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Interior Designer

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Interior Designer is responsible for planning, implementation and operational management of a complete Interior Design program. This position is located at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/29/2026 to 05/14/2026
Salary
$88,005 - $114,413 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
West Haven, CT
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBTD-12946416-26-JN
Control number
867271400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current permanent VA employees, All Federal employees on a Career or Career-Conditional appointment, Former Federal employees eligible for reinstatement, current Permanent full-time Hybrid Title 38 with one year in service, full-time Title 38 employees, 30% Disabled Veterans, Veterans under Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA) or Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA), People with Disabilities, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), and certain military spouses.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties but not limited to:
  • Utilize Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Drafting Software to maintain accurate records of project in all stages.
  • Use knowledge of interior design, building systems and construction methods, esthetics, psychology, environmental concerns, budget and cost, logistics, safety/ergonomics, and historic preservation to create designs and furnish buildings and medical facilities.
  • Prepare architectural drawings, renderings, color boards and PowerPoint presentations to effectively communicate design plans to medical staff.
  • Prepare preliminary space plans for proposed projects, including detailed specifications to evaluate alternatives.
  • Utilize computer equipment with a wide variety of software to input and retrieve data as required, produce letters, memorandums, and to prepare a variety of specific working documents and forms such as spreadsheet, database, word processing, desktop publishing, graphics, and other similar products.
  • Maintain 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.
  • Maintain a resource library of catalogs for furniture, window treatments, wall coverings, patient-cubicle curtains, floor coverings, wall art, and all other design-related items.
  • Perform the duties of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and maintain all contract administration files in accordance with VA policies and procedures.
  • Coordinate facility paint, flooring and ceiling/lighting schedule with appropriate construction crews.
  • Originate orders for furnishings, window treatments, floor coverings, wall art, ambient lighting, and all other interior design-related accoutrements.
  • Specify color and finish selections to ensure that maintenance, condition of existing areas, end user needs, and compliance with the overall design objective are met.
  • Ensure new signage/directional graphics meet the requirements of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and effectively informs/directs patients, visitors, and staff.
  • Maintain recurring funds and budgeting projects that may involve millions of dollars in non-recurring funds.
  • Develop cost estimates to cover furnishings required for projects included in budget submissions.
  • Work with supervisor to prepare 5-year interior design plan, 5-year Strategic Plan, including the operating budget.
  • Serve as an active member of all committees that impact the Interior Design program.
  • Respond to requests, complaints, etc., related to interior design functions.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Interior Designer/PD02369-A and PD90085A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Requirements

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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, 05/14/2026.

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-9. 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.


You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

  • SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is 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.
Note: Resume must clearly support the duties and experience required for this position. We will not make assumptions regarding experience.

OR
  • Education: Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major study in 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 that was supplemented by passage of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination. (Transcripts Required and/or proof of NCIDQ examination passage required)
OR
  • Combination: Combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above to meet the total qualification requirements. (Transcripts Required)
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Architecture
  • Attention to Detail
  • Communications
  • Compliance
  • Contract Administration
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Project Management
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence


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: : Work can vary from seated at a desk in front of a computer to extensive walking throughout the facility/grounds (interior and exterior) and visitation to construction sites and several off-site facilities. Work may require some lifting (<50lbs.), light furniture moving/rearranging, carrying heavy and bulky catalogs/artwork/samples etc. and travel/driving as needed to showrooms, furniture dealers and satellite facilities. Dexterity is required related to duties performed in drafting, sketching and writing.

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/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE").

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.gov.

Agency contact information

Jessica Nieves
Phone
413-584-4040 X6777
Email
jessica.nieves@va.gov
Address
VA Connecticut Healthcare System
950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 6516
US

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http://www.va.gov/jobs

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