Criminalist – Forensic Biology Unit

Job Description

Criminalist | State of Oklahoma

The Tone:
This is a full-time, regular role at the State of Oklahoma, located in Edmond, OK, specifically within the Specialized Forensic Biology Unit. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) is dedicated to delivering forensic analysis of physical evidence from criminal cases and convicted offender DNA samples. This role is critical in supporting law enforcement entities and criminal justice members by providing accurate scientific findings and expert testimony.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Regular
• Location: In-person, Edmond, OK
• Pay: $68122.50–$93587.00 yearly
• Team: Specialized Forensic Biology Unit within the Criminalistic Services Division at the Forensic Science Center
• Mission: Perform forensic analysis of physical evidence from criminal cases and/or convicted offender DNA samples to support law enforcement and criminal justice members.
• Tech Stack: CODIS, AFIS, PDQ, NIBIN

What You’ll Actually Do
• Conduct Forensic Analysis: Perform scientific analysis on evidence items submitted for forensic testing and issue comprehensive reports on findings in compliance with OSBI quality systems and accreditation standards.
• Ensure Quality and Compliance: Adhere strictly to validated scientific principles, methods, and quality assurance/control, ensuring all activities follow OSBI policies, protocols, and legal statutes.
• Provide Expert Testimony: Comply with subpoenas and court orders, testifying as an expert witness in court and administrative hearings concerning forensic examination results and crime scene findings.
• Process Crime Scenes: Recognize, document, collect, package, and transport physical evidence from crime scenes while maintaining integrity, often involving exposure to biohazardous and chemical dangers.
• Support Lab Operations and Training: Participate in quality control, research, validation, and audits, while also training OSBI personnel, stakeholders, and reviewing the work of other Criminalists.

The Must-Haves
• Background: A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required. This role is structured across three levels: Level I is entry-level with supervised casework; Level II is a career-level analyst performing basic to advanced analysis; Level III is a specialist level independently handling complex cases, conducting research, and potentially leading others.
• Experience: Level II requires one year of experience as a forensic laboratory criminalist following a bachelor’s degree; Level III requires three years of experience as a forensic laboratory criminalist following a bachelor’s degree. Experience must be full-time and the primary job responsibility in disciplines such as forensic biology, serology, or forensic DNA.
• Skills: Knowledge of basic scientific principles and forensic analysis methods; ability to prepare evidence for court and testify effectively; proficiency in using laboratory equipment and instrumentation; understanding of Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control standards and safety practices; and the ability to conduct crime scene investigations.
• Bonus: For Level I, preference for a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or forensic science, with successful completion of college coursework (grade C or better, minimum 3 semester hours each) in biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology, and statistics/population genetics. For Level II, preference for Level I requirements plus one year of comparable forensic biology/DNA analysis experience. For Level III, preference for Level II requirements plus two additional years of full-time forensic biology/DNA analysis experience.