Salary: $124,592.00 - $153,150.40 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Job Number: 26430601
Department: Medical Examiner, County
Division: Laboratory
Opening Date: 02/12/2026
Closing Date: 3/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Summary
Toxicologist III

The County has Immediate Openings in the Medical Examiner's.

Interviews will take place the week of April 27, 2026. Job offers for selected candidates will be made the week of May 4, 2026.

(Please note the interview dates have been updated.)
County employees are subject to the County Promotion Rule for Step Placement in Accordance with Compensation Ordinance 1.3.5.
Future Salary Increases:

** June 2026 - 3.60% increase to base pay (3.5% Across-the-Board + 0.10% Market Adjustment)

** June 2027 - 3.10% increase to base pay (3% Across-the- Board + 0.10% Market Adjustment)
Toxicologists are professional laboratory scientists responsible for conducting chemical and toxicological analysis as part of the investigation to determine the cause of death. Toxicologist classes are allocated only to the Medical Examiner's Department. This class differs from the Criminalist class series in that Criminalists perform a wide variety of forensic analyzes on physical evidence that is used in law enforcement investigations.

Toxicologist III is the lead level professional class in the Toxicologist series. The ideal candidate will oversee daily operations and serve as a lead worker providing technical guidance, training subordinate toxicologists and conducting the most complex examinations. This class differs from the next higher class, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Manager, in that the latter is a first line supervisor responsible for the Toxicology Section of the Medical Examiner's department and the overall supervision and evaluation of all toxicologists.

Daily Operational Technical Lead:

Duties include but are not limited to the following: Oversee daily laboratory operations and maintain efficient workflow, assign toxicology testing, prioritize cases, and daily check-ins with staff. Maintain operational documents and implement corrective actions as needed, design training programs for staff, partnering with QA/QC Leads. Operate and troubleshoot advanced instrumentation. Interpret complex data analyses, ensure accurate reporting. Understand the principles and practices of postmortem forensic toxicology pharmacology and analytical chemistry.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Technical Lead:

Duties include but are not limited to the following: independently review data packets for completeness, adhere to standard operating procedures and accreditation requirements, ensuring technical accuracy. Ensure that results and interpretations are objective, defensible, and unbiased. Manage quality control materials and reference materials, monitor trends and systematic errors, report quality control issues, and collaborate with the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Manager on process improvements and updates.

Method Development and Validation Technical Lead:

Duties include but are not limited to the following: perform independent method development and validation to ensure that analytical methods used to identify analytes in biological matrices via screening and confirmation are accurate, precise, reliable, and compliant with current scientific standards and accreditation requirements. Collaborate with the Daily Operations and QA/QC Technical Leads to provide seamless integration of newly validated methods.

Click for the complete job description of Toxicologist III.
Take a short look inside the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, illustrating its role as an active partner and regional leader in providing information, comfort and safety to San Diego and its surrounding communities.
The Ideal Candidate will:

Acts as a lead worker providing technical guidance and training to subordinate toxicologists.
Assists the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Manager in scheduling laboratory personnel.
Handles the most complex examinations and analyses.
Evaluates all evidence submitted for analysis to determine if the quality and quantity is adequate for scientific testing, performs detailed and complex qualitative and quantitative evaluations of forensic, specimens to include blood, urine, tissue, vitreous and other biologic specimens, or physical evidence.
Identifies confirms and quantitates levels of drugs and/or chemicals using a variety of laboratory and analytical procedures (e.g., GC, GC/MS, LC/MS, LC/MS/MS, etc.).
Follow standard forensic toxicology and chemistry analytical procedures consistent with the Laboratory's Standard Operating Procedures.
Reviews and updates laboratory procedures at the direction of the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Manager.
Prepares reports on findings, including analytical calculations, and maintains an accurate and precise record of all work performed.
Reviews, authorizes reports, and determinations and qualification on physiological specimens in accordance with specified methods and the analysis of testing performed from external reference laboratories.
May testify in court to report laboratory findings and explain the theory, principles, and methods of analysis to support the laboratory findings and technical details.

HIRING TIMELINE AND DATES

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.

Interviews will begin the week of April 13, 2026
Job Offer and Background Process begins week of April 20, 2026
Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.

Education and/or Experience

Must be State of California of Public Health Title 17 proficient as a Forensic Alcohol Analyst within one year of hire, AND have,

Three (3) years of full-time experience as a Toxicologist II in the County of San Diego; OR,
A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in chemistry, biochemistry, a physical or life science, or a closely related field, AND, five (5) years of professional, full-time experience performing toxicological examinations, two (2) years of which must be at the level of Toxicologist II as defined above.

Note: A master's or doctoral degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency, in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, or related subject may substitute for one year of the required professional experience.
Certification/Registration

Certification as California Forensic Alcohol Analyst or California Forensic Alcohol Analyst within one year of hire.
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age, and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.
Condition of Employment
As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Evaluation
Qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month eligible list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in the employment and supplemental questionnaire.
Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you give will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
Note: Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.

Veteran's Preference PolicyThe County of San Diego offerspreferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego.

Military Skills Translator Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help!
The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our

Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.
The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.
Click here to see the Non-Management Benefits Summary
01

Please be sure to answer the following questions in a thorough, complete, and truthful manner, as your responses may be used to determine your overall score. Please note that if you are invited to a selection interview(s) by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification. Do you understand this information?

02

Do you possess a California Forensic Alcohol Analyst certification?
You must attach a copy of your certification to your application.

03

If you do not have a California Forensic Alcohol Analyst certification, do you understand that you will need to obtain the certification within one year of hire?

04

Do you have three (3) years of full-time experience as a Toxicologist II with the County of San Diego?

05

Do you have five (5) years of professional, full-time experience performing toxicological examinations, two (2) years of which must be at the level of Toxicologist II as defined above? Your experience must be verifiable on the "work history" section of your application.

06

Do you possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in chemistry, biochemistry, a physical or life science, or a closely related field?
Note: In order for your education to be considered, you must submit an unalterable copy of your transcripts with your application.

07

Are you substituting a master's or doctoral degree in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, or related subject for one (1) year of the required professional experience?

08

Please indicate the number of years of full-time postmortem toxicology experience that you have:

Less than two (2) years of experience
Two (2) years, but less than four (4) years of experience.
Four (4) years, but less than five (5) years of experience.
Five (5) or more years of experience
No experience

09

Please describe your postmortem toxicology experience, including the analytical instrumentation utilized and your methodology for result analysis and interpretation.
10

Do you have at least one year of supervisory experience assigning work to individuals? If so, please indicate the level of supervision.

Assist
Acting
Lead
Full
No Experience

11

Where did you first hear about this job opportunity?

San Diego County website
Governmentjobs.com
Veteran Outreach / FFSC
Mana de San Diego
Family, Neighbors, Friends
County Employee Resources Group
College/University Career Site
LinkedIn
Indeed
County Social Media
Voice and Viewpoint
Society of Forensic Toxicologist
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
The International Association of Forensic Toxicologist
Other

12

If you answered "Other" in the previous question, please indicate where you first heard about this job opportunity in the field provided. Indicate N/A in the space below if not applicable.
Required Question

County of San Diego, CA

New Jobs

Toxicologist III-26430601