Forensic Odontologist

Utilise your expertise to provide support and advice to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
- Fixed, Part-Time Opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service
- VPS Grade 5: $103,920 - $125,735 plus superannuation.

About the Business Unit
The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) is an independent statutory authority governed by the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Act 1985 (the VIFM Act). It is part of the Justice portfolio of the Victorian Government. The work of the VIFM can be described as a cycle of three parts:

- Providing forensic medical and scientific services and tissue banking
- Learning from this work
- Researching and teaching.

The VIFM Act creates a joint position of Director of the VIFM and Professor of the Department of Forensic Medicine (DFM) at Monash University. The Director/Professor is responsible for the strategic direction and activities of the DFM, which is housed at the VIFM and operates under the governance of the Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. This position is within the Forensic Pathology Division.

About the Role
The Forensic Odontologist is accountable to the Head, Forensic Pathology and Service Lead, Human Identification Services, for the provision of forensic odontology services at the VIFM. These services will be agreed with the Service Lead and will be in accordance with priorities as established in VIFM Strategic and Business Plans.
The Forensic Odontologist is responsible for the provision of forensic odontology expertise in the context of clinical and pathology casework and fostering close and productive working relationships with forensic medical and scientific specialists.
The Forensic Odontologist supports the operations of the Identification Service by providing timely human identifications to the Coroners and the Coronial Admissions and Enquiries (CAE) team. In addition, the Forensic Odontologist assists the Missing Persons Working Group in the investigations of long-term missing persons and unidentified human remains (including working with both State and National Missing Persons Units). As required, the Forensic Odontologist will provide assistance following state, national and international mass fatality incidents.
The Forensic Odontologist also undertakes teaching activities related to forensic odontology practice, and research which contributes to the evidence base underpinning the discipline of forensic odontology and related disciplines.

**Specific duties include (but are not limited to)**:

- Forensic odontology casework which may include post-mortem and clinical examinations, preparation of reports and presenting evidence in court (including on-call and after-hours duties) in conjunction with Forensic Services medical and scientific specialists.
- Rostered duty on the CAE identification desk to provide identification services for the Coroner for all reportable deaths.
- Provide ongoing key performance indicator (KPI) data to the Manager, Identification Service/ Senior Forensic Anthropologist.
- Participate in ongoing DVI planning and training at state and national levels.
- Participate in the Missing Persons Working Group (MPWG) meetings.
- Contribute to the forensic odontology component of the Master of Forensic Medicine Course (Monash University).
- Develop and coordinate ongoing teaching and training programs for Pathology Registrars, local and interstate Australian Dental Association (ADA) members and overseas forensic odontology students (as required).
- Participate in overseas-related forensic odontology activities, either in an operational (including DVI) context or supporting VIFM capacity building projects including teaching and training.
- Contribute to and participate in VIFM research activities and liaise with other research organisations and universities.
- Participate in an approved CPD program

About You
- Demonstrated expertise and experience in the technical and service aspects of the discipline of forensic odontology, including knowledge and experience in disaster victim identification (DVI).
- Demonstrated commitment to maintaining a high level of clinical practice skills.
- High-level understanding of the coronial, policing and legal aspects of medico-legal death investigation in Victoria and other jurisdictions, including knowledge of coronial legislation, preliminary examinations and identification procedures.
- Advanced technology skills, including a detailed understanding of relevant databases as applied to human identification and missing persons investigations (e.g., the National Missing Persons and Victim System - NMVPS).

Please see attached PD for full list of Key Selection Criteria.
Qualifications/ Registrations
- Registration as a dental practitioner with the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency.
- Post graduate qualifications in the field of forensic odontology, or other relevant degree, and
- Pref