Job Posting

Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Director

Description:

The responsibilities of the Laboratory Director shall include professional, scientific, consultative (or advisory), organizational, administrative, and educational matters relevant to the services offered by the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. The Laboratory Director is responsible for the implementation of the quality assurance and management system, for overall operation and administration of the laboratory, and for assuring compliance with ANAB-ABFT and ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation guidelines. If the Laboratory Director reapportions performance of his/her responsibilities, he/she remains responsible for ensuring that all duties are properly performed and that the designees have the necessary competence, authority, and resources to fulfill their requirements. The Laboratory Director must remain accessible to laboratory personnel at all levels and must have an intimate familiarity with the details of laboratory systems and their quality metrics. This position reports to the Milwaukee County Chief Medical Examiner.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide senior strategic leadership for the forensic toxicology lab.
• Promote all aspects of the mission of the Forensic Toxicology
Lab, to include delivering high quality laboratory results, innovation and growth of the laboratory, and excellence in education.
• Delegate, review and supervise all activities in the forensic toxicology lab.
• Ensure reliability of results.
• Provide professional support to pathologists, ME staff and clients regarding lab findings and the interpretation of lab data. Prepare, maintain and oversee the technical records and reports.
• Give testimony in forensic toxicology matters resulting from analytical casework.
• Develop and maintain an active and effective quality management and improvement program with a focus on accuracy, rapid turnaround time, and client satisfaction.
• Perform all ABFT/ ANAB laboratory director duties. Assure the laboratory meets all accreditation requirements, as well as regulations required by Milwaukee County and other agencies. Maintain an up-to-date procedure manual that will remain available to all personnel responsible for testing. Establish and maintain acceptable levels of analytical performance for the lab. Stay current with new illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals, and equipment; inform/educate appropriate staff on toxicology information relative to their role in the mission of the office.
• Integrate new technology and equipment into the lab. This includes the development of validation protocols and the review of validation data.
• Interact with law enforcement, government and judicial clients, forensic pathologists, lab and department administration to provide quality toxicology services.
• Provide oversight for educational activities of the toxicology laboratory including continuing education opportunities and a curriculum for residents and fellows.
• Regularly attend all appropriate department meetings; attend and provide effective leadership for laboratory meetings.
• Additional duties may be assigned at the discretion of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Qualified to manage and direct lab personnel and perform high-complexity testing.
• Strong working knowledge of:
o Analytical procedures including understanding of analytical terminology, methods and theory and methods of data interpretation, including wet chemistry, chromatography (GC, HPLC), spectrophotometry (UV/VIS) and spectrometry (GC/MS and LC/MS/MS, LC/MS-ToF)
o Pharmacology/toxicokinetics, pharmacodynamics, integration of case-related issues to proper analysis, interpretation of analytical results
o How to properly validate laboratory-developed tests
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to communicate and coordinate closely with clients, forensic pathologists, detectives, attorneys, and criminal justice system personnel.
• Experience with courtroom testimony and depositions

Interested candidates must apply via Career Opportunities (milwaukeecountywi.gov). Any questions can be directed to the contact below. Eligible candidates may be asked to present a short scientific presentation to staff as part of the interview process.
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Karen Domagalski
Operations Manager
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office
414.223.1207
Karen.Domagalski@milwaukeecountywi.gov