Implementation Scientist

Dawson

Silver Spring (MD)

On-site

USD 145,000 - 165,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid vacation and sick leave

Employer‑paid life and AD&D insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible work environment

Voluntary benefits including critical-

illness coverage

accident insurance

Job summary

LAUKOA seeks an experienced Implementation Scientist to support the Defense Health Agency’s PHCoE in Silver Spring, MD. You will lead translation of evidence‑based psychological health research into sustainable clinical and operational practices across the Military Health System.

You will work with government stakeholders, clinicians, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams to develop implementation strategies, evaluate program effectiveness, identify barriers, and promote successful

Qualifications

Excellence in translating research findings to clinical practice.
Ability to lead implementation science initiatives.
Experience with CFIR/RE-AIM or similar frameworks.

Responsibilities

Provide subject matter expertise in implementation science for DHA PHCoE.
Develop and execute strategies to adopt evidence‑based behavioral health programs.
Collaborate with government stakeholders and researchers to scale initiatives.
Evaluate readiness, barriers, and facilitators to promote adoption.
Design frameworks and change management plans to improve outcomes.
Analyze implementation results and recommend improvements.
Support development of implementation plans for policies and research.
Conduct literature reviews and synthesize methodologies for military health.
Prepare technical reports and executive briefings for leadership.
Translate scientific findings into practical clinical applications.

Skills

Implementation science

Stakeholder collaboration

Change management

Literature reviews

Technical reports

Education

PhD (post‑doctoral focus in healthcare/translation)

Job description

LAUKOA brings together a diverse portfolio of companies delivering mission-critical services to the Department of Defense, federal agencies, and commercial organizations. From environmental stewardship and infrastructure support to technology, operations, maintenance, and construction services, we help clients accomplish their goals through expertise, innovation, and trusted partnerships. Rooted in Native Hawaiian values, we are committed to delivering results that strengthen organizations, communities, and future generations.

Whether you’re building critical infrastructure in Greenland, supporting federal health programs in Florida, or protecting ecosystems in the Pacific, LAUKOA brings together people who care about what they do.

Current job opportunities withLAUKOA are posted here as they become available. Check back often for new positions!

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.

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:

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.
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