Summary Serves as a healthcare Interior Designer responsible for independently planning, designing, coordinating, and managing comprehensive interior design and renovation projects for VA healthcare facilities in Perry Point, Maryland. Ensures interior environments meet operational, functional, aesthetic, accessibility, life safety, infection prevention, and regulatory requirements while coordinating with multidisciplinary teams throughout the design and construction process. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Major duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Plans, develops, and implements comprehensive interior design programs for new construction, renovation, and modernization projects from concept through installation. Develops interior design solutions, including space planning, floor plans, finish schedules, furniture layouts, color schemes, and specifications that support healthcare operations and patient care. Serves as the technical authority on interior design and finish specifications, coordinating with architects, engineers, contractors, and project teams to ensure compliance with VA design standards, building codes, and healthcare regulations. Reviews architectural and engineering design submissions for compliance with VA design criteria and recommends modifications to improve functionality, safety, and efficiency. Prepares procurement packages, specifications, cost estimates, and design documentation, and serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for furniture and interior furnishing procurements. Manages furniture planning and replacement programs, develops long-range interior improvement plans, and establishes project priorities based on organizational needs and available resources. Coordinates multiple interior renovation and construction projects by monitoring project schedules, budgets, procurement activities, contractor performance, and project milestones through completion. Ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards, including VA policies, OSHA, NFPA, The Joint Commission (TJC), ADA, infection prevention and control requirements, and other healthcare design criteria. Develops and manages interior and exterior signage and wayfinding programs, ensuring compliance with VA Signage Guidelines and accessibility requirements while evaluating program effectiveness. Provides technical consultation and professional guidance to leadership, facility staff, architects, engineers, contractors, and vendors regarding interior design standards, furniture systems, finish selections, space utilization, and healthcare environmental design. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday through Friday; 7:00 am to 3:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Requirements 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: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE-GS11: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade 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. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: 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; and managing projects, developing cost estimates, evaluating bid proposals, reviewing construction documents, participating in on-site construction visits, conducting pre- and post-occupancy evaluations, and developing standards for efficient space management. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ~OR~ EDUCATION - Applicants must possess 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. 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. NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) ~OR~ COMBINATION - Possess a combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience to meet total qualification requirements for the grade level. To be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Applicant must possess a valid and current state driver's license. NOTE: (Do NOT include a copy of your license with your application package). If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your valid and current state driver's license. 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 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 a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
