Interior Designer

Description:

The position is located in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration, Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Western North Carolina VA Health Care System Office of the Executive Director, Strategic Planning & Development Section. The incumbent is responsible for Medical Center interior design projects at all Medical Center locations including the main facility in Asheville as well as three community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC's).

Requirements:

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-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.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. All applicants must meet the requirements 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. ( Transcript Required) OR

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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.

Grade Determination: In addition to the individual Occupational Requirements listed above, you must meet one of the following for the GS-11 Interior Design Occupation.

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-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: knowledge of interior design and architecture experience demonstrating knowledge of fundamental principles in Medical and Commercial/Institutional/Barrier Free Design. Knowledge of scaled floor plans, and symbols used therein, for both interpreting and for producing accurate drawings/estimates. Knowledge of current product and installation costs to provide accurate budgetary estimates. knowledge of interior design materials and their utility, durability and practicality for a given application. Knowledge of the physical properties of interior design materials to include but are not limited to: paint, wall covering, lighting, plastics, ceiling and ceramic tile, wood, brick, drywall, and fabrics (including drapery, upholstery, carpet, linen) is necessary to the success of any installation in terms of fiber contents, construction, dye, maintenance, durability, flammability, and appropriateness. Knowledge and skill in the use of 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. Knowledge and skill in applying analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to the measurement and improvement of program effectiveness, work processes, and/or organizational productivity.
  
  OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have have successfully completed 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. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
  OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, you must attach a copy of your transcripts.

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

• Analytical Reasoning
• Design
• Planning and Evaluating
• Project Management

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 Medical Center (interior and exterior) and visitation to construction sites. Work may require some lifting (<25lbs.), light furniture moving/rearranging, carrying 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/ .