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Human Performance Cognitive Specialist

Department of the Navy
Commander, Navy Installations
CNIC Headquarters N921
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is assigned to Fitness, Sports, Deployed Forces Support (N921); Fleet Readiness; CNIC, Navy Region Southwest, San Diego, CA. Incumbent serves as a Performance Specialist providing training to active-duty military members to develop and use the cognitive skills necessary to perform optimally in training and operations, with the primary objective of improving overall readiness. This position manages and provides education based on cognitive performance and tailored training programs.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/12/2025 to 09/22/2025
Salary
$76,000 to - $90,000 per year

Salary is inclusive of locality. POSITION HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT UPDATED SALARY RANGE.

Pay scale & grade
NF 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
San Diego, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
25-12801414
Control number
845898400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Please see the "Who May Apply" section under the Qualifications section.

Duties

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In order to qualify for this position, resumes must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of the position. Applicant resumes are the key means for evaluating skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position therefore, applicants are encouraged to be clear and specific when describing experience.

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Trains and educates active-duty military personnel, in individual and group settings, in specific cognitive, mental, behavioral, psychosocial, perceptual, learning, adaptive thinking, human engagements, and emotional control skills and strategies, including understanding, acquisition, and retention.
  • Develops and facilitates a comprehensive course and educational curriculum, along with supporting materials, to educate personnel on cognitive performance.
  • Assists and advises the Human Performance (HP) Director in matters relating to mental performance, exercise, and sports psychology.
  • Provides information about cognitive performance, exercise, and sports psychology factors in sports, exercise and physical activity.
  • Trains and educates active-duty military personnel on goal setting, performance profiling, visualization, performance development, and planning.
  • Participates in periodic meetings to review human performance training provided to members and identifies opportunities for improvement.
  • Provides input to and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on Sailor readiness.
  • Attends and participates in meetings with stakeholders. Collaborates with Health and Human Performance Optimization (HHPO) program staff to enhance the quality and effectiveness of mental and human performance development and expertise delivered.
  • Conducts periodic literature reviews to ensure HHPO stays current with provision of care.
  • Supports research conducted in coordination with the HP Director.
  • Assists in developing and maintaining practice guidelines to ensure consistency of service across the HHPO program.
  • Develops and implements training materials to support non-physical performance optimization.
  • Evaluates training effectiveness and adjusts as necessary. Reviews feedback from military members and reports findings to HP Director
  • Collects and reports data in support of cognitive performance optimization.
  • Operationalizes resilience core competencies.
  • Identifies and cultivates existing mental skill sets to assist the member in performing optimally during physical, technical, and tactical training in preparation for combat operations, command, and life stressors.
  • Recognizes and addresses mental barriers to physical performance by focusing on stress and emotional regulation; normalizes physiological responses to stress, to include combat situations; conducts tactical breathing and arousal regulation, team cohesion, imagery, and provides cognitive/learning strategies.
  • Participates in periodic in-service training.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must pass all applicable records and background check.
  • Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of employment.
  • Must possess and maintain current certification in basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to include Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training.
  • Must possess or be able to obtain Blood-borne Pathogen Certification within 90 days of hire.

Qualifications

Resumes must include information which demonstrates experience and knowledge, skills, and ability (KSAs) as they relate to this position. Applicants are encouraged to be clear and specific when describing their experience level and KSAs.

A qualified candidate must possess all of the following:

  • A bachelor's degree or higher with a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position (e.g., Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical or Occupational Therapy, Health Education, Physician Assistant, Dietitian, etc.)
  • At least 3 years of specialized experience in applying a wide range of concepts, principles, and methodologies of the therapeutic and cognitive fields to assess the condition of individuals and advise on optimal functioning?
  • A current certification in basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to include Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training.
A qualified candidate also possesses the following:
  • Professional knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of concepts, principles, and methodologies of the therapeutic and cognitive fields sufficient to perform difficult but well-precedented assignments assessing the condition of individuals and advising on optimal functioning.
  • Professional knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of concepts, principles, and practices of cognitive performance sufficient to serve as a contributing member of an interdisciplinary treatment team.
  • Knowledge of cognitive processes, including memory, attention, perception, learning, and decision making as they relate to human performance in military contexts.
  • Knowledge of and skill in the application of psychological and behavioral principles affecting emotional regulation, stress management, and mental resilience during military operations and physical training.
  • Knowledge of cognitive performance, mental resilience, and behavioral sciences and their applicability to military personnel training and operational readiness.
  • Knowledge of concepts from exercise psychology, sports psychology, and physical activity's impact on mental performance including goal setting, visualization performance profiling and strategic mental training.
  • Knowledge of and skill in applying concepts, principles, and methodologies of a human performance discipline sufficient to perform/monitor a full-range of specialized tests and conventional procedures for which there are standard methods and techniques.
  • Knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of concepts, principles, and practices of mental health coaching sufficient to apply advanced techniques, approaches, and procedures to facilitate individual goal setting, performance profiling, visualization, performance development, and planning.
  • Skill in implementing strategies to improve mental toughness and endurance in high-stress environments.
  • Skill in creating tailored education material and curricula that integrate cognitive performance and human engagement principles to improve overall readiness.
  • Skill in the use of Microsoft Office Programs (e.g., Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook).
  • Ability to design, develop, and facilitate comprehensive training programs focused on cognitive performance, stress management and adaptive thinking for active duty.
  • Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Education

As a minimum education requirement for this series, a qualified candidate must possess the following:

  • A bachelor's degree or higher with a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position (e.g., Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical or Occupational Therapy, Health Education, Physician Assistant, Dietitian, etc.)? This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Additional information

POSITION HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT UPDATED SALARY RANGE

Salary is dependent on experience and/or education.

Some positions have special requirements. Selectee may be required to complete a one (1) year probationary period. Participation in Direct Deposit/Electronic Fund Transfer within the first 30 days of employment is required. We utilize E-Verify to confirm selectee's eligibility to work in the United States. Salary is dependent on experience and/or education.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies within 60 days of issuance of selection certificate. For positions requiring travel more than twice per year, selectee may be required to obtain and maintain in good standing a Government-issued Travel Card for official government travel purposes.

Executive Order 12564 requires a Federal workplace free of illegal drugs. According to the Executive Order, all Federal employees are required to remain drug free throughout their employment. Commander, Navy Installations Command is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated, and use of or intoxication by illegal drugs will result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal Service.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

All resumes will be reviewed to determine if they meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement, and will be rated based on the information provided in the resume to determine the level of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) related to the job requirements. Using the qualifications of the position, a predetermined rating criterion of KSAs will be used for each resume. Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews.

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