Summary
The position is responsible for planning, implementation and operational management of a complete Interior Design program for a VA organization. This position plans and coordinates the activities of other individuals, commercial vendors and to serve as liaison with same. This position is located at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System in Montgomery, Alabama.
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Duties
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The Interior Designer 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. Duties include the following:
- 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 procurement 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.
- The Interior Designer develops the interior/exterior signage and wayfinding plan for the facility to comply with "VA Signage Guide" on the Technical Information Library (TIL).
- Represents the facility at various design-trade functions and maintains an effective rapport with design-industry vendors and/or representatives.
- Interior Designer participates in planning and coordinating moves with move team, utility shutdowns, phases, and other requirements for construction projects.
- Interior Designer 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.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday - Friday. Work schedule subject to change based on agency needs.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Interior Designer/PD395440
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
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
- To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- 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 (
- 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 identification 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, 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, 07/06/2026.
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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5; for a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7 and 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.
I
ndividual Occupational Requirements:
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. (Copy of transcripts are required for verification.)
or
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.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience GS-7: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provides complete, from concept to installation, interior design services for the hospital and satellite facilities; Communicates with engineering consultants and service chiefs in a professional manner; Evaluate materials and furnishings appropriately for end use with special consideration is given to safety, comfort, maintenance, cost, aesthetics, compliance with building/fire codes.
OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.
OR,
- Combination: You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.
- Specialized Experience GS-9: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provides complete, from concept to installation, interior design services for the hospital and satellite facilities, Communicate to Medical Center staff in a clear, concise, and accurate interpretation of proposals via architectural drawings(AutoCAD), sketches, renderings, color boards, and PowerPoint presentations; Communicates with engineering consultants and service chiefs in a professional manner.
OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related? (Transcripts Required)
OR,
- Combination: You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.
- Specialized Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Influences design of new construction from conception through activation by an in-depth knowledge of use requirements and availability of furnishings to fulfill the requirements and ensures that appropriately designed color schemes are formulated; Perform and manage work related to the design of interior environments in order to promote employee productivity, health, and welfare, and/or the health and welfare of the public; Represents the facility at various design-trade functions and maintains an effective rapport with design-industry vendors and/or representatives; Communicates with engineering consultants and service chiefs in a professional manner; Reviews Architect/Engineer submittal for compliance with regulations and facility design criteria; Evaluate materials and furnishings appropriately for end use with special consideration is given to safety, comfort, maintenance, cost, aesthetics, compliance with building/fire codes.
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, obtained in an accredited college or university, or LL.M., if related.
OR,
- Combination: You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.
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
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
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request