Forensic Scientist III

Agency

Dept of Justice

State Crime Lab Investigation

Forensic Scientist III (S)

NC18

The North Carolina Department of Justice, led by the Attorney General of North Carolina, represents the state, state agencies, and elected officials, and defends the rights of the people of North Carolina. The Department handles all state criminal appeals cases and assists district attorneys with complex criminal cases at their request. Additionally, the Department of Justice includes the North Carolina State Crime Lab, the North Carolina Justice Academy, and the Sheriffs’ and Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Divisions.

Recruitment Range: $63,927 - $75,152

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This posting closes at 11:59:59 PM the night BEFORE the End Date listed.

The primary purpose of the Drug Chemistry Section is to provide the North Carolina Criminal Justice System with trained and experienced forensic scientists who analyze evidence seized in the course of criminal investigations. The forensic services provided include laboratory analysis and expert witness testimony in the areas of controlled substances, drug dilution, drug tampering, and clandestine drug laboratories. The primary purpose of this Forensic Scientist III is to perform casework at all levels – an equitable share of the analyses performed by the Section, prepare written reports of the results of the analyses;

provide expert testimony in court on the results of the analyses. The position is also responsible for one or more collateral duties within the Drug Chemistry section.

CASE WORK and REPORT WRITING

The Forensic Scientist III performs casework on various types of evidence seized by Law Enforcement officers in the course of drug investigations. Examples of this evidence may include, but not be limited to unknown powders, tablets, botanicals and liquids and clandestine laboratory submissions. The Forensic Scientist III can perform all casework that a Forensic Scientist II can perform and additionally, drug tampering/dilutions and cases that involve tampering of food products.

COLLATERAL DUTIES

Forensic Scientists help to maintain the laboratory equipment and instrumentation and may perform repairs. Forensic Scientists, using current SOPs, prepare chemical reagents, solvents, and perform and document quality control tests on chemical reagents, solvents, equipment, and instrumentation.

PEER REVIEW OF CASEWORK

This position is responsible for the technical review of their peer’s laboratory reports to ensure they meet laboratory standards for quality assurance prior to issuance. It is the reviewer’s responsibility to ensure that all relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed, and that there are no administrative errors in the case’s report or supporting documentation. This position will review all types of Drug Chemistry reports, at all levels of difficulty.

COURT TESTIMONY and COMMUNICATION

The Forensic Scientist must testify in state and federal courts as to his/her analysis of the evidence. The Forensic Scientist participates in competency and proficiency testing.

Some travel, including some occasional overnight stays are required.

The selected candidate will undergo and must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation which may take several months to complete. The background investigation includes:

• Polygraph
• Credit and arrest checks
• Interviews with associates to include personal and business references, past employers, and neighbors
• Verification of education achievement
• Fingerprinting
• Urinalysis drug screening

Out of state applicants:
After the initial interview, this may require the applicant to return to the State of North Carolina multiple times at his or her own expense to undergo the background investigation process.

The State Crime Laboratory of the Department of Justice maintains a full-service forensic science laboratory to assist all law enforcement agencies in North Carolina in the investigation of criminal matters. The Laboratory’s mission is to provide state-of-the-art forensic services in the areas of drug analysis, blood alcohol/drug…