Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Supervising Criminalist

Recruitment #24-8526-01

Go Back

Introduction

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. by the filing deadline.  Applications and supplemental questionnaires will only be accepted online.

DESCRIPTION

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 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, Wellpath, has experience working with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). 

 

The Sheriff's Office has a current budget of approximately $600 million and has over 1700 authorized positions, including in excess of 1000 sworn personnel. The agency's Chief Executive Officer is Sheriff / Coroner Yesenia L. Sanchez, who is assisted in the operation of the agency by Undersheriff April Luckett-Fahimi, Assistant Sheriffs Emmanuel Christy and Daniel McNaughton.  

 

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 the 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, 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 website]
  • 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's Sheriff's Office.


THE POSITION

Under direction, to assist the Crime Laboratory Director in the supervision of Criminalists and other laboratory personnel involved in the technical laboratory analysis of physical evidence of crimes; to testify in court as an expert witness; and to do related work as required.  Supervising Criminalists are responsible for scheduling, assigning, and evaluating personnel and the work of the crime laboratory.

 

For more detailed information about the job classification including summary of duties, visit:  Supervising Criminalist (#8526).

 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory is seeking a Supervising Criminalist with proven leadership capabilities and experience in at least one forensic science discipline.  The ideal candidate is familiar with ANAB ISO 17025 accreditation requirements and must have the desire and ability to efficiently implement new technologies, technical procedures, and Laboratory policies in support of the Crime Laboratory’s mission.

 

All qualified candidates, regardless of areas of forensic expertise, are encouraged to apply.


MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I
Experience:

The equivalent of one-year full-time experience in the class of Criminalist III in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II
Education:

Possession of a bachelor's degree in criminalistics, or in a closely related science such as chemistry, biochemistry, or physics, awarded by an accredited college or university,

AND
Experience:

The equivalent of five years of full-time, paid experience as a criminalist or forensic chemist in crime laboratory or investigation work, one year of which was at a supervisory level.

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

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Methods and techniques used in examining crime scenes.
• Methods and techniques used in laboratory analyses of various types of evidence.
• Principles of forensic, organic, and inorganic chemistry, physiology and forensic identification.
• Photographic techniques and equipment used in police work.
• Quality assurance practices and principles.
• Accreditation program requirements.

Ability to:

• Make definitive analyses of evidence by physical and chemical tests.
• Use a wide variety of scientific equipment including microscopes, incubators, furnaces, micrometers, infrared and ultraviolet spectrophotometers, gas chromatograph and high vacuum equipment.
• Use photographic equipment such as photomicrographic cameras, macrophotographic equipment, video cameras, projectors, and darkroom equipment, and to train or assist other lab personnel in all of the above.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Plan and organize.
• Make decisions.
• Exercise leadership and management control.
• Demonstrate flexibility and interpersonal sensitivity.
• Adapt to stress.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

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.

Selection Plan

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, February 21, 2024, at 5:00 PM

Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Supplemental Questionnaire Review for Best Qualified

Friday, March 8, 2024

Oral Interviews

Week of April 8, 2024

 

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.   

BENEFITS

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 wellbeing.  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

  • 12 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.)
  • Childcare Resources
  • 1st 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.

Conclusion

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.