Lte Medicolegal Investigator

The Dane County Medical Examiner Office in McFarland WI, has two (2) vacancies for a Limited Term Employee (LTE) Medicolegal Investigator position.  
This is a rotating 12 hour shift that will include weekend, night and holidays.

Limited Term employees are limited to 1,200 hours in a payroll year and are not guaranteed any hours per week.   

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY & INCLUSION
As an employer, we strive to provide a work environment where diversity and differing opinions are valued, creativity is encouraged, continuous learning and improvement are fostered, teamwork and open/honest communication are encouraged, and meeting customer needs through quality service is a shared goal. All employees must be able to demonstrate multicultural competence – the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented populations including women and racial and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to apply.
 
DEFINITION
Under general supervision, investigates deaths, determines jurisdiction, and reports case and scene findings to assist the Medical Examiner in determining the cause and manner of death. 
 
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Investigates death scenes, takes telephone reports of deaths where appropriate and reports findings to the pathologist to assist in the determination of Cause and Manner of death in accordance with Wisconsin State Statutes.  Examines evidence at scenes to establish an initial assessment of the cause and manner of death natural, suicide, accidental, homicidal or undetermined.  Assists in the identification of the decedent by examining the body and the scene of the death, and gathering additional information as needed.  Collects and preserves physical evidence in accordance with established chain of custody procedures.  Notifies the next of kin personally or in conjunction with law enforcement, judicial agencies, or chaplain services.  Supervises and assists with the removal of a decedent from a scene and the transport and accession at the morgue.  Obtains personal data and medical history on cases from hospital personnel, health care personnel, and interviews with family, neighbors, friends and others.  Testifies in civil and criminal court cases on results of investigations and other expert information.  Prepares death certificates for certification by pathologists.  Prepares disinterment permits, subpoenas and other legally binding documents for embalming and cremation.  Establishes and maintains effective working and public relations with various local and state law enforcement agencies, federal officers, county departments and the public.  Assists at select autopsies with photographic duties, collection and documentation of evidence recovered at postmortem examination.  Attends select autopsies and participates as required under pathologist’s supervision.  Performs other duties as required.

Education, Training and Experience:

An associate degree in medicolegal death investigation, criminal justice, crime scene investigation, forensic science, medicine, nursing, EMS/EMT/Paramedic, police science, anthropology, biology, anatomy, or pharmacology.  The preferred candidate will have two (2) years of experience performing medicolegal death investigations. 

Special Requirements: 

Possession of or eligibility for a valid Wisconsin driver's license; access to reliable personal motor vehicle transportation; availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays. Candidates in possession of a Law Enforcement Certificate will be required to surrender the certificate to maintain employment. 

Background Check Statement: Some positions may require a criminal background check which can include fingerprinting due to the nature of the job’s responsibilities. Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Law, s. 111.31 – 111.395, Wis. Stats., prohibits discrimination because of an arrest or conviction record.  However, Dane County may disqualify an applicant if the position’s responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant’s criminal history (e.g., the nature of the crime and its relationship to the position, whether hiring, transferring or promoting an applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees, customers and vendors, etc.) Management reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

For Bilingual Positions: 

1. Provide services in both English and the required foreign language (e.g., Spanish, Hmong, etc.).
2. Applicants being considered for Bilingual positions will be tested during the recruitment process. This may consist of either being able to respond to questions in that language (e.g., Spanish, Hmong, etc.) during the interview; or passing an oral translation (English to foreign language / foreign language to English) exam prior to employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Considerable knowledge of Chapter 979 of the Wisconsin State Statutes concerning the investigation of death. Considerable knowledge of causes and manners of death and their manifestations with regard to the body, scene and history. Considerable knowledge of investigative techniques, principles, and practices used in the research of cause and manner of death. Considerable knowledge of the morphological aspects of the causes of death with special attention to autopsy. Working knowledge of medical terminology and medicine as it pertains to death and varying forms of trauma. Ability to communicate with survivors of the decedent. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other public agencies and the general public. Ability to interpret a death scene, identify items of evidence and assess the condition of the body. Ability to take proper photographs of scene, body and evidence for documentation. Ability to physically remove a body from the scene of death and supervise the transport of the body to the morgue insuring the preservation of any trace evidence. Ability to secure facts through investigation and inspections and to analyze and interpret these facts effectively. Ability to prepare and present accurate, objective, and thorough reports. Ability to respond to calls in a timely fashion. Oral and written communication skills.