Community Health Specialist I

Salary : $70,149.87 - $122,762.22 Annually
Location : HEALTH DEPARTMENT KELLY SQUARE, 10777 MAIN ST, FAIRFAX (FJ56), VA
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Job Number: 26-01505
Department: Health Department
Opening Date: 10/03/2026
Closing Date: 10/9/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: S24
Posting Type: Open to General Public

Conducts culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach, health education, prevention, and community navigation with racial and ethnic communities, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, small businesses, hard-to-reach populations, and other community partners. Build relationships with county agencies, health department staff, healthcare and human service providers, and community organizations to identify community needs, address barriers, and connect individuals and families with healthcare, housing, education, employment, transportation, food assistance, safety resources, and other services.

Supports community assessments, surveys, focus groups, eligibility activities, program enrollment, case coordination, data collection and analysis, reporting, and program improvement. Facilitates workshops, classroom and group education, participant assessments, and follow-up activities; supports approved program curricula and provides co-parenting navigation/coaching as assigned. Participates in coalition and advisory committee activities, partner recruitment, community awareness and outreach, and training coordination.

Must be comfortable working with diverse populations, developing trusted community partnerships, facilitating group activities, and collaborating across organizations. Community outreach may require evening or weekend work several times per month. The position also participates in required emergency preparedness training and may perform assigned duties during public health emergencies. Performs other duties as assigned in support of the Fairfax County Health Department.

Note: This position is not telework eligible. This position is emergency/essential services personnel. (Required to report for duty during inclement weather and/or other emergencies.)

Additional Work Schedule Requirements: Flexible work schedule will be required to work evening and/or weekend community meetings or events and/or be on call.
Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Knowledge of program development, implementation and elementary evaluation;
• Knowledge of disease management/health promotions models that target the treatment of disease in symptomatic or at-risk individuals;
• Ability to conduct screenings, monitoring and education, coordination of care (i.e. physicians, hospitals, laboratories, and pharmacies) and evidence-based practice guidelines to identify and treat disease conditions before they advance to an acute or chronic stage;
• Ability to develop, collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate effectiveness of disease management/health promotion programs and quality assurance;
• Ability to deliver health education presentations within the community;
• Ability to work predominantly with adults, applying learning concepts;
• Ability to work with sub-group of the community to organize and implement health education services;
• Ability to communicate effectively through the use of verbal, written and electronic means.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in health education, human services, or a directly related field; plus one year of experience in community capacity building, public and/or community health education, or other types of health-related work involving considerable public contact.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• Valid driver's license.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (Required with 30 days).
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification (Required within 60 days).
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification (Required within 60 days).

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, Child Protective Services Registry check, and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in public health or related field, with a preference for a master's degree in public health or related field.
• Two or more years of experience designing, implementing, evaluating, or supporting community-based health programs serving culturally, racially, ethnically, and age-diverse populations.
• Two or more years of experience conducting community outreach and engagement, health promotion, disease prevention, health education, presentations, workshops, or classroom-based programming.
• Two or more years of experience working with community, faith-based, nonprofit, small business, or other partner organizations to support community health initiatives.
• Two or more years of experience providing community navigation, resource referrals, or connecting individuals and families to health and human services.
• Two or more years of experience supporting community assessments, surveys, interviews, focus groups, data collection, or other activities used to identify community needs and inform program planning.
• Two or more years of experience supporting programs addressing social determinants of health, health disparities, health equity, or other factors affecting community health.
• Experience delivering evidence-based fatherhood, motherhood/parenting, and/or teen/adolescent life-skills curricula.
• Experience documenting outreach, participant contacts, referrals, and program activities and maintaining accurate records.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with community members, partner organizations, Health Department staff, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, written, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and another language (i.e. Spanish, Korean, Farsi, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Urdu, Amharic, Arabic, French, or other).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job is generally sedentary in nature, and requires walking, standing, sitting (for long periods of time), and kneeling, reaching, bending, climbing stairs; may be required to lift or carry up to 25 lbs. occasionally. Uses hands to grasp, handle, or feel. Visual acuity is required to read data on a computer monitor; ability to operate keyboard driven equipment and computer and use of touchscreen. Position frequently communicates and must be able to exchange accurate information with others verbally and in writing. Ability to drive a motor vehicle. Generally, works in an office environment may occasionally be required to perform job duties outside of the typical office setting (e.g. healthcare facilities, community buildings, churches, etc.) including outdoor settings in all-weather conditions and night-time hours. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including ) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

#LI-KA1
Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees' Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

Please click for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program:

For additional details please visit the
Non-Merit Positions

1. Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.
   • Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
   • Flexible Spending Program
   • Deferred Compensation
2. Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.
   • No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate degree

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

03

Please indicate the major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.

• Health education
• Human services
• Public health
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable

04

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".
05

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have in community capacity building, public and/or community health education, or other types of health-related work involving considerable public contact?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

06

Do you currently possess a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

07

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have designing, implementing, evaluating, or supporting community-based health programs serving culturally, racially, ethnically, and age-diverse populations?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

08

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have conducting community outreach and engagement, health promotion, disease prevention, health education, presentations, workshops, or classroom-based programming?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

09

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working with community, faith-based, nonprofit, small business, or other partner organizations to support community health initiatives?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

10

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have providing community navigation, resource referrals, or connecting individuals and families to health and human services?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

11

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have supporting community assessments, surveys, in