Interior Designer

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Chief of the Facilities Management Service at the Boise VA Medical Center (BVAMC). This position serves as the Interior Designer responsible for managing an integrated Interior Design Program through the conceptualization, planning, development, supervision, and implementation of work pertaining to Interior Design.

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Duties

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This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS11, however a selection can be made at any of the following grade levels: GS-09, GS-11. At the GS-09 grade level, you will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11.

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as a Consultant Adviser, Specifier, and Designer of all spaces involved in new construction and renovation drawings provided by Architects/Engineers, as well as the Designer for In-House Construction Crew;
• Develops and directs planning and scheduling of short and long range interior improvement projects;
• Investigates, researches, selects, and specifies furniture, furnishings, and accessories with input from users;
• Prepares technical drawings and specifications for Station-Level, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) and Minor construction projects consistent with generally accepted engineering and construction practices.
• Prepares floor plans, finish plans, furniture plans, elevations, finish schedules, presentation boards, and cost estimates that are complete and accurate;
• Works closely with Facility Management Service personnel to assure suitable materials and colors are used in all construction projects;
• Reviews architect submittals for compliance with regulations and facility design criteria, acting as a Technical Representative for design and finish matters;
• Monitors, inspects, and certifies that work completed by contractors meets contract specifications;
• Administers and supervises service contacts for interior design projects such as with the installation of artwork, carpet, window coverings, custom millwork, and systems furniture;
• Responsible for the design, cost estimates, inspecting the work, and certifying that the final product meets contract specifications;
• Collaborates closely with the Medical Center Facility Management staff to track, identify, record, coordinate, and inform of Project Progress;
• Supervises and manages flooring replacement projects and remodel projects by coordinating, directing and inspecting work to ensure proper design, material use, and installations are completed as designed on time and in budget;
• Reviews shop drawings, contract drawings, and manufacturer' equipment drawings making necessary changes to insure proper fit and operation;
• Researches acoustical performance, appropriate ergonomics, adequate lighting, and color coordination;
• Originates and enters orders for furniture, signage, window coverings, privacy curtains, floor coverings, art work, ambient lighting, accessories, and interior landscaping;
• Meets with requestors to evaluate ergonomic concerns. Selects products and coordinates installation. Follows up to assure products selected meet the needs;
• Develops and maintains standardization of Color Schemes/Themes and Signage and Wayfinding system;
• Advises and recommends improvements for all patient care environments including; Primary Care, OR, ICU, SDU, 2MS, CLC, Hospice, RSAT, Behavioral Health, Optical, Dental, Sleep Lab, Research, Women's Wellness Center, and Blood Lab;
• Advises and recommends improvement for all employee work environments including; offices, labs, kitchens, shops, industrial, laundry, warehouse, garages, etc.;
• Assures that all furnishings used meet all the applicable life safety and environmentally preferred standards;
• Assess pre-occupancy conditions and conducts post occupancy assessments;
• Evaluates and complete technical reviews for Contracting Officers making recommendations of vendors to Contracting Officers;
• Prepares project budgets and yearly furniture and finishes budgets;
• Prepares budgetary figures for construction projects for supplemental agreements;
• Coordinates the activation process for newly completed buildings and renovations; and
• Performs other 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: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm MST

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Interior Designer/ PD604160 and PD604150

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

This is an open-continuous announcement. Positions will be filled as they become available. The first cut-off date to consider applications for referral to the selecting official will be October 2nd, 2026, the remaining cut-off dates will be at 2-week intervals.

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: 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 ( 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 time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 12/22/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

• For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7.
• 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.

Minimum Qualifications - GS-9 - You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this Interior Designer position at a developmental level, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. This experience 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; and
  • 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. Additional specialized experience includes, but not limited to: Applying knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional interior design and space planning; serving as a consultant for new constructions and renovations; Preparing technical drawings/specifications for construction projects including developing cost estimates, floor, furniture, and finished plans and schedules, elevations; and utilizing architectural methods, techniques, and software. OR,
• Education/Combination: Please refer to Education section below for details on education substitution or combining specialized experience and education.

Minimum Qualifications - GS-11 - You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this Interior Designer position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. This experience 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; and
  • 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. A dditional specialized experience includes, but not limited to: Applying knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional interior design and space planning; serving as a consultant for new constructions and renovations; Preparing technical drawings/specifications for construction projects including developing cost estimates, floor, furniture, and finished plans and schedules, elevations; Coordinating, directing and inspecting work to ensure proper design, material use and installations are completed as designed on time and in budget; managing budget activities; and utilizing architectural methods, techniques, and software. OR,
• Education/Combination: Please refer to Education section below for details on education substitution or combining specialized experience and education.

Note: 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.

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 normally be done while seated, as at a computer keyboard. Frequent walking is required during field surveys and installation of project work. Some lifting is required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

GS-9 Education:

• Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 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 passage of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination or LL. B. or J.D, if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e., 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). NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

GS-11 Education :

• Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must 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 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 passage of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination or an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e., 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). NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

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: 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:

Preferred Experience: Healthcare interior designers are responsible for creating spaces that are not only functional but also conducive to healing and comfort. They work closely with healthcare professionals to ensure that the design meets the specific needs of medical departments, patient rooms, waiting areas, and staff workplaces.

Key responsibilities include:

Space Planning: Analyzing available space to create efficient layouts that support medical services and patient traffic.

Patient-Centered Design: Creating environments that promote healing and comfort, using color schemes, lighting, and furniture to reduce stress and anxiety.

Safety and Infection Control: Ensuring compliance with building codes and safety regulations to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections.

Materials and Furnishings Selection: Choosing materials that are easy to clean, sanitize, and meet safety standards.

Ergonomics and Accessibility: Designing spaces that are accessible to all ergonomics to prevent strain and discomfort for patients and staff.

Healthcare interior designers play a crucial role in shaping environments that enhance patient experience, boost staff productivity, and support clinical excellence. They are essential in creating spaces that balance functionality, flexibility, and human experience, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.

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 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.

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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.

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