Healthy Relationship and IPV Prevention Specialist

The University of Virginia's Student Health and Wellness Center is seeking a passionate and dedicated Healthy Relationship and Interpersonal Violence (IPV) Prevention Specialist to join our team. This role is designed to empower UVA’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in achieving their health and wellness goals. The Specialist will plan, implement, and evaluate evidence-based and theory-informed initiatives as part of a holistic health promotion strategy focused on fostering lifelong well-being.

This role is instrumental in promoting sustainable lifestyle changes and fostering a campus culture of health and well-being.

Key Responsibilities
Program Planning, Implementation & Evaluation

• Design, deliver, and evaluate culturally relevant and trauma-informed comprehensive health promotion initiatives, with a focus on healthy relationships and IPV harm prevention.
• Advance prevention strategies that address the intersection of alcohol and other substance use and interpersonal violence harm.
• Provide engaging wellness education to students, faculty, and staff across a range of topics.
• Incorporate public health frameworks (e.g., Socio-Ecological Model, Spectrum of Prevention) into the design of IPV and healthy relationship initiatives.
• Create inclusive and impactful social marketing campaigns that support harm reduction and healthy relationships skills building.
• Use qualitative and quantitative data to assess the impact of programs.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Interpersonal Violence Prevention to produce reports and demonstrate program outcomes.
• Participate in occasional evening and weekend activities as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Early Intervention & Individual Strategies

• Conduct one-on-one wellness coaching and early intervention sessions using motivational interviewing and other evidence-based approaches.
• Develop personalized wellness plans that may include stress management, sleep hygiene, healthy relationships, and alcohol and other drug (AOD) harm reduction.
• Maintain accurate, confidential records and track student progress through assessment tools and electronic systems.
• Serve in a back-up capacity for on-call survivor advocacy support services.

Community Engagement

• Partner with university and community partners to develop a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to wellness and safety.
• Participate in UVA and local SART teams and other coalitions.
• Recruit, train, and supervise Graduate Assistants and interns.
• Support and mentor student-led wellness initiatives, including events focused on healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and harm prevention.
• Foster strong campus and community relationships to support a broad spectrum of wellness efforts.
• Collaborate with peer institutions to share resources and best practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree, preferred degree in Public Health, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field.
• Experience: Two years in wellness coaching, health education, or a similar role.
• Diversity & Inclusion: Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and address health disparities.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2-3 years of experience in health promotion, mental health, wellness coaching.
• Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated skills in motivational interviewing, positive psychology, BASICS, or strengths-based coaching.
• Proficiency in applying behavior change theories and models in program design.
• Skilled in various educational strategies, including workshops, trainings, group facilitation, and individual coaching sessions.
• Familiarity with social media platforms (e.g., BlueSky, X), assessment tools (e.g., Qualtrics), and digital content creation tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Suite).

Key Skills

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to inspire and engage individuals across diverse backgrounds.
• Familiarity with wellness trends, coaching methodologies, and behavioral theories.
• Comfort leading sensitive or challenging conversations with empathy and respect.
• Trauma-informed approach to working with individuals who may have experienced violence or other hardships.

About the Position:

The anticipated salary range is $62,000-70,000 annually commensurate with experience and qualifications. This is an exempt-level position with UVa benefits . Employees’ benefits package highlights include:

• 22 days of paid time off, increasing with service; 13+ paid holidays each year, in addition to paid time off
• Parental and Community Service Leave
• Health plan with options to meet healthcare and financial needs available immediately
• Competitive retirement benefits
• Tuition and professional development benefits after six months
• Employee wellness program featuring activities to earn up to $500/year.

For more information about UVA please click here ; for information about the Charlottesville community please see Charlottesville & Beyond and Embark . The University will perform background and drug screens on all new hires to the Department of Student Health and Wellness prior to employment. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

To Apply:

Please apply through the UVA Job Board . Internal applicants please apply through Workday, search 'find jobs.' The position is open until filled . Requested application materials include a letter of interest or cover letter and resume or curriculum vitae. References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process SkillSurvey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process. A minimum of three references is required. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas . For questions about the application process, please contact Michele Jarman , Academic Recruiter.

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.