Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Senior Advisor for Architectural Design - Making Architecture Beautiful Again

General Services Administration
Public Buildings Service

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Commissioner (AC), Office of Engineering, who is the Chief Architect and technical expert for the Administrator, GSA, and Commissioner, PBS, on all matters concerning Federal architecture and design. This is a term position not to exceed three years. 

This position is located within the Office of Engineering, Public Building Service (PBS), General Services Administration (GSA). 

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/20/2026 to 04/03/2026
Salary
$151,661 to - $228,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
SL 00
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
San Francisco, CA
Lakewood, CO
District of Columbia, DC
Atlanta, GA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel as needed.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
00
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
PA-2026-0001
Control number
862059900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Open to the Public. US citizenship is required. You must apply online to be considered for this vacancy. Please review this announcement in its entirety for specific information on how to apply.

Duties

Help

The incumbent serves as a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Commissioner (AC), Office of Engineering, who is the Chief Architect and technical expert for the Administrator, GSA, and Commissioner, PBS, on all matters concerning Federal architecture and design. The Senior Advisor, Office of Engineering provides specialized experience on a term basis, in classical and traditional architecture to assist in technical procedures, advise on architectural standards, structural technologies, and provide guidance during design evaluations or juries, pursuant to the Executive Order, Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again.

As a Senior Advisor, the incumbent provides authoritative, visionary, and technical guidance and support to assist the Assistant Commissioner - Office of Engineering, in driving and influencing the direction of complex Federal functions associated with establishing and maintaining efficient, classical or traditional architecture in all federal GSA mandated structures. Performs technical advisory work to ensure the establishment and management of effective building programs, specialized experience, and technical innovations to shape the nation’s commitment to ensure that major Federal priorities and mandates are carried out in an effective manner while emphasizing cost-cutting, efficiency, and federal procurement reform. This position is a term Senior Leader (SL) position that is limited to three years. This position cannot be extended.

  • Provides support and facilitates high level work to promote a design program which aims to produce federal buildings that reflect the best in civic architectural thought with an emphasis on traditional and classical architecture, while remaining cost-effective and sensitive to local context.
  • Uses architecture and related disciplines and concepts to serve as a technical expert to support  major projects and initiatives surrounding building design, construction, and facilitates related high level technical projects.

  • Develops and advises on documents for the vision competition process, including announcements, rules, instructions, project program information, and reports for review and approval by the contracting officer.

  • Appoints Evaluation Boards and makes informed selections for the lead design and designer, planning the selection process through policies and procedures.

  • Communicates with various stakeholders and interested parties internal and external to the Agency regarding complex project requirements. Works closely with key officials and professionals of client agencies.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • US Citizens and National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 5 investigation level).  You must be granted this clearance before you can start the job.
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee.  We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
  • Complete a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278) and obtain approval that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

  • the exact dates you held  each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).    

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

The SL salary range starts at $151,661- 228,000 per year for 2026 salary rates.   

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.  

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ARCHITECTS: A Degree in architecture or related field; OR a combination of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience. For specifics on qualifying education, training, and/or experience - use the following link: Basic Requirements for Architect Positions.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, all candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience. Specialized experience is defined as professional architecture experience in classically and traditionally designed architecture for construction or alteration projects involving large and complex buildings as well as coordinating the activities of multidisciplinary teams on such projects. Experience must include specialized knowledge in classical architecture, to assist in developing organizational procedures, advise on architectural standards, and provide guidance during design evaluations and/or design juries. This experience should also include planning, prioritizing, and evaluating work to be accomplished by diverse teams; and providing advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on issues related to the execution of design(s).

All applicants must meet the Mandatory Technical Competency requirements listed below to be eligible for consideration. Eligibility will be based on a clear demonstration that the applicant's training and experience are of the scope, quality and level of responsibility sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this executive position.

Note: Your 2-page resume must show possession of the Mandatory Technical Competencies (MTCs) listed below; please do not address the MTCs through submission of separate narrative responses- written narratives will not be reviewed for consideration.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

1. Demonstrated experience managing complex architectural design in excess of $300 million dollars, in applying state-of-the-art principles and practices of classical and traditional design as well as construction project management, to deliver large and small capital construction projects through all stages of project development, including:

  • Pre-Design and Design Management - selection of a design team, program/scope development, budgeting and cost estimating, constructability reviews, and value engineering with emphasis and understanding of classical and traditional design principles and practices;
  • Project Delivery Method Selection - design/bid/build, design/build, construction manager, construction manager as constructor, etc.;
  • Project Management - budget and financial management, schedule management with competing stakeholder priorities, scope management, team management, and industry-standard software/systems/business processes on complex, high-visibility, multi-million dollar projects;
  • Client/Customer Relationship Management - managing competing interests of a project's owner/developer, corporate/headquarters, real estate facilities groups, anchor tenants, end-users, industry,  government/regulatory stakeholders; and
  • Industry Relationship Management - knowledge of industry best practices and companies including a focus on small businesses that provide the government the greatest value for design and construction projects.

2. Demonstrated knowledge and skill in applying theories, innovative concepts of classical and traditional professional architecture during portfolio requirements and design evaluations.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR (SPF):  In addition to the qualification requirements listed above, you must also meet the following SPF, which has been identified as:  Registration as a professional architect is required. Please note: A copy of your professional registration must be included in your application. 

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:   https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ 

Additional information

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.  

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

·       Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government

·       Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee

·       Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

For information on temporary and term appointments go to USAJOBS Help Center - Appointments.

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.

A panel of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the resumes of qualified candidates and assign a score for each of the five required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) based on the experience documented in the resume and narrative responses:

  1. Knowledge and ability to solicit and actively recruit architectural firms, designers, and engineers with experience in classical and traditional architecture for practical adherence to policies and procedures.
  2. Specialized knowledge of architecture and related disciplines and concepts to serve as a technical expert and/or manage major projects and initiatives surrounding Federal building design, construction, and to facilitate related high level technical projects.
  3. In-depth familiarity with architectural, or equivalent technical systems, especially as they interrelate with building design, business management, concepts, principles, and practices sufficient to permit the incumbent to serve as a Program Manager of designated complex, innovative architecture and related projects from the preliminary planning stages through the design, construction, and equipment installation stages, to project development.
  4. Ability to manage complex architectural design projects in excess of a billion dollars, in applying state-of-the-art principles and practices of classical and traditional design as well as construction project management, to deliver large and small capital construction projects through all stages of project development.
  5. Technical knowledge and skill in applying architecture/engineering theories, innovative concepts of classical and traditional professional architecture during portfolio requirements and design evaluations.
  6. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing to provide technical architecture information to persons with various backgrounds to interpret and explain highly complex and technical architecture and/or related information to a wide range of stakeholders.

Demonstration of these KSAs must be supported by your resume. Applicants should also make note of each KSA, as you will be asked to address them later in the application process

Your possession of the KSAs will place you in one of the following categories:.

  • Best Qualified = 4+ out of 5 KSAs  
  • Well Qualified = 3 out of 5 KSAs (Well Qualified for CTAP/ICTAP) 
  • Qualified = 2 or less out of 5 KSAs.

If you are eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), your resume must clearly demonstrate experience in at least 3 of the 5 required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) to receive priority consideration.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.