Chief Medical Examiner and Coroner – Department of Public Health and Environment / Office of the Medical Examiner

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

102d • Onsite

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. What We Offer The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $243,897.00 - $329,261.00. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to: A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service 457B Retirement Plan 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date The City and County of Denver has announced furlough days, or unpaid days off, for most employees to meet a budget shortfall in 2025. There are two fixed furlough days for all limited (temporary positions with an end date) and unlimited (permanent) employees on August 29th, the Friday before Labor Day, and November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving. If you receive an offer for this position, your annual pay will determine whether you are required to take additional furlough days. Details will be discussed during the offer process for selected candidate(s). Location & Schedule In this position you can expect to work on site at the Office of the Medical Examiner, located at 500 Quivas St. The Office of the Medical Examiner is a 24/7/365 operation. This position is expected to be on location for all shifts. Shifts are variable and Pathologists and Chief rotate on-call duties. Who We Are & What You’ll Do Within the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) investigates all violent, suspicious and unexpected natural deaths that occur in the City and County of Denver. The goal of forensic investigation and autopsy is to develop logical, scientific, and unbiased information necessary to determine the cause and manner of death for the proper and accurate completion of the death certificate and autopsy report. The agency also offers death expert testimony/consultation, death scene response and investigation, and deceased identification and death notification. OME reports and other information can be found at: DDPHE: Office of the Medical Examiner. We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive. As the Chief Medical Examiner and Coroner, you will manage the function and operational activities of the forensic pathologists within the Office and serve as the City’s chief authority on postmortem examinations to determine cause and manner of death. Additionally, this position will oversee and direct the clinical functions of the Office and will provide technical oversight, mentorship, and leadership in the development and application of forensic pathology practices. This position will report to the OME Division Director and the DDPHE Executive Director.

Requirements

• We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels.
• You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.
• Required Minimum Qualifications Education requirement: Graduation from an approved school of medicine and completion of post-graduate training/fellowship approved by the American Board of Pathology.
• Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of full-time experience in the practice of forensic pathology.
• Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
• License/Certifications: Possession of a license to practice medicine in the State of Colorado at the time of appointment (or eligibility for licensure with the application process initiated) and board certification in Anatomic/Forensic Pathology or Anatomic/Clinical/Forensic Pathology is required at the time of application.
• It is a condition of employment that the incumbent resides in the City and County of Denver within six months of the start of employment.
• It is a condition of employment that the Denver Police Forensics & Evidence Division consent form for collection of a DNA sample be completed at the time of hire.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

• 5 or more years of experience as a Forensic Pathologist or similar position at a municipality.
• Extensive experience with and knowledge of forensic pathology principles, methods, processes, and tools.
• Extensive experience with and knowledge of forensic pathology quality assurance, quality control, and reliability.
• Experience with and knowledge of mentoring, teaching, training, researching, and instructional methods.
• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, regulations, and executive orders.

Responsibilities

• Manage overall operations and activities of forensic pathologists in investigation and evaluation of deaths with the City that full under OME’s jurisdiction.
• Provide leadership, direction, and planning for staff and develops and administers policies, procedures, and performance criteria.
• Perform autopsies and other postmortem examinations to determine cause and manner or death.
• Oversee clinical functions of the office and provides technical oversight, mentorship, and leadership in the development and application of forensic pathology practices.
• Implement initiatives and develop key performance indicators, goals, and objectives for the Forensic Pathology team.
• Maintain comprehensive quality assurance and improvement program and utilize continuous quality improvement processes to asses and enhance standards of quality.
• Establish, review, and implement standards in accordance with the National Association of Medical Examiners accreditation and other necessary practices and policy.
• Share after-hours on-call duties to ensure timely response to deaths sudden, unexpected, unexplained, or suspicious.
• Along with all DDPHE staff, actively participate in emergency preparedness and response team activities to support DDPHE’s responsibilities outlined in the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being ‘on-call’ from time to time respond to emergencies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree