Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, other Federal agency employees, Land & base management, Veterans, status candidates, and ICTAP/CTAP eligibles.

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Major duties include:

• Plans and implements a comprehensive Interior Design Program which includes providing complete, from concept to installation, interior design services for the organization to include satellite facilities.
• Performing and managing work related to the design of interior environments to promote employee productivity, health, and welfare, and/or the health and welfare of the public.
• Provides technical expertise to coworkers and contractors and routinely coordinates with engineers, architects, and other designers to ensure compliance with VA regulations and facility design criteria.
• Plans, specifics, writes procurements packages, supervises installation, and acts as the contracting officer's representative for all furniture procurements within the facility.
• Works with direct supervisor to coordinate and maintains a schedule of short- and long-range interior improvement projects for the facility through the 5-year interior design plan and other programs to identify existing and future project needs.
• Acts as Contracting Officer's Representative for all furnishings, window treatments, patient cubicle curtains, wall coverings, floor coverings, wall art, lighting, ceiling treatments, casework, and all other interior design-related accoutrements from origination to installation.
• Works with direct supervisor to determine priorities and utilize an annual interior design budget in recurring funds and budgeting projects that may involve millions of dollars in non-recurring funds.
• Represents the facility at various design-trade functions and maintains an effective rapport with design-industry vendors and/or representatives.
• Manages an interior design file system that includes drawings, specifications, budgets, project information, government contracts, requests for interior design services, and regulations pertaining to interior design; manages a resource library of catalogs for furniture, materials, finishes, and all other design-related items, that are appropriate by ensuring they contribute to infection prevention, long term maintenance and sustainability goals for a healthcare environment.
• Works with the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on assigned projects (Majors, Minors, NRM, CSI and Leased).
• Responds to requests, complaints, etc. related to interior design and furniture moves.
• Participates in planning and coordinating moves with move team, utility shutdowns, phases, and other requirements for construction projects.
• Is active in executing activations of construction projects of all sizes and scopes with a variety of projects ranging from administrative areas to more complex clinical spaces.
• Advises and implements plan on adequacy and adaptability of a cohesive space including furniture layout, general size, fit and code compliance.
• Works with direct supervisor to communicate with upper management to discuss services to be provided, process to be followed and the benefits of properly designed space.
• Coordinates facility paint, flooring, and ceiling/lighting schedule with appropriate construction crews.
• Specifies color and finish selections to ensure that maintenance, condition of existing areas, end user needs, and compliance with the overall design objective are met.
• Is an active participant of all committees that significantly impact the Interior Design program.
• Provides oversight for the work performed by contractors, and vendors, by planning, scheduling, and coordinating the work, determining material, equipment needed to accomplish the work, correlating, reviewing, and evaluating the work.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:45pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Interior Designer - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized/PD003260
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Approved

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/09/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR). All applicants must meet one of the below:

• Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- interior design or other field that included or was supplemented by at least 30 semester hours in interior design, interior architecture, or interior environmental design; or passage of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination. OR
• Experience: Specialized Experience: Experience that required the performance of work concerned with the design and alteration of interior spaces to meet functional and aesthetic needs such as:
  • Identifying, researching, and creatively solving problems pertaining to the function and quality of the interior environment.
  • Performing services relative to interior spaces, including programming, design analysis, space planning and aesthetics, using specialized knowledge of interior construction, building systems and components, building codes, equipment, materials, and furnishings.
  • Preparing drawings and documents relative to the design of interior spaces in order to enhance and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
  • Coordinating and integrating the mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering disciplines within the interior context.
  • Managing projects, developing cost estimates, evaluating bid proposals, reviewing construction documents, participating in on-site construction visits, conducting pre- and post-occupancy evaluations, developing standards for efficient space management, etc.

In addition to the above IOR, you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of interior design and space planning; Knowledge of the fundamentals of Commercial/Institutional/Barrier Free Design is required; Knowledge of a variety of methods, techniques, and materials used in architectural and interior design needs for the facility, including construction knowledge; prepares all necessary scaled architectural floor plans, space layouts, reflected ceiling plans, finish plans, working drawings, specifications, detailed drawings for custom work and furniture fabrication; deal effectively with architects/engineers (AE) firms, staff engineers, facility planners, architects, construction contractors, vendors, and healthcare system personnel; evaluates materials and furnishings appropriate to the end use; Develops drawings needed to finalize plans and specifications and proceeds with recommendations for the selection, procurement, and placement of furnishings; prepares floor plans and configures furniture layouts using the latest AutoCAD software, 3D modeling software such as BM, Revit, and/or Google Sketchup; Oral and written communication skills; communicates via architectural drawings, sketches, and renderings, color boards, and PowerPoint presentations in clear, concise, and accurate interpretation of proposals to medical center staff. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have any combination of specialized experience and education beyond a Master's degree.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Communication
• Customer Service
• Design
• Mental Visualization
• Creativity and Innovation

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent will be conducting inspections and surveys of construction sites with a need for physical agility to access unfinished buildings and wear personal protective equipment (PPE). The incumbent must have ability to work within an environment of conflicting deadlines and shifting priorities. The incumbent may be required to work evenings or weekends, as well as preform infrequent overnight travel to meetings and conferences

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.