City of Chicago

Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

FORENSIC LABORATORY DIRECTOR

CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT

Bureau of Detectives/ Forensic Services Division

Number of Positions: 1 (Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $148,548

Applications for this position will be accepted from 12:00am CDT 05/29/2025 until 11:59pm CDT on 06/27/2025

Under direction, the class reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Detectives directing and managing the Forensic Services Division in the Chicago Police Department, and performs related duties as required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Directs all managerial duties of technical personnel with a pervasive quality consciousness to all aspects of forensic

work

• Directs and implements the strategic plan, standards and practices that guide and support the delivery of high-quality

forensic laboratory operations

• Directs staff engaged in coordinating forensic laboratory testing and analyses in multiple disciplines including but not

limited to firearms, latent print development, latent print examination, DNA, evidence and evaluation, and photography

• Directs the preparation of technical manuals and other reports documenting the department's laboratory and quality

standards, practices, and protocols

• Oversees the quality assurance of the laboratory by maintaining a robust quality assurance program including

competency tests and internal proficiency tests

• Advises on scientific and technical quality across the department and ensures alignment and integration with strategic

priorities, capabilities and initiatives

• Directs the accreditation process of the laboratory
• Manages the hiring, training, and evaluation of division staff
• Interprets the results of laboratory findings to law enforcement officers; and provides expert testimony in court
• Ensures the laboratory's equipment and records are maintained and modernized where necessary
• Oversees the preparation of the division’s budget and the preparation of grant proposals to secure funding for program

operations

• Stays abreast of advancements in the field by obtaining and maintaining discipline specific professional memberships

and reading relevant peer reviewed journal articles.

• Represents the department as a subject-matter expert and provides technical direction to laboratory partners
• Oversees scientific reports and articles on laboratory practices and findings including developing research studies and

participating in research and outreach

• Represents the department at laboratory seminars and conferences, as required

NOTE: The list of essential duties is not intended to be inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to particular positions within the class.

Location: 3333 W Filmore, Chicago

Days: Monday through Friday

Hours: 9:00AM to 5:00PM

THIS POSITION IS NOT IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree or higher in Forensic Science, Physical or

Natural science, Criminalistics, or a directly related field plus ten (10) years of professional forensic science work in a

laboratory, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position

• PhD degree preferred

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• Professional certifications in at least one (1) of the appropriate disciplines:
  • International Association for Identification (IAI) Certification for latent prints
  • Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) Certification for firearms, toolmarks, and distance determination
  • American Board of Criminalistics Certification: Biological Evidence Screening, Comprehensive Criminalistics, Drug Analysis, Forensic DNA or Foundational Knowledge

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the interview will be selected.

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

The City of Chicago is committed to providing fair chance hiring and welcomes applicants with past convictions, recognizing the value of a diverse workforce and the potential for growth and positive change.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

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