Chief Medical Examiner

Class Concept

This is highly professional and responsible work directing the statewide medical examiner system. Employee plans and coordinates a comprehensive medicolegal investigative program for determining the cause and manner of sudden, violent, suspicious, and unnatural death. Work involves the enforcement of and compliance with North Carolina statutes and the rules and regulations established for the medical examiner system by the North Carolina Public Health Commission. Work includes establishing policies and procedures to ensure the efficient operation of the medical examiner system; supervising county medical examiners and regional autopsy services and providing technical assistance to other professional groups and the North Carolina General Assembly in enacting or revising statutes. Employee performs autopsies to determine cause and manner of death and testifies in court in cases regarding autopsy findings. Employee maintains and ensures cooperative working relationships with law enforcement agencies, media, hospitals, physicians, judicial systems, legislative bodies, research/ insurance organizations, and public health agencies. Work requires the interpretation of medical findings and the translation of autopsy findings into constructive preventive medicine programs. Work is performed independently, but personnel appointments and budgeting requests and expenditures are subject to approval by the Division Director.

Recruitment Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of the principles, practices, literature, and developments in the fields of pathological anatomy and forensic pathology.
• Extensive knowledge of the procedures involved in detecting, analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting manifestations and symptoms of physical conditions from pathologic examinations.
• Extensive knowledge of the diversified specialized equipment, instruments, and materials required in all phases of pathology.
• Thorough knowledge of legal medicine and the ability to make medicolegal interpretations.
• Thorough knowledge of practices in laboratory investigation.
• Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of general medicine and surgery.
• Extensive knowledge of microscopy, toxicology, ballistics, and investigative techniques as they relate to forensic medicine.
• Ability to oversee and direct the work of subordinates.
• Ability to organize and implement a medical examiner program.
• Ability to work effectively with others in promoting and carrying out medical examiner program.

Minimum Education and Experience

Licensed to practice medicine in the state of North Carolina, certified in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology and four years of progressively responsible experience in forensic pathology, forensic research, criminal justice, public health or related management experience.

Special Note: This is a generalized representation of positions in this class and is not intended to identify essential functions per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Examples of work are primarily essential functions of the majority of positions in this class, but may not be applicable to all positions.