Job Title: Medicolegal Investigator
OPENING DATE: Thursday, May 1, 2025
CLOSING DATE: 5:00PM on Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Reports To: Lafourche Parish Coroner
FLSA Status: Part-time/Non-Exempt
Salary: See PAY STRUCTURE section below for details
Job Summary: This position is responsible for investigating any death that falls under the jurisdiction of Lafourche Parish Coroner, determining a cause of death and collecting and cataloging evidence for legal purposes. Must be able to rotate 24 hours a week, including weekdays, nights, weekends and holidays.
Essential Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty at a high level. Not all possible tasks are included. Other additional departmental duties may be assigned by the Lafourche Parish Coroner.
1. Be available during assigned shifts to respond immediately to dispatches from Emergency Services and to carry out death investigations. Investigations may include examining deceased bodies, photography, interviews, obtaining records, follow-up with law enforcement and health care providers, and collection of evidence and personal property.
2. Completes all reports, data entry, and documentation for a death investigation within the assigned shift;
3. Writes complete and comprehensive statement of investigation and other reports to support cause and manner of death;
4. Facilitate and/or provide assistance with transportation of human remains, as necessary;
5. Secures, protects, and retains the chain of evidence at crime scenes; coordinates crime investigation with law enforcement or other investigating agencies;
6. Determines need for an autopsy or further examination;
7. Assist with the identification of remains by helping to identify and locate next-of-kin;
8. Performs clerical functions such as data entry, maintenance of case logs and reports, typing of correspondence and other reports;
9. Performs other duties of a similar or related level as necessary or assigned.
NOTE: All parish government employees in a declared emergency shall be considered essential personnel.
Supervisory Responsibilities: None.
QUALIFICATIONS
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
DESIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and experience:
A. Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college with specialization in a criminal justice, forensic science, medicine, nursing or other related field of study.
B. Knowledge of laws and standards of medical investigation, anatomy, medical terminology, forensic pathology, police and forensic science.
C. Experience working with the public, preferably in a medical or emergency services setting.
D. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT
1. A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Personal computer skills, including software, Microsoft Office; copy machine; fax machine; cellular phone; camera; and automobile.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the essential functions of this job the employee is routinely required to work with the hand or hands in handling, seizing, holding, or grasping motions and with the fingers in picking or pinching actions; is occasionally required to maintain body equilibrium while bending at the waist or at the knees. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus. The employee is required to sit, stand, talk, hear, drive, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, bend, crouch or crawl, taste and smell while performing the essential functions of these jobs. The employee must be able to manipulate over 100lbs alone.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Work will be performed in a variety of settings and in all weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment may be moderately loud, depending on locations; at times, the noise level may be loud, with frequent interruptions and multiple demands.
• Exposures to fumes, odors, dusts, gases, poor ventilation, chemicals, blood and other bodily fluids, extreme temperatures, inadequate lighting and workspace restrictions.
• Required to provide immediate response to criminal or medical deaths where blood, body fluids or other medical hazards may be present.
• Occasional exposure to infectious disease and blood-borne pathogens.
• Required to work outside normal business hours, and is subject to 24-hour availability including 24-hour on-call shifts; on call shifts; rotating shifts; night shifts and work holidays and weekends as required.
REQUIRED TRAVEL
Frequent travel throughout Lafourche Parish to investigation scenes.
EEOC STATEMENT
Lafourche Parish Government is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, genetic information, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful alien status, national origin, age, marital status, and non-job related physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.
PAY STRUCTURE
Investigators receive $75 per day for being on-call, whether or not dispatched to a scene.
If dispatched, investigators are additionally paid $8.47 per hour for time spent at scenes, with a minimum of three (3) hours of pay per call-out or the actual time worked on a scene, whichever is greater.
