Department of Public Health – Seattle & King County's Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) is recruiting for two (2) Death Investigations Assistants to support the investigations section by accessioning and releasing decedents, processing property and evidence, triaging phone calls, collecting records, and maintaining, organizing, and stocking the morgue, processing room, vehicles, and other areas.

The Medical Examiner’s Office is an interesting and challenging place to work. We deal with all sudden, unexpected, and unnatural deaths in the county. The office is very busy, and the work is emotionally intense. We deal with this through working hard but having fun as well. The Investigations staff are known for their longevity, with half of investigators having worked here for more than 10 years.

Why Join Our Team?

Are you someone who has excellent attention to detail, and an interest in and commitment to caring for people who have died? If so, this could be the job for you. The Death Investigations Assistants are responsible for a key part of our work—ensuring that the 150 decedents in our care at any one time are logged in correctly, cared for appropriately, and released to funeral homes correctly and with the highest level of care. Additionally, you will be learning many of the principles of death investigation.

Background

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office is the longest continuously accredited medical examiner’s office, and serves the 12th largest county by population in the country. Staff at KCMEO are committed and passionate about their work, and also about training the next generation of workers in this unique field.

Note: This posting will create a list of qualified candidates that may be considered for selection of additional career service, term limited temporary (TLT), short-term temporary (STT), or special duty assignment (SDA) vacancies over the next 6 months.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice

Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Work Schedule

The typical work schedule for this position is Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. However, the Investigations section works 24/7/365, so all staff must be willing to work at any time. The Investigations Assistant positions will typically work during times when there are a lot of calls and decedent pick-ups and are less likely to work at night. Each Investigations Assistant will work at least one weekend shift. FSLA (Overtime) eligible.

Work Location

The primary work location is at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office located at Ninth and Jefferson Building (NJB), 908 Jefferson, Seattle, WA 98104.

• Accession decedents when they are brought in from the field.
• Release decedents to funeral homes.
• Process property and evidence.
• Triaging phone calls.
• Collect medical records, images, and EMS run sheets.
• Maintain, organize, and stock the morgue and processing room.
• Clean and stock vehicles and other areas.

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (Minimum):

• Attention to detail.
• Knowledge of policies, procedures, and laws regarding deaths and human remains.
• Knowledge of evidence handling and chain of custody procedures.
• Skill in working with human remains in varying degrees of decay and trauma.
• Skill at maintaining confidentiality with sensitive information.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Skill at communicating effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Skill in documenting utilizing electronic and paper records.

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications (Desired):

Working Conditions

• Ability to lift waist height, and maneuver 175 lbs. without assistance.
• Activities require an ability to stand for long periods of time.
• Work requires long hours of sitting while talking on the phone, entering data, and driving.

Licenses/Certifications

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply

These two (2) career service positions are open to the general public.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NeoGov Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Necessary Special Requirements

• The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment and Pre-employment Physical.
• For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring. For tips on interviewing, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/audience/employees/learning-and-development/Interview_Tips.ashx?la=en.
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.
• If you need a disability accommodation in the application or testing process, please call the contact number listed on the job announcement.

Union Membership

This position is represented by Local1652

Contact

For questions about this recruitment, please contact Salyse Duckworth, HR Analyst at sduckworth@kingcounty.gov.