Criminalist II

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.

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

 THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is a full-service law enforcement agency accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the American Correctional Association (ACA). Additionally, the agency's health care provider, Prison Health Services, has dual accreditation through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) and the California Medical Association (CMA).  Together these form what is referred to as the "Triple Crown" of accreditation (ACA, NCCHC/CMA and CALEA) awarded by the National Sheriff's Association.  Additionally, the Sheriff's Office Crime Lab is nationally accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD).  The Sheriff's Office Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit has also been awarded national accreditation through the Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board.

The Sheriff's Office has a current adjusted net budget of approximately $249 million and has over 1800 authorized positions, including an excess of 1000 sworn personnel. The agency's Chief Executive Officer is Sheriff Gregory J. Ahern, who is assisted in the operation of the agency by Undersheriff Richard T. Lucia, Assistant Sheriff's Brett Keteles and Casey Nice.

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.
• 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 additional information, you may visit the Sheriff's Office website at:  http://www.alamedacountysheriff.org/ 

THE CRIME LABORATORY

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory is a full-service crime lab housed in a new, state-of-the-art facility nestled at the base of the Oakland hills. The Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory is nationally accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board – International (ASCLD/LAB-International).

THE POSITION  

Criminalists investigate and identify materials used as evidence by performing chemical, physical and microscopic analyses in the criminalistics laboratory and in the field. They interpret the results of findings to law enforcement officers, prepare materials for presentation in court, may appear in court as expert witnesses and perform related work as required. All positions are located in the Sheriff's Office.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

Criminalist II is the journey-level classification working under direction. Incumbents work with a great degree of independence, and their work is usually checked only by review of written reports. They assist in training new personnel in lower classifications. After gaining further experience and expanded expertise in the more difficult and complex analyses, they are expected to qualify for Criminalist III

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will meet FBI QAS requirements for DNA Analyst, and possess the following critical attributes:

Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures

Assimilating and applying new job-related information in a timely manner

• Maintaining relationships among departments, the public and community organizations 
• Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
• Planning, Organizing, and Establishing courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently
• Demonstrating a willingness to commit to one’s work and to invest one’s time, talent, and best efforts in accomplishing organizational goals
• Maintaining stable performance under pressure or opposition (such as time pressure or job ambiguity)
• Accomplishing tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks; being watchful over a period of time
• Setting up ongoing procedures to collect and review information needed to manage activities

 

 

 

Either I

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in the class of Criminalist I 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 from an accredited college or university or a bachelor's degree in an appropriate and relevant science such as chemistry, physics, or biochemistry from an accredited college or university, and

Experience:

The equivalent of three years of recent, full-time, experience as a criminalist or forensic chemist performing laboratory work equivalent to that of a general criminalistics laboratory.

License:

Candidates must possess a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License.

Special Requirements:

Candidates must be found to be free of uncorrected colorblindness at the time of the County pre-employment physical examination.

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

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

· The principles of forensic science, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, photography and natural sciences as related to criminalistics.
· Modern criminal investigation and identification techniques and procedures.
· Recent developments, current literature and sources of information in the field of criminalistics.
· Basic laboratory safety procedures.

Ability to:

· Conduct chemical, physical and microscopic examination as required.
· Conduct on-the-scene investigations of crime.
· Relate pieces of evidence to each other and draw logical conclusions.
· Present evidence clearly and accurately in court when called on as an expert witness.
· Prepare clear and concise reports of findings.
· Operate advanced laboratory instrumentation, such as spectrophotometers, gas chromatographs, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-Ray, GC-MS, laboratory information systems.
· Provide training and assist in evaluating work of others.

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1. A review of candidates' application 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 the supplemental questionnaire to determine the best qualified.
3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.  WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

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:                                            Monday, April 10, 2017

Review of Minimum Qualifications:                 Monday, April 17, 2017

Review of Supplemental Questionnaires:       Thursday, April 20, 2017

Panel Interviews:                                                Week of May 8, 2017

 

 *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 & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• 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 @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 insure 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. 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 bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied. 

Anna Montoya, Human Resources Analyst III
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
510-272-6459
www.acgov.org/hrs

ALAMEDA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER