Sheriff's Forensic Scientist, Lead (Internal HCSO applicants only)

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office's is seeking Sheriff's Forensic Scientist Lead, DNA Lead, Firearms Lead, Latent Print Lead, Database Administrator(s) Lead, Assistance QA Manager, and a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Lead for its Forensic Science Laboratory. The Sheriff's Forensic Laboratory is an ANAB ISO/IEC 17025 accredited forensic testing laboratory that provides forensic services to 36 law enforcement agencies, the Minnesota State Patrol, and multiple federal law enforcement agencies.

All Forensic Science Laboratory personnel are required to have a buccal sample collected for the purpose of generating a DNA profile to be included in the laboratory DNA contamination database. 

Location and hours: 

These positions are at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Laboratory located at 531 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415 in downtown Minneapolis. Work hours will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Based on current requirements hires must live in or relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin. 

• Provide daily technical work direction to staff within an assigned section of the forensic scientific laboratory.
• Lead the technical or database operations of a forensic laboratory section within a specific discipline or functional area (i.e. DNA, latent prints, firearms, Assistant Quality Assurance Manager, CODIS, NIBIN, ABIS or LIMS).
• Manage the quality of the casework, product, and laboratory data within the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and section specific database integrity to ensure compliance with laboratory accreditation.
• Ensure methods, protocols, and operational procedures used by the functional area are scientifically sound, meet FBI QAS requirements, AFT/NIBIN requirements, or MN BCA ABIS requirements.
• Serve as the laboratory’s liaison with the State of Minnesota and/or federal subject matter experts within the respective section.
• Manage corrective actions and non-conformances for the section(s) including suspending work if needed.
• Administer the section’s training program, monitor the performance of the section(s), lead section specific internal and external quality assurance audits, and prepare records of compliance.
• Document processes and procedures; prepare and maintain section specific records, equipment logs and/or calibrations, and statistics.
• Review and approve training records prior to casework authorization and equipment use.

• One of the following:
  • Six years or more of experience as an examiner/scientist in an accredited forensic laboratory.
  • A bachelor's degree or higher in forensic science, chemistry, toxicology, biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or a field appropriate to the area of specialization and two years of experience in an accredited forensic laboratory.
  • A combination of education and experience to total six years or more.

• One or more years of experience in the following areas of discipline: 

  • DNA
  • Latent Prints Comparison and Analysis
  • Firearms Examination
  • NIBIN Database Administration
  • ABIS or MAFIN Database Administration
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), JusticeTrax
• Experience:
  • Designing, executing, and implementing validations of new forensic methods or technology.
  • Presenting forensic evidence in court.
  • Performing firearms analysis in a forensic science laboratory environment.
  • Performing DNA analysis in a forensic science laboratory environment.
• Knowledge of:
  • Principles and practices of microscopy, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, physics or biology (or related scientific discipline) and mathematics as they apply to an area of forensic expertise.
  • Criminal court procedures and practices with special reference to rules of evidence.
  • State federal and local criminal laws that apply to forensic evidence, department and forensic laboratory policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Ability to:
  • Examine physical evidence using analytical instruments and forensic science techniques in a specialty area of forensic science.
  • Apply scientific principles to the examination and testing of physical evidence.
  • Qualify and testify as an expert witness in courts of law in a specific forensic science specialty, present technical information and opinions to nontechnical audiences in a clear, concise and understandable manner.
  • Evaluate evidence based on the facts obtained in an investigation; organize, assemble and write detailed technical reports based on the results of scientific examinations.
• Skills in using laboratory equipment and/or computers to conduct, evaluate, interpret and document physical evidence.

Salary : $75,949 - $113,924