includes the coordination of intra- and inter-regional mutual aid in large scale events. 

The Coroner’s Bureau shares a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility with the Alameda County Crime Laboratory and Alameda County Public Health Department. When fully staffed, the Coroner’s Bureau operates with six full-time Morgue Technicians, three Forensic Pathologists, a Chief Forensic Pathologist, and additional locum tenens Forensic Pathologists. The Coroner’s Bureau also has an in-house board-certified neuropathologist and is staffed with ABMDI-certified Death Investigators. The Coroner’s Bureau has access to forensic anthropology and odontology services and multiple contracted toxicology services.

The Coroner’s Bureau receives death notifications and performs investigations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Autopsies are normally performed Monday through Friday, excluding most holidays. However, occasional situations requiring a pathologist to conduct an autopsy outside of normal business hours or visit a death scene may arise.

THE POSITION

Under general direction, to serve as the primary medical advisor to the Sheriff/Coroner or his/her designee, for cases under the jurisdiction of the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau; to perform professional level, forensic medical evaluation and analysis involved with determining the cause, manner and circumstances of death and injuries sustained by deceased persons; to develop forensic evidence for use in legal proceedings; to testify and serve as an expert witness in concerning findings; to administer and manage the operations in the morgue; and organize, manage and coordinate all forensic medical activities at the Coroner's Bureau.  The Chief Forensic Pathologist is licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the State of California and is certified by the American Board of Pathology to practice forensic pathology.  This is a single position class located in the Coroner's Bureau, reporting to the Sheriff/Coroner or his/her designee. 

For more information about the job classification, visit:  Chief Forensic Pathologist (#5149).

Education:

Possession of an M.D. or D.O. degree conferred by an accredited medical school.

AND

Experience:

The equivalent of two years' full-time post forensic residency/fellowship work experience in forensic pathology.

Certification:

Completion of a recognized residency program leading to board certification in forensic pathology and possession of board certification in forensic pathology by the American Board of Pathology.

License:

Possession of a license to practice medicine or osteopathy in the State of California.

Special Requirements:

• Duties require twenty-four hour on-call availability to respond to scenes of sudden death or injury, or to respond to hospitals to facility organ donor requests.
• Duties require exposure to accidental, physical or biological health hazards and disagreeable situations.

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:

• State and Federal laws applicable to the practice of forensic pathology.
• Investigative procedures and the medico-legal techniques required to determine the circumstances, cause and manner of death as required by law.
• Procedures and techniques utilized in forensic medicine, including medico-legal autopsy, interpretation of forensic toxicology results and interpretation of histology and clinical chemistry results associated with a cause and time of death.
• Principles of public administration, supervision, and training.

Ability to:

• Examine decedents for evidence and signs of injuries.
• Document injuries, collect biological and physical evidence of injuries and interpret them.
• Perform medico-legal autopsies in accordance with the standards of the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau and the National Association of Medical Examiners.
• Effectively communicate interpretations of scene reconstruction, medico-legal autopsy, and investigative and observational findings verbally and in writing.
• Testify clearly, concisely and effectively at public hearings, in courts of law and before the Grand Jury.
• Learn, and effectively execute the policies and procedures of the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau.
• Plan, direct and coordinate the works of others.
• Establish and maintain effective and diplomatic work relationships with members of the legal profession, public, staff, and other government agencies or related entities.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1) A review of candidates' applications and supplemental questionnaire 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) 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

*Updated 6/22/2022

Veterans’ Preference
Each applicant entitled to veterans’ preference as provided in the Alameda County Civil Service Rules who has served in the armed forces of the United States during a war or campaign as defined by Section 1897 of the Government Code of the State of California and who has been discharged or released under honorable conditions and wishes to claim such preference shall do so by presenting proof of his/her honorable discharge (DD214) from the armed forces of the United States, showing the dates of his/her military service. Each applicant entitled to Disabled Veterans’ points as provided in the Alameda County Civil Service Rules, who wishes to claim such preference shall additionally present proof of military-connected disability from the United States Veterans Administration.

U.S. military veterans (including applicants already employed by the County of Alameda) intending to claim preferential consideration pursuant to Alameda County Civil Service Rules must present proof of honorable discharge or release (DD Form 214) concurrent with this application but in no event later than the final step in the recruitment process (usually the oral interview.)

To claim veteran’s preference, proof must be presented during check in on the date of the applicant’s scheduled oral interview. Failure to submit proof by this date will forfeit the applicant's claim to veterans' preference in such examination. 

Candidates will be required to present a valid photo I.D. for admittance to each phase of the examination, i.e., driver's license, military I.D., Passport, or California Department of Motor Vehicle's I.D. card.  

*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 statues.  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)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• 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
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• 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.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com 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 and clicking on the link 'last notice sent' for the respective recruitment.

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 Noreply@jobaps.com 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

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.