About Our Job

This posting will remain open until at least Monday, October 12th, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible as this may close without advance notice after October 12th.

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers competitive pay commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $175,000 - $200,000 annually. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 wellness day, and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

The Denver Police Department is seeking a Crime Lab Director to lead the Denver Police Department’s Crime Lab. The Crime Lab Director serves as the strategic, operational, and executive leader of the Denver Police Department’s Forensics & Evidence Division. This role is responsible for establishing division-wide strategy, ensuring accreditation compliance, overseeing multidisciplinary forensic operations, and navigating a highly visible political environment with complex stakeholder expectations.

The Crime Lab Director collaborates with a diverse workforce of sworn personnel, scientists, and supervisors, requiring deep understanding of government operations, scientific standards, and chain‑of‑command structures. The position demands exceptional leadership, political acumen, and advanced communication skills to effectively represent the lab within the City and County of Denver, the Denver Police Department executive command and external partners.

Specifically, as the Crime Lab Director you will:

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop multi‑year plans, division strategy, key performance indicators, and performance‑optimization measures for all forensic units. Drive innovation, identify research opportunities, ensure resources align with goals, and lead continuous improvement across the division.
• Anticipate operational risks, recognize emerging forensic and legislative trends, and forecast how policy developments at the city, state, and national levels may affect the lab. Strong strategic positioning is essential to prevent issues that could affect public trust or credibility of the Lab & Denver Police Department.

People Leadership & Workforce Management

• Manage Forensic Managers, Supervisors, Criminalists, and professional staff, creating a culture of coaching, accountability, development, and succession planning.
• Provide background understanding and expertise in conflict resolution, HR‑related matters (EEO concerns, internal conflict, ethical dilemmas) while maintaining high standards within a complex, understaffed environment.
• Balance employee needs with mission readiness, ensuring staff feel heard while maintaining strict adherence to ISO‑accredited lab requirements.
• Implement policies, procedures, systems, and guidelines, ensuring the division meets or exceeds ISO:17025 accreditation standards.

Political Savvy & Stakeholder Engagement

• Have high political acuity and the ability to operate within a scrutinized enviornment managing diverse stakeholders.
• Understand how external pressures impact trust in forensic systems and proactively mitigate risk through informed communication and strategic decision‑making and lab standards.
• Have experience navigating a highly organized structure relying on chain of command governance/leadership, preferably within government or military chain‑of‑command structures and the importance of aligning actions with executive direction.
• Uphold the lab’s mission of achieving justice through science by providing impartial, evidence‑based service to all stakeholders, including prosecutors, victims, defense counsel, and the accused
• Excel in high‑profile communication settings, including presenting complex forensic information to internal and external stakeholders, executive leadership, and public audiences. Experience speaking publicly, briefing decision‑makers, and articulating strategic plans is essential.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Strong executive level communication and presentation experience and skills
• Strong political acumen and savvy
• Be a strategic, proactive and analytical thinker
• Be detail oriented
• Has previous experience working in a chain of command structure and/or governmental organization
• Previous experience working with or knowledge of Collective Bargaining Agreements
• Significant experience in employee relations matters, including but not limited to EEO, employee conflicts, ethical dilemma
• Previous experience and comfort giving courtroom testimony or previous experience serving as an expert witness
• Previous experience and knowledge with accreditation requirements and standards, ISO17025 specifically

Below are the minimum requirements used to determine eligibility for this position:

• Education Requirement: Master’s Degree in Forensics, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology or related science field. 
• Experience Requirement: Five (5) years of experience at the type and level of functional or operational management in the field of Forensic Science, which must have included management of subordinate supervisors and Five (5) years of experience as a Forensic Scientist, Criminalist, Forensic or Criminalist Supervisor, or Quality Assurance Manager in a forensic laboratory accredited to ISO:17025 standards.
• Education & Experience Equivalency: Two (2) years of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.
• Licensure & Certification: By position, requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

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The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [email protected] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.