Criminalist I

City of San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of San Diego seeks a Criminalist I to perform chemical, biological and physical analyses on narcotics, firearms and other substances involved in police investigations. You will prepare evidence for court and testify as an expert witness, contributing to high-stakes cases with meticulous laboratory work.

Successful candidates will meet education requirements and the ability to work on diverse analyses, with duties that include handling sensitive materials and complying with legal

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Criminalistics, Forensic Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Digital Forensics or Computer Forensics.
• Alternative: Computer Science or related field plus 1 year Criminalistics experience in specified areas.
• General chemistry coursework completion as required.

Responsibilities

• Perform chemical, biological and physical analyses on narcotics, firearms and other substances.
• Prepare evidence for court presentation and testify as an expert witness.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the unit.

Skills

Criminalistics

Forensic Science

Digital Forensics

Narcotics Analysis

Firearms Identification

Education

Bachelor's in Criminalistics, Forensic Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Digital Forensics, or Computer Forensics

Bachelor's in Computer Science or related science + 1 year Criminalistics experience in listed areas

Job description

See NOTE(S) below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.

APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING RELATED RECRUITMENT:

• Criminalist II

Criminalist I positions perform chemical, biological and physical analyses on narcotics, firearms, organic material and other substances involved in police investigations; prepare evidence for presentation in court; testify as expert witnesses; and perform other duties as assigned.

NOTES:

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
  
  
  
  • 3.5% effective 7/1/27
  
  
  • 2% effective 7/1/28
  
  
  • 2% effective 1/1/29
  
  
  
  


• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

You MUST meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

CITIZENSHIP:

You MUST be a United States citizen or have the current legal right to work in the United States.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

You MUST meet ONE of the following options:

1. A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college/university in Criminalistics, Forensic Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Digital Forensics, or Computer Forensics.


2. A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college/university in Computer Science or a closely related physical or biological science AND one-year of full-time professional Criminalistics experience in ONE or more of the following areas:
   
   
   
   • Blood Alcohol Analysis
   
   
   • Computer Forensics
   
   
   • Crime Scene Reconstruction
   
   
   • Digital Forensics
   
   
   • Firearms Identification
   
   
   • Forensic Biology
   
   
   • Narcotic Analysis
   
   
   • Toxicological Analysis
   
   
   • Trace Evidence Analysis
   
   
   
   

COURSEWORK:

Completion of the following college-level coursework:

• 8 semester/12 quarter college-level units in general chemistry.


• 3 semester/4 quarter college-level units in organic chemistry or biochemistry.

NOTES:

• Foreign degrees are acceptable if they have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from accredited institutions in the United States.


• A Master's Degree in Criminalistics or Forensic Science may be substituted for a MAXIMUM of ONE year of the required experience. However, a Master's Degree in Criminalistics or Forensic Science without a qualifying Bachelor's Degree is NOT qualifying.


• Experience performing comparative analysis of handwriting or latent prints ONLY is NOT considered qualifying.


• Additional qualifying experience may NOT be used to substitute for lack of the required education.


• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify MUST submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE:

A valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of hire.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts or equivalency evaluation, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.


• Proof of transcripts showing completion of the required coursework, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.


• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you MUST submit them as soon as possible via fax: [phone]; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may constitute cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.

Rev. 1 - August 28, 2026 (New Recruitment Date)