Introduction
DESCRIPTION
ABOUT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is a full-service law enforcement agency accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for its law enforcement services, its Regional Training Center, and its Dispatch Unit; the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board for its Crime Lab; the Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board for its Explosive Ordinance Unit. Additionally, the agency's health care provider, Wellpath, has experience working with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).
The Sheriff's Office has a current budget of approximately $600 million and has over 1700 authorized positions, including in excess of 1000 sworn personnel. The agency's Chief Executive Officer is Sheriff / Coroner Yesenia L. Sanchez, who is assisted in the operation of the agency by Undersheriff April Luckett-Fahimi, Assistant Sheriffs Daniel McNaughton and Pace Stokes.
The Sheriff of Alameda County is responsible for a vast array of tasks and duties, including the following:
- Providing security to the Consolidated Superior Courts
- Operating the Coroner’s Bureau
- Operating a full-service criminalistics laboratory
- Performing Civil Process
- Operating the County Jail (Santa Rita)
- Operating the County Office of Emergency Services
- Providing patrol and investigative services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County
- Pursuant to contractual agreements, providing patrol and investigative services to the City of Dublin, Oakland International Airport, Highland County Hospital, Social Services, and to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
- Conducting a basic academy pursuant to Police Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) requirements. [Sheriff's Academy website]
- Providing Fish and Game enforcement
- Project Director of the Narcotics Task Force
- Serving as the Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force
For more detailed information about the agency, visit: Alameda County's Sheriff's Office.
THE POSITION
Criminalist II is the journey-level classification working under direction. Incumbents work with a great degree of independence. They receive advanced on-the-job training, working closely with senior staff members in a tutorial atmosphere. They assist in training new personnel in lower classifications.
Criminalists utilize scientific methods and techniques in the recognition, collection, and characterization of physical and digital evidence in the Crime Laboratory as well as at crime scenes. They prepare written reports regarding their findings and interpretations and provide expert testimony in court. They perform related duties as required. All positions are located in the Sheriff's Office and may be subject to overtime.
For more detailed information about the job classification, visit: Criminalist II (#8524).
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Either I
The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in the class of Criminalist I in the Alameda County classified service.
Or II
Education:
Possession of a bachelor's degree in criminalistics from an accredited college or university or a bachelor's degree in an appropriate and relevant science such as chemistry, physics, or biochemistry from an accredited college or university, and
Experience:
The equivalent of three years of recent, full-time, experience as a criminalist or forensic chemist performing laboratory work equivalent to that of a general criminalistics laboratory.
License:
Candidates for all three classes must possess a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License.
Special Requirements:
1) Candidate for all three classes must be found to be free of uncorrected colorblindness at the time of the County pre-employment physical examination.
2) A thorough background investigation will be conducted of all prospective Criminalists to ensure they are suitable for law enforcement related work.
3) Criminalists will be required to work day, evening, night, rotating shifts, or call back shifts including weekends and holidays.
NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Knowledge of:
- The principles of forensic science, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, microscopy, statistics, photography and natural sciences as related to forensic laboratory examinations and crime scene processing.
- Basic principles of operation for scientific instruments and apparatus used in forensic laboratory examinations and crime scene processing.
- Modern criminal investigation and identification techniques and procedures.
- Basic laboratory safety procedures.
- Basic legal and courtroom processes.
- Conduct basic chemical, instrumental, biological, microscopic, digital, and other forensic laboratory analyses as required.
- Conduct crime scene documentation, evidence collection, and interpretation as required.
- Present evidence clearly and accurately in court when called on as an expert witness.
- Prepare and maintain clear, accurate, and detailed case records, statistics, and reports.
- Provide training and assist in evaluating the work of others.
- Follow detailed technical instruction while maintaining an exceptional level of quality.
- Approach change positively.
- Learn and assimilate information in a timely manner.
- Identify issues and develop solutions.
- Maintain focus under pressure.
- Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, with scientists, law enforcement personnel, attorneys, the public, and the courts.
- Work effectively in an environment in which incumbent may encounter disturbing, sensitive, or confidential situations.
- Work effectively in a highly structure, rank-organized environment.
- Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.
- Work safely with a wide variety of materials which may contain biohazards and/or hazardous materials.
- Effectively resolve analytical problems through the application of logical thought processes, consultation of the scientific literature, and/or applied research.
- Respond to crime scenes outside of normal working hours.
EXAMINATION COMPONENTS
Selection Plan
Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:
TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN
Deadline for Filing:
Friday, June 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM
Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:
Friday July 11, 2025
Supplemental Questionnaire Review for Best Qualified:
Friday, July 25, 2025
Oral Interviews:
Week of August 11, 2025
For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website: https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov/.
BENEFITS
The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*:
For your Health & Well-Being
- Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
- Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
- Vision or Vision Reimbursement
- Share the Savings
- Basic Life Insurance
- Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
- County Allowance Credit
- Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
- Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Long-Term Care, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
- Employee Assistance Program
For your Financial Future
- Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
- Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)
For your Work/Life Balance
- 12 paid holidays
- Floating Holidays
- Vacation and sick leave accrual
- Vacation purchase program
- Catastrophic Sick Leave
- Pet Insurance
- Commuter Benefits Program
- Guaranteed Ride Home
- Employee Wellness Program (e.g., At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
- Employee Discount Program (e.g., theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
- Child Care Resources
- 1st United Services Credit Union
- Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.
Conclusion
All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org and [email protected] as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page and clicking on the link 'last notice sent' for the respective recruitment.
Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.
NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box [email protected] are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions, please go to our website at https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov/. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.
Elaine Lemi | Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
(510) 272-6434 | [email protected]
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.
