Marine Forensics Lead
Owns the chain of custody from seabed to dossier, turning recovered material into evidence that holds.
Role Summary
The Marine Forensics Lead owns the chain of custody from seabed to dossier — turning a cut net, a poisoned watershed sample, or a hold full of contraband into evidence that holds. Working from the wet-lab and Evidence registry aboard the RV Tidewright and at the Bay station, the Lead receives material from Field Recovery and interdiction crews, preserves it under tamper-evident seal, and authors the forensic findings that name the adversaries in Dispatch dossiers. The role is accountable for admissibility in the few courts that will hear the League's cases and for being unimpeachable in the many tribunals that never will — because a broken seal does not just lose a case, it can lose the League's deniability. Every conclusion is cross-checked against the Universal Marine Registry before a claim is filed, because the science is the only weapon that cannot be deflected.
Key Responsibilities
- Direct collection, preservation, and analysis of biological and chemical evidence recovered from intervention and stranding sites, maintaining laboratory standards aboard the RV Tidewright and at the Bay station.
- Maintain unbroken, tamper-evident chain of custody across the Evidence registry, logging every transfer and seal to NEREID for audit.
- Author forensic findings — species ID, toxicology, gear provenance — linking samples to named adversaries in Dispatch dossiers to the standard of expert-witness testimony.
- Validate every species identification and genetic match against the Universal Marine Registry before any claim is filed or escalation is recommended.
- Train field and recovery teams in non-contaminating recovery, sampling, and packaging procedure, and audit their kits before deployment.
- Maintain the calibration and reagent-control record for all analytical instruments, declaring the lab fit-for-purpose before casework.
Required Qualifications
- Graduate training in marine biology, toxicology, or forensic science.
- Mastery of evidentiary standards, chain-of-custody, and admissibility doctrine.
- Meticulous, audit-proof record-keeping discipline.
- Comfort working at the boundary of law and direct action.
Preferred Qualifications
- Documented courtroom or tribunal expert-witness experience.
- Environmental-DNA and trace-toxicology analytical experience.
- Familiarity with the Universal Marine Registry and NEREID evidence pipeline.
- Field-sampling experience in contaminated or contested water.
Certifications
Curricula are delivered through the Training Academy; currency is tracked on the HR training matrix.
| Certification | Status at Hire | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Chain-of-Custody & Evidentiary Handling | Required | Annual |
| Hazardous-Materials Sampling | Required ≤ 60 d | 24 months |
| Universal Marine Registry — Forensic Tier | Required | Annual |
| Expert-Witness Qualification | Preferred | 24 months |
Physical & Hazard Requirements
- Work safely with toxic, biohazardous, and decomposing material under containment.
- Pass annual occupational-exposure and respirator-fit medical.
- Sustain meticulous focus across long, uninterrupted casework sessions.
- Bear the confidentiality burden of evidence that could expose the League.
Compensation Band
Career Path
The Marine Forensics Lead (O-4) advances to Registry Director (O-5), or laterals into the Restoration & Rewilding Lead track where registry science meets the field. Strong cross-evidence instincts feed the Intelligence Analyst pipeline, where forensic provenance sharpens the dossier.
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