Topic: Washington, DC - Lead Forensic Scientist (Firearms and Toolmark Analyst)

[Jonathan Pope]

Job Title:Lead Forensic Scientist (Firearms & Toolmark Analyst)Requisition Number:JO-1608-6422Grade:14Salary Range:$93,000.00 - $119,811.00Promotion Potential:NoAgency:Dept of Forensic SciencesLocation:401 E St SW (Consolidated Forensic Lab)Area of Consideration:Open to the PublicOpening/Closing Date:8/30/2016 - 9/9/2016Share||Email this jobLead Forensic Scientist (Firearms & Toolmark Analyst)
CS-401-14
Career Service Appointment (Nonunion)
Salary Range - $93,000  -  $119,811
Safety Sensitive
 
May be required to work weekends and holidays.

Job Summary
This position is located in the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS). The mission of the DFS is to provide high-quality, timely, accurate, and reliable forensic science services using best practices and best available technology, focusing on unbiased science and transparency, to enhance public safety and health.
 
As a leader the incumbent is responsible for performing the following:

Ensures that the strategic plans, mission, vision and values are communicated to the employees and integrated into strategies, goals, objectives, work plans, etc.;
 
Articulates and communicates to the team, projects, problems to be solved, actionable events, milestones, and/or program issues under review, and deadlines and time frames for completion;
 
Coaches the employees in best practices to use in selecting and applying appropriate problem solving methods and techniques, provides advice on work methods, practices and procedures, and assists the team and/or individual members in identifying parameters of a viable solution;
 
Leads the team in identifying, distributing and balancing the workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established work flow, skill level and/or occupational specialization; making adjustments to accomplish the workload in accordance with established priorities to ensure timely accomplishments and ensuring that each employee has an integral role in developing the final product;
 
Trains or arranges for training for the employees in methods and techniques of team building and working in teams to accomplish tasks or projects, and provides or arranges for specific administrative or technical training necessary for accomplishing individual and team tasks.
 
Monitors and reports on the status and progress of work, checking on work in progress and reviewing completed work to ensure that the supervisor’s instructions, priorities, methods, deadlines and quality are being met or have been met;
 
Serves as coach, facilitator and/or negotiator in coordinating team initiatives and in consensus building activities among team members;
 
Maintains program and administrative reference materials, project files and relevant background documents and make available policies, procedures and written instructions from the supervisor; maintain current knowledge to answer questions from team members on procedures, policies, directives, etc.;
 
Prepares reports and maintains records of work accomplishments and administrative information, as required, and coordinates the preparation, presentation and communication of work related information to the supervisor;
 
Ensures that the Analysts identify, analyze, compare, and interpret evidence in criminal investigations; and the work is performed in a laboratory. The types of crimes include person crimes, such as homicides, sexual assaults, and robberies, as well as property crimes.  The types of cases that might be encountered in the laboratory could include, but are not limited to the following:
- Ballistics (bullets, cartridges, casings)
- Identification of types of weaponry/triggers/barrel/mechanics of the weapon, etc.
- Identification of ammunitions
- Analysis of tool marks
- Restoration of serial numbers
- Test-firing of weapons in the lab
- Analysis of powder residue/burns/patterns
- Determining the caliber weapon
- Determining the trigger pull weight of a weapon
- Reconstruction of projectile evidence
- Reconstruction of a shooting scene of crimes
 
Assists with training staff in how to effectively testify in court and personally testifies in court as an expert witness in connection to the evidence analyzed; studies new techniques and procedures in scientific analysis, collection, and processing; participates in a structured training program; demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.
 
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Mastery knowledge of, and skill in applying Firearms & Toolmark analysis principles, techniques, methods, theories, concepts practices, and standards.

Mastery of forensic laboratory accreditation, standards, and guidelines; and the of the tools necessary to evaluate the evidence.
 
Ability to establish new standards and assist with identifying training needs and resource requirements for the agency; and ability to initiate, formulate, and plan, as well as execute forensic analysis.
 
Mastery of new analytical developments, and ability to modify processes to resolve novel, obscure, or highly controversial problems that affect the analysis.Licensures, Certifications and other requirements
This position’s duty station will be housed within the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL) which is a protection-sensitive facility. As such, incumbents of this position shall be subject to criminal background checks, background investigations, and mandatory drug and alcohol testing, as applicable.  Due to the technician’s presence in forensic casework laboratories, the applicant will be required to submit a buccal swab for the purposes of the DNA Quality Control database for the DFS.
The nature of the DFS mission necessarily involves the potential risks associated with biological or chemical hazards, including morgue functions. Although contact with these functions is intended to be minimal, the risks are nevertheless possible; training to recognize, address, and mitigate these risks is required as is dealing with potentially personally difficult topics, such as crime, death, and disease.

The nature of work in the Firearms Examination Unit requires the safe handling and processing of firearms within the unit.  Mastery of all standard firearms safety processes must be constantly demonstrated and reinforced.

Education and Work Experience
Bachelor of Science in a chemical and physical science from an accredited college or university and preferred five (5) years of experience, including two (2) years a supervisory level of responsibility.

Work Environment
The work is performed in an office and laboratory. The office setting is when preparing documentation, the laboratory  setting is during testing and analysis phase.
 
The incumbent may be exposed to hazardous materials, toxic substances, blood borne pathogens, and electric current and electrostatic discharge and is required to follow safe laboratory practices and wear protective clothing, including facial masks, safety glasses, gloves, etc.

 
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