City of New York

Job Description

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner investigates cases of persons who die within New York City from criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly when in apparent health, when unattended by a physician, in a correctional facility or in any suspicious or unusual manner or where an application is made pursuant to law for a permit to cremate a body of a person.

Our core purpose is to protect public health and serve impartial justice through forensic science and medicine. We exist to provide answers in support of families and communities during times of profound need.

The core values of CARES guide our work for communities and inform our behavior toward each other and all those we serve.

• Commitment: Dedicated to the mission at all times
• Accountability: Responsible to each other and the community
• Resilience: Adapt in the face of adversity
• Excellence: Achieve and maintain the highest quality
• Service: Innovate to meet evolving needs

JOB DESCRIPTION

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is seeking an experienced and mission-driven leader to serve as the Assistant Commissioner reporting directly to the First Deputy Commissioner, this position leads one of the most operationally complex divisions within OCME, overseeing 24/7 forensic services for the City and ensuring seamless readiness, coordination, and response to all fatality-related incidents.

The Assistant Commissioner will direct a comprehensive portfolio that includes Forensic Investigations, Forensic Operations, and Mortuary and Response Operations. This encompasses a wide range of specialized units including Medicolegal Investigations, Identifications, Fingerprint, Outreach/City Burial Operations, Communications, Forensic Autopsy Services, Forensic Photography, Forensic Radiography, Forensic Quality Control, Special Operations/Emergency Management, City Mortuary Services, Fleet/Logistics, DIIG, and Forensic Operations Administration. The Assistant Commissioner also serves as the agency lead for mass fatality management, ensuring OCME’s readiness and response to emergency incidents citywide. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leads strategic planning, daily operations, and personnel and budgetary oversight for all functions within the Division of Forensic Operations and Investigations.
• Directs the design, implementation, and management of policies, procedures, and workflows to ensure efficiency, compliance, and high standards across all units.
• Provides executive oversight of all investigative and forensic support units, ensuring alignment with agency standards for quality, timeliness, and professionalism in the response to and management of fatalities citywide.
• Supervises all mortuary operations, including transportation, processing, storage, and release of decedents.
• Ensures division-wide compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal mandates, including interagency coordination, quality assurance standards, forensic training requirements, and mandatory reporting to oversight bodies, while safeguarding the integrity and accountability of all investigative operations.
• Leads emergency management initiatives and mass fatality preparedness efforts in partnership with other city agencies and stakeholders.
• Serves as a senior representative of the agency in matters related to forensic operations, maintaining trusted relationships with law enforcement, the funeral industry, religious leaders, healthcare partners, elected officials, and community stakeholders to ensure transparency, responsiveness, and public trust in OCME services.
• Participates in the agency’s Executive Leadership Team and contributes to broader agency priorities and strategic planning.
• Remains on-call and available 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to respond to the operational needs of the agency and large-scale fatality events.

CRIMINALIST DIRECTOR OF LABORA - 2184A

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, with specialization in criminalistics, forensic science, chemistry, biology, physics, molecular genetics, genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology, anthropology, ecology or a closely related scientific or engineering field.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.