Forensic Scientist III, II, I, - Crime Scene

About The Position

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is made up of approximately 1,300 sworn officers and approximately 650 support personnel. The Police Department was established in 1922, and today is responsible for providing service to a County with a population of over one million people.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience and technical competence in processing a variety of crime scenes, including property crimes, motor vehicles, and major crime scenes, which includes advanced crime scene analysis such as chemical processing, shooting reconstruction, creating scene diagrams, 3D Measurements, Imaging & Realization Technology and bloodstain pattern analysis; excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills that demonstrate collaboration with customers, peers, and employees; problem solving skills to use sound reasoning, to find alternative solutions to complex problems, and to make logical judgement; and knowledge and experience working in a regulated environment under ISO accreditation (ANSI National Accreditation Board).

What You'll Be Doing

Employee will be responsible for work involving the detection, collection, handling, testing and preservation of crime scene physical evidence and latent prints from crime scenes.

Duties Include But Not Limited To

• Responding to crime scenes
• Collecting, processing and preserving physical evidence
• Measuring and diagramming crime scenes
• Photographing crime and accident scenes
• Writing reports concerning actions taken
• Maintaining accurate notes and records
  
  

Employee will be required to work 10hr. days, rotating shifts and weekends and will be subject to on-call status.

It is a condition of employment that the applicant consent for collection of a DNA sample be completed at the time of hire.

Minimum Qualifications

Forensic Scientist Series: This position will be filled within the range of Forensic Scientist I through Forensic Scientist III based on prior experience and training. Subsequent promotions within the series are non-competitive and are based on experience.

Experience

• If filled at the Forensic Scientist I – This is an entry-level position as a Forensic Scientist trainee. The incumbent for this level does not need relevant experience.
• If filled at the Forensic Scientist II – Two (2) year of professional experience involving detection, collection, testing/analysis, and maintenance of the chain of custody and either security of crime scene physical evidence and latent prints or experience in laboratory support.
• If filled at the Forensic Scientist III – Four (4) year of professional experience involving detection, collection, testing/analysis, and maintenance of the chain of custody and either security of crime scene physical evidence and latent prints or experience in laboratory support.
  
  

Other specific Federal or State mandated experience shall apply as required.

All Level Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in a natural, physical, or forensic science.

All Level Equivalency

An equivalent combination of scientific education and forensic science experience may be substituted as permitted by applicable Federal and/or State mandates and certifying bodies.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, Or Specialist Requirements

• Possession and maintenance of all times of a valid Class “C” (or equivalent) driver’s license from the applicant’s state of residence when required for job-related duties.
• Certification by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (COMAR 10.10.09.01) to analyze CDS as a Certified Chemist must be obtained after the training period.
• Must maintain compliance with any certification and training requirements mandated by law and/or verifying organization.
  
  

NOTE: There will be no substitutions for this section.

Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences

Preferred Criteria for Forensic Scientist II & III

• Experience collecting and processing crime scene evidence.
• Experience collecting and processing latent prints.
• Experience photographing crime scenes.
  
  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at [email protected] . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.