Operational Psychologist
Location: Aviano Air Base, Italy
Employer: DURO Health
Job Type: Full-Time
La descrizione completa del lavoro illustra tutte le competenze, l'esperienza pregressa e le qualifiche che i candidati dovrebbero possedere.
Position Summary
DURO Health is seeking a highly skilled Operational Psychologist (OP) to support the Guardian Angel Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) Program with the 57th Rescue Squadron (57 RQS) at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
This embedded role provides expert behavioral science consultation to Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) and Pararescue (PJs) to enhance mental readiness, operational performance, injury prevention, and recovery. The OP plays a critical role in sustaining and optimizing the human weapon system, supporting both short-term mission readiness and long-term operator longevity.
The position operates directly within the unit environment, delivering performance optimization, psychological assessment, and reintegration programming aligned with operational demands and deployment cycles.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the subject matter expert in behavioral health, mental performance, injury prevention, and human performance optimization for Guardian Angel operators.
- Conduct, administer, and interpret a full spectrum of psychological and mental performance assessments to support readiness and personnel suitability decisions.
- Develop, implement, and manage resiliency, reintegration, and prevention programs tailored to Special Tactics operational demands.
- Provide individual consultation and short-term interventions, including crisis management and trauma-informed care;
coordinate referrals asneeded.
- Deliver baseline and post-event psychological screening, including monitoring trends in mental readiness and performance.
- Present actionable insights and recommendations to command teams to improve readiness, reduce injury rates, and enhance performance outcomes.
- Collaborate with unit leadership, medical providers, and community agencies to ensure integrated care and seamless access to services.
- Serve as a liaison between operators and base/community support resources.
- Develop and deliver training and professional development on mental skills, resilience, and risk mitigation.
- Participate in program evaluation, process improvement, and applied research initiatives supporting POTFF objectives.
Program Deliverables & Performance Expectations
- Develop individualized psychological training programs aligned with operational timelines (e.G., post-injury, pre-deployment).
- Provide weekly staff updates and monthly performance reports to squadron leadership.
- Conduct ongoing data collection, trend analysis, and performance reporting across training and deployment cycles. xrdztoy
- Support continuous improvement initiatives and recommend solutions to enhance readiness and operational effectiveness.
Required Qualifications
- US Citizenship
- Doctorate (PhD or PsyD) in Clinical or Counseling Psychology from an APA accredited program and internship
- Active, unrestricted license to practice psychology in a U.S. state or territory
- Minimum 2 years of independent post-doctoral clinical experience within the past 5 years
- Demonstrated experience treating: o PTSD, mood, and anxiety disorders o Substance misuse and family systems concerns o Crisis intervention and trauma-informed care
- Experience working with high-performance populations (SOF, military, NCAA, or professional athletes)
- Training in critical incident stress and trauma interventions
Additional Requirements
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance
- Ability to pass all background investigations and security requirements
- Comfortable working in a high-tempo operational environment
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust with elite tactical populations
Travel Requirements
- Approximately 3 weeks of travel annually
- Local travel included as part of standard duties
- Opportunity for continuing education and professional development supported by the program
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary: $125,000 – $130,000 annually
- Relocation assistance available
- Medical insurance
- 401(k) and retirement plan
- Life insurance
- Paid time off (PTO)
- Continuing education support