Deputy Chief Medical Examiner

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Posting Date: Dec 12, 2025

Location: Calgary, AB

Company: Government of Alberta

Job Information

Job Title: Deputy Chief Medical Examiner

Job Requisition ID: 77955

Ministry:  Justice

Location:  Calgary

Full or Part-Time:  Full Time

Hours of Work:  36.25

Regular/Temporary:  Temporary (3-year contract)

Scope:  Open Competition

Closing Date:  January 2, 2026

Classification:  Deputy Chief Medical Examiner (MDME1)

 

 

About Us

The Alberta Public Service works to build a stronger province for current and future generations. We make a difference in the lives of Albertans through rewarding and diverse career opportunities. For more information, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/about-the-alberta-public-service

 

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is committed to the provision of high-quality services to Albertans. Activities performed enable the OCME to certify the cause and manner of death in accordance with the Fatality Inquiries Act; provide forensic service; assist and educate Albertans in time of grief; and develop and maintain a center of excellence in forensic pathology and toxicology.

Alberta’s Death Investigation System is an integral part of the Ministry of Justice, offering a fundamental and unique service to strengthen public safety and security. Our collective goal is to ensure that public safety systems are effective, efficient, robust, accountable, and responsive to the needs of Alberta’s diverse communities. As a public service, we are responsible for and committed to supporting the people of Alberta and their families in their time of need while they deal with profound grief and loss of their loved ones. We strive to improve the health and safety of Albertans as well as support the efforts to prevent future sudden and unexpected deaths in the province. 

 

For further information, visit the ministry website at https://www.alberta.ca/justice

 

 

Role

Reporting to the Chief Medical Examiner the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner (DCME) is responsible for assisting the Chief Medical Examiner with oversight and management of  investigations conducted into sudden unexplained deaths, unnatural deaths due to accident, violence or suicide, and other deaths reportable to the Medical Examiners' Office, in accordance with the Fatality Inquiries Act, for Calgary city and the southern region of the province of Alberta.  The purpose of these investigations is to establish the identity of the decedent together with the cause and manner of death, to provide documentation and expert opinion to assist with resolving civil and criminal matters that arise from a death, and to provide a sound source of data for how unnatural deaths occur in Alberta as an aid to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.  The incumbent will primarily serve as a Medical Examiner/Forensic Pathologist by conducting their own death investigations, including the provision of expert testimony in court as needed. The DCME will also be responsible for overseeing and managing the proper conduct of death investigations in the city of Calgary and the Southern region of the province, as defined by the jurisdictional boundary and for overseeing those areas of the Calgary regional office that have a direct relationship to investigations. In addition, the DCME must work collaboratively with the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton, Operations Managers and comply with other duties assigned by the Chief Medical Examiner.

 

 

Qualifications

You may be required to assume responsibilities of the Chief Medical Examiner (CME) in their absence and bring specialized forensic pathology training acumen, supported by in-depth knowledge of the medical, forensic pathology and toxicological aspects of sudden death investigations. You will complete all duties and have overall management responsibility for Assistant Chief Medical Examiners working in the Calgary regional office and support the day-to-day medical/investigative operations with the Operations Managers for the Investigator, Records/Administrative and Morgue units. These individuals will look to you for leadership, guidance, direction, resources, and infrastructure within each of their areas of responsibility. You must work in collaboration with the Operations Managers in performing these duties.  Your exceptional communication and relationship building skills are critical to developing effective liaisons with criminal justice partners, allied medical professionals and families.

 

Applicants must be a medical doctor with Board Certification in Anatomical or General Pathology (or equivalency) and thereafter gain sub-specialist certification or training in Forensic Pathology. For Canadian Forensic Pathologists trained before 2009, a fellowship in Forensic Pathology without Board Certification will also be considered eligible. Candidates must be licensed or eligible for licensure from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). The ideal candidate should have approximately 5 years of forensic pathology work experience or have done more than 1000 autopsy examinations. Candidates with lesser experience may also be considered for this role. This role is open to international candidates who are eligible for registration with CPSA. Copies of diplomas/fellowships/degrees should be sent to the Medical Council of Canada for verification of academic credential and registration with the CPSA is required to practice in Alberta. Submission of a valid CPSA eligibility letter must be provided.

 

Travel up to 25% or as required. The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner will be required to travel long distances within Alberta and to any other Province/Territory in Canada to give evidence in Courts, as required and must have a valid driver’s license. 

 

 

Salary

The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner position is dependent on the years of experience and completion of the Forensic Pathology board certification. Salary is dependent if you opt into benefits and/or pension.

 

Deputy Chief Medical Examiner offers a salary range: $17,062.42 bi-weekly (Up to $445,329.16/ year)

 

 

Notes

These are 3-year renewable contract positions based on performance evaluations. Relocation expenses may be negotiated. Other covered expenses include payment of initiation of registration fee and annual registration fee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta and other professional membership fees such as the membership fees of the Royal College of Physicians and surgeons up to a maximum of $ 4,000.00 per year, and educational expenses to keep the registration with the CPSA up to a maximum of $ 4,000.00 per year. There are opportunities for University appointments. Medical Examiners in the OCME will be eligible for extra compensation in the form of a lump sum payment at a rate of $800 per case equivalent completed above the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) recommended amount of 250 case equivalent per calendar year. 

 

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

 

This competition may be used to fill current and future vacancies within the OCME.

 

Interviews are expected to begin the week of January 19, 2026.

 

Links and information on what the GoA has to offer:

 

Please see the attached position profile for more information on position responsibilities: Search Profile.

 

 

How to Apply

Click on the “Apply Now” button.

 

Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/navigating-online-jobs-application.aspx to learn more about creating a candidate profile and other tips for the Government of Alberta’s online application system.

 

If you are not currently an employee with the Government of Alberta, the first step in applying for a job is creating your candidate profile within our online application system, click here to access the main log in page where you are able to ‘Create an account’, reset your password (‘Forgot your password’) or ‘Sign In’ should you already have an account.

 

Existing employees should access the Career tile in 1GX to submit their application in order to be recognized as an internal applicant.

 

Once you have created your candidate profile, visit the Alberta Public Service job site to apply for jobs at https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-jobs.aspx

 

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience and relevant examples of required competencies.

 

Resources for applicants:

https://www.alberta.ca/apply-for-jobs-with-the-alberta-public-service.aspx

https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-hiring-process.aspx

https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/

 

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) or from recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information.

 

 

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

 

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

 

If you require any further information on this job posting or a copy of the role profile, and/or require a disability related accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Executive Search at psc.executivesearchservices@gov.ab.ca.

 

If this competition is closed as per the closing date noted above, please continue to check http://www.jobs.alberta.ca for a listing of current career opportunities with the Government of Alberta.