Cognitive Performance Specialist (tactical)

Cognitive Performance Specialist – Human Performance Optimization Position Overview DURO Health is seeking a highly qualified Cognitive Performance Specialist to join our Human Performance Optimization (HPO) team supporting an elite tactical population. This position provides an opportunity to work within an integrated human-performance environment alongside healthcare, rehabilitation, and strength and conditioning professionals. The Cognitive Performance Specialist focuses on mental performance, resiliency, cognitive readiness, and performance optimization to help tactical professionals perform effectively under the physical and psychological demands of their mission. The HPO program is built around a whole-operator model comparable to the integrated support provided to Olympic and professional athletes, with physical and mental conditioning working together to support performance, readiness, and career longevity. Compensation & Benefits DURO Health offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package:

• Annual Salary: $80,000
• Health Insurance
• Dental Benefits
• Vision Insurance
• Supplemental Insurance Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Whole Life Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Professional development opportunities
• Opportunity to work as part of an interdisciplinary Human Performance Optimization team
• Unique opportunity to directly support a high-performing tactical population Primary Responsibilities The Cognitive Performance Specialist works collaboratively with DURO Health's Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and other HPO professionals to: Design, implement, and monitor individualized mental-performance programs for tacticalprofessionals and candidates.Provide individualized guidance to improve mental conditioning and performance.Develop strategies addressing mental readiness, resiliency, focus, confidence, stressmanagement, and performance under pressure.Conduct individual mental-performance assessments and use findings to guide individualized programming. Provide regular individual feedback sessions designed to support peak performance. Analyze assessment results at both the individual and organizational level. Collaborate with other members of the HPO team to integrate cognitive and physical performance strategies. Serve as an advisor to HPO leadership and appropriate organizational leadership on matters related to mental performance and resiliency. Participate in interdisciplinary meetings to review services, identify performance needs, and improve HPO programming. Contribute to education and development activities supporting tactical professionals and candidates. Assist with development and implementation of strategies designed to improve readiness and long-term performance. Participate in appropriate data collection, workload reporting, and program evaluation. Maintain professional documentation and protect confidential and personally identifiable information. Comply with applicable DURO Health, Department of Defense, installation, privacy, safety, and security requirements. The PWS specifically requires individualized mental-performance programming, guidance to maximize mental conditioning and performance, collaboration across the HPO team, advising leadership on mental performance and resiliency, and workload reporting.Required Qualifications Candidates must meet the following requirements: Master's degree or higher from an accredited institution in sport psychology or a related field. Current Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) credential through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Current CPR certification including AED training. Minimum of three years of salaried professional experience working in the candidate's credentialed position with elite-level athletes within the Special Operations Forces community, NCAA Division I preferred, USA National Team staff, or professional sports. Internship experience does not count toward the professional-experience requirement. Strong communication, interpersonal, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills. Ability to work effectively with high-performing individuals in demanding operational environments. Ability to meet applicable requirements for access to a U.S. military installation and successfully complete required background and security processes. Ability to provide services on-site. These educational, licensure, CMPC, CPR/AED, and professional-experience requirements are established in the PWS. Preferred Experience Strong candidates may also have experience with: Military or tactical populations. NCAA Division I or professional athletes. Cognitive and mental-performance assessment. Performance psychology and mental-skills training. Resiliency and stress-management programming. Performance under pressure and high-stress decision-making. Individual and group performance education. Developing mental-performance programs for high-performing populations. Working as part of an interdisciplinary sports medicine or human-performance team. Translating assessment findings into individualized performance strategies. Performance Assessment & Development An important component of the position is helping translate assessment into meaningful performance improvement. The HPO program requires physical and mental performance assessments, follow-up assessments, individual and collective analysis of results, and regular individual feedback sessions designed to guide development toward peak performance. The Cognitive Performance Specialist should therefore be comfortable moving beyond classroom education and working directly with individuals to identify performance needs, establish individualized strategies, monitor progress, and adjust interventions based on performance demands. Schedule & Work Environment This is a full-time, salaried, on-site position supporting an embedded Human Performance Optimization program. The normal work schedule consists of 40 hours per week, with services primarily occurring during established daytime/core operating hours. Some flexibility is required to accommodate operational requirements, training events, and occasional schedule changes. The PWS also anticipates occasional travel based on operational requirements. This is an embedded tactical-performance position and is not structured as a remote position. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate combines a strong foundation in sport and performance psychology with the ability to connect with tactical professionals in a practical, performance-focused environment. We are looking for someone who can build trust, communicate effectively, collaborate across disciplines, and translate evidence-informed cognitive and psychological principles into strategies that can be used in training and operational environments. This role is particularly well suited for a professional who wants to work beyond a traditional office setting and become an embedded member of a multidisciplinary team focused on optimizing the whole operator. About DURO Health DURO Health provides integrated Human Performance Optimization services focused on improving health, physical and cognitive performance, injury prevention, recovery, resilience, and operational readiness. Our interdisciplinary model brings together healthcare and human-performance professionals to provide coordinated services tailored to the demands placed on tactical and high-performing populations.