Implementation Scientist

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LAUKOA is seeking an experienced Implementation Scientist to support the Defense Health Agency's Psychological Health Center of Excellence (PHCoE), located in Silver Spring, MD. This position provides scientific leadership in translating evidence-based psychological health research into sustainable clinical and operational practices across the Military Health System.

The successful candidate will work closely with Government stakeholders, clinicians, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams to develop implementation strategies, evaluate program effectiveness, identify barriers to adoption, and promote the successful integration of evidence-based practices that improve psychological health outcomes and military readiness.

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide subject matter expertise in implementation science supporting the Defense Health Agency Psychological Health Center of Excellence.
• Develop and execute implementation strategies that facilitate the adoption of evidence-based behavioral health programs and clinical practices.
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders, clinicians, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams to improve implementation of psychological health initiatives.
• Evaluate organizational readiness, implementation barriers, and facilitators affecting program success.
• Design and support implementation frameworks, process improvement initiatives, and change management strategies.
• Analyze implementation outcomes and recommend improvements to increase adoption, sustainability, and program effectiveness.
• Support development of implementation plans for new behavioral health policies, programs, clinical guidance, and research findings.
• Conduct literature reviews and evaluate emerging implementation science methodologies relevant to military psychological health.
• Develop technical reports, white papers, presentations, executive briefings, and recommendations for Government leadership.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate scientific findings into practical applications supporting clinicians, leaders, and Military Health System beneficiaries.
• Support evaluation of evidence-based interventions related to resilience, suicide prevention, traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), behavioral health, and other psychological health priorities.
• Participate in technical working groups, advisory panels, and strategic planning meetings.
• Ensure all implementation activities comply with accepted scientific methodologies and contract requirements.
• Support continuous quality improvement initiatives across supported programs.

Necessary Skills and Knowledge:

• Capability to identify gaps and areas of underperformance in achieving optimal clinical mental health outcomes or the processes and procedures associated with mental healthcare delivery within the MHS.
• Capability to identify and assess potential evidence-based solutions to address gaps or areas where the system is underperforming.
• Capability to lead the development of rapid improvement/implementation science initiatives (i.e.,
  
  pilot studies) to test the feasibility of solution adoption within the MHS.
• Capability to ensure that study design systematically varies implementation strategies in order to assess the most effective intervention strategies.
• Capability to work closely with stakeholders to identify barriers and facilitators to solution uptake.
• Capability to collaborate with DHA leaders to develop plans to implement successful trials across the MHS enterprise when warranted.
• Capability to produce technical artifacts (e.g., reports, tools, briefings, presentations, and manuscripts) consistent with the KSAs described here and with the broader PHCoE mission set.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree required.
• At least 13 years of full-time post-doctoral work experience directly related to adopting clinical research findings in healthcare delivery systems (i.e., research translation).
• At least 3 years of full-time post-doctoral work leading research translation activities in the mental healthcare space.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust background investigation and Common Access Card (CAC).
• Occasional travel may be required in support of contract performance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference may be given to candidates with experience supporting:
  
  
  
  • Defense Health Agency (DHA)
  • Psychological Health Center of Excellence (PHCoE)
  • Military Health System (MHS)
  • Department of Defense (DoD)
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  
  
  
  
• Experience implementing evidence-based behavioral health or psychological health programs.
• Experience supporting military medicine, operational medicine, or healthcare transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of implementation frameworks such as CFIR, RE-AIM, PRISM, or the Knowledge-to-Action Framework.
• Experience evaluating healthcare delivery, clinical practice adoption, or organizational performance improvement initiatives.
• Experience contributing to peer-reviewed publications, implementation research, or scientific presentations.
• Experience supporting federally funded healthcare or behavioral health research programs.

Salary Range: $145,000 - $165,000

*This Position is Contingent Upon Award.

We are an Equal Opportunity/VEVRAA federal contractor. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We offer a best-in-class benefits program including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) program with employer match; paid vacation and sick leave; employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance; an Employee Assistance Program; and a flexible work environment. Additionally, employees can choose from several voluntary benefits including critical illness coverage; accident insurance; identity theft coverage; pet insurance, and more.

We give preference to internal candidates. If no internal candidate meets our qualifications, external candidates will be given consideration.