Prevention Specialist (Prevention Deputy) (PREV WF)

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Department of Defense Prevention Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: The Prevention Specialist (Prevention Deputy) (Prevention Workforce) serves as an expert in prevention science and provides data-driven recommendations to improve the prevention system, address harmful behaviors, and strengthen protective factors within military communities.

Duties

• Maintain day-to-day operations and oversight of integrated primary prevention efforts.
• Ensure technical competence of the prevention workforce and evaluate prevention activities, training, education, and outreach.
• Coordinate comprehensive prevention activities addressing multiple harmful behaviors.
• Support the I-PAG Prevention Lead in advising senior leaders on prevention strategies and the public health approach.
• Plan, organize, implement, and integrate prevention efforts through coalitions and partnerships.
• Identify and apply data, research, and evaluation findings from various sources.
• Conduct community needs assessments and evaluate prevention activities using data.
• Lead prevention planning and implementation for multiple harmful behaviors.
• Develop a Comprehensive Integrated Prevention Plan using population-based and targeted activities across the socio-ecological model.
• Support prevention policy development and alignment at the local level.
• Provide oversight and quality control for prevention staff deliverables.
• Educate leaders and support ongoing improvements to prevention training and education.
• Apply principles related to health equity, social justice, and social determinants of health.
• Design evaluation plans and analyze data for effectiveness.
• Coordinate messaging and efforts across prevention disciplines.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Prevention Specialist (Prevention Deputy) (Prevention Workforce): A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in the behavioral or social sciences, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, such as prevention science or public health. OR B. Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR C. Experience: Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes implementing prevention policies, programs and/or practices; analyzing data to determine effectiveness of prevention activities; evaluating effectiveness of prevention programs to provide recommendations for process improvements and designing and/or contributing to databases that allow for tracking, analyzing, and evaluating prevention programs. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/28/2026 to receive consideration Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.