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Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 16578
Department: Institute of Forensic Sciences
Division: Pathology Services
Opening Date: 04/17/2026
Closing Date: 10/1/2026 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 350
Position Description
Mission
The Mission of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is to provide medical examiner and crime laboratory services of the highest quality in an unbiased manner with uncompromised integrity.
Vision

• To provide consistent, quality death investigation and laboratory analysis for the benefit of the entire community.
• To create a technological strongpoint for legal agencies to facilitate justice in criminal and civil proceedings.
• To establish an academic environment for training in the field of Forensic Science.

Brief Position Overview:
The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner oversees all Medical Examiner Services - Pathology, Morgue, Histology, Anthropology, Imaging, and Investigations - ensuring statutory requirements are met, and medicolegal death investigation activities are in compliance with various applicable national accreditation standards; conducts medicolegal death investigations pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 49.25, including external examination of decedents as well as complete and partial autopsies, with appropriate evidence collection; provides testimonial evidence in court regarding medicolegal death investigations and evidence collected from bodies; and teaches trainees (forensic pathology fellows, pathology residents, medical residents, and medical students) about various aspects of medicolegal death investigation.
Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conducts and completes medicolegal death investigations pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 49.25, including performing autopsies and external examinations of decedents; collecting histologic, toxicologic, and physical evidence; interpreting gross anatomic pathology and microscopic pathology; interpreting toxicologic results; reviewing and synthesizing of medical records and police reports; crafting timely and thorough autopsy reports; and signing death certificates on a timely basis (30% of duties)
• Develops and implements appropriate quality assurance activities within the Pathology Division to ensure continuous compliance with accreditation requirements, relevant state statutes, and departmental policies. Documents case peer review, co-signs selected autopsy reports, and leads weekly QA and Peer Review Conferences. Works with the Quality Management Division to address nonconforming work and approves corrective and preventive actions in the Medical Examiner Services. Establishes goals for improvement each year and monitors progress during planned management reviews (20% of duties)
• Coordinates administrative aspects, including development of and adherence to a yearly budget for the Medical Examiner Services; facilitates hiring, training, performance feedback, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions. Guides and mentors Assistant Medical Examiners in professional interactions with family members, law enforcement, and attorneys, in addition to offering feedback on their court testimony (20% of duties)
• Directly supervises all staff within the Pathology Division as well as the Directors of the Investigations, Morgue & Histology, Anthropology & Emergency Management, and Forensic Imaging Divisions (10% of duties)
• Monitors case management activities to ensure case distribution is equitable and reports are completed in a timely manner. Assumes on-call responsibilities, fielding questions of jurisdictional matters, organ / tissue donation, scene logistics, and other matters related to case investigation (10% of duties)
• Provides expert testimony in criminal and civil court matters relating to medicolegal death investigations (including substitute testimony for other Assistant Medical Examiners who may not be available for testimony); prepares for testimony by attending depositions and pretrial conferences with attorneys as needed (5% of duties)
• Is fully engaged in teaching activities at the Department including mentoring forensic pathology fellows, supervising medical residents, and providing guidance to medical students. Provides direct supervision and instruction in autopsy performance as well as instructional presentations and lectures as needed (5% of duties)

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net. This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.
Requirements
Education:

• Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
• Completion of an ACGME-accredited (or equivalent) post-graduate residency program in anatomic / clinical pathology, and forensic pathology fellowship

Experience:

• Ten (10) years' experience in forensic pathology and death investigation, including five years' experience supervising others

Licensure:

• Licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas by the date of employment
• Certification by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic pathology and forensic pathology by date of employment
• Maintain a valid Texas Driver's License and ability to safely operate a motor vehicle

Additional Requirements:

• Must pass criminal background check and drug / alcohol screening (prior to and during employment)
• As a public servant, this employee is expected to adequately prepare for court testimony in accordance with Department policies and procedures. Subpoenas and court orders related to cases worked by the employee shall be followed, even post-employment. The duty to adequately communicate with attorneys and prepare for testimony, which includes a review of the applicable case records, is still expected post-employment

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Expertise in forensic pathology, general anatomic pathology, and broad foundational knowledge of other medical and surgical specialties
• Ability to communicate effectively with lay, technical, medical, and legal audiences; ability to provide empathetic consultation with family members of decedents; dictate autopsy findings, edit autopsy reports, and provide testimony as required in civil and criminal proceedings
• Must be able to calmly, effectively, and unambiguously express complex analytical conclusions and medical decisions in adversarial situations
• Ability to make independent decisions, often in stressful situations
• Ability to provide feedback in a constructive manner to a range of staff including professional personnel
• Excellent time management skills, strategies, and abilities; ability to work independently with minimal supervision, prioritizing and handling multiple tasks simultaneously
• Basic computer skills including Microsoft Office

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.
General Information
Location:

• Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences - 1861 Old Spanish Trail Houston, TX 77054

Position Type, and Typical Hours of Work:

• Full time; Monday-Friday, plus weekend and holiday rotation.
• Consistently requires > 40 hours per week
• Hours may vary based on needs of Department
• Must be available to work during severe weather events or other emergencies if necessary

Work Environment:

• Morgue / office setting
• Routine exposure to deaths of adults and children that resulted from violence, natural disease, environmental hazards, and toxins
• Will be exposed to biohazardouses materials and offensive odors

Physical Demands:

• Medium work.
• Requires physical strength to push, pull, and lift up to 20 pounds frequently and repeatedly
• Must be physically able to stand for extended periods
• Must be able to effectively don and doff appropriate personal protective equipment (including N95 mask, gown, face protection, as well as self-contained breathing apparatus as required), and be able to wear personal protective gear for extended periods (hours) while conducting intricate postmortem examinations

Additional Information:

• Reports To: Chief Medical Examiner/ Executive Director
• FLSA Status: Exempt

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards. Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.
HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

* Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website:
01
Do you have a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)?

• Yes
• No

02
Are you licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas?

• Yes, I am licensed to practice medicine in the State of Texas
• No, but will obtain by date of hire
• No, not interested at this time

03
Have you completed an ACGME-accredited (or equivalent) post-graduate residency program in anatomic / clinical pathology, and forensic pathology fellowship?

• Yes
• No

04
Are you certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic pathology and forensic pathology?

• Yes
• No

05
Please describe your educational background including level of education completed, area of study and completed major and minor programs.
06
Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience in forensic pathology and death investigation?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than ten (10) years
• Ten (10) years or more but less than eleven (11) years
• Eleven (11) years or more but less than twelve (12) years
• Twelve (12) years or more
• I do not have this experience

07
Please provide details about your verifiable experience in forensic pathology and death investigation.*** Do not use "See Resume", as we do not use resumes to assess qualifications.***(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.
08
Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience supervising others?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than five (5) years
• Five (5) years or more but less than six (6) years
• Six (6) years or more but less than seven (7) years
• Seven (7) years or more
• I do not have this experience

09
Please provide details about your verifiable experience supervising others.*** Do not use "See Resume", as we do not use resumes to assess qualifications.***(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.
10
This role requires a Vali