Interior Designer

Summary

The incumbent provides, coordinates, and oversees space planning and interior design services. The designer is the consultant to the Miami VA Healthcare System and its affiliated clinics. The work requires applying knowledge from a variety of fields such as: interior construction, contracting, facility operation, material safety, aesthetics, psychology, and project management as well as the monitoring and supervision of contractor's performance for quality and adequacy of rendering services.

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Duties

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• Provides, coordinates and oversees space planning and interior design services.
• Applies knowledge from interior construction, contracting, facility operation, material safety, aesthetics, psychology, ergonomics and project management fields.
• Supervises and monitors contractor work performance for quality and adequacy.
• Prepares or reviews drawings prepared by Architectural Engineers (finish schedules, renderings, graphics, signage, resource coordination, furniture specifications, architectural detailing and coordination of color and finishes).
• Explains services to be provided, the process to be followed, and the benefits derived through a properly designed office space.
• Presents oral, written and graphic proposals to secure project approvals.
• Works with technical independence under general supervision.
• Responsible for aesthetic excellence of work performed, including managing or determining costs or adhering to pre-determined budgets.
• Develops a furniture replacement program.
• Schedules areas for replacement and/or upgrading and determines the furnishings and accessories necessary to complete schemes.
• Evaluates and determines the disposition of new, excess, replacement and damaged furniture/furnishings, coordinating the pick up and delivery of such items.
• Maintains records on delivery, storage and disposition of items.
• Prepares paperwork for purchase repairs, redistribution and turn-ins.
• Maintains a complete interior plan, determines appropriate locations for all signs, compiles message lists, and coordinates all phases of projects.
• Develops interior design standards, coordinating all aspects of the program, which permits the refurbishing of an area in whole or in part.
• Develops and maintains ,a comprehensive resource library of interior design literature.
• Maintains good working relationships with commercial vendors.
• Prepares equipment and furniture listings for all major renovations and construction projects.
• Evaluates existing furniture and equipment and makes appropriate determination of items needed for projects.
• Reviews all renovation and construction projects and provides design consultation.
• Develops and maintains a systematic record of all interior design projects.
• Prepares and maintains interior design budget, developing cost estimates for projects in budget submission.
• Ensures that approved standard colors and materials are used in renovations and construction projects.
• Produces drawings to establish feasibility of proposed spaces changes.
• Designs and develops written specifications for fabrications and installations.
• Conducts systematic evaluations of program aspects and advises of defects and required actions.
• Supervises interior design students in accomplishment of design projects.
• Makes purchases using purchase cards.
• Reconciles payment charges.
• Ensures goods and services ordered are received.
• Submits a 5-Year Interior Design Capital Plan.
• Serves as a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR).
• Updates Project Tracking Reports (PTR).
• Coordinates all furniture moves with a contracted vendor.
• Oversees all halls and walls information installations.
• Coordinates and consults with representatives in architecture, mechanical structural engineering and landscape architecture fields.
• Formulates working drawings and specifications based on experienced knowledge of textiles, casework, floor covering, wall covering, interior directional graphics and paint properties fields.
• Inspects physical installations or projects for correct execution.
• Initiates and answers correspondence.
• Speaks to the availability costs of materials, maintains knowledge of all sources through correspondence, contact with manufacturers' representatives, and visits to markets and meetings.
• Evaluates new materials and products offered by manufacturers and makes recommendations to their suitability.
• Determines appropriate design and decor.
• Maintains complete interior graphics program and develops furniture replacement program.
• Originates orders, and evaluates the deposition of new, excess, and replacement furnishings.
• Conducts in-depth studies and analysis of areas to establish requirements so that completed projects will meet practical needs and limitations.
• Reviews proposals and architectural drawings, recommending changes, adaptations, and modifications.
• Develops total interior finish and color schedule.
• Recommends approval, rejection, substitution or correction on all materials and shop drawings submitted by contractors.
• Compiles complete project data and records on color, development of the specifications and correspondence during construction and approved materials.
• Supplies information about the functional use of color and materials based on continuous research and experience.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Interior Designer / PD080310

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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 ( 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 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, 08/31/2026.

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.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR)

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.

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: Identify, research, creatively solve problems pertaining to function and quality of interior environment; Perform services relative to interior spaces, including programming, design analysis, space planning and aesthetics, using specialized knowledge of interior construction, building systems/components, building codes, equipment, materials, and furnishings; Prepare drawings/documents relative to design of interior spaces to enhance/protect health, safety, and welfare of public; Coordinate and integrate mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering disciplines within interior context; Manage projects, develop cost estimates, evaluate bid proposals, review construction documents, participate in on-site construction visits, conduct pre- and post-occupancy evaluations, develop standards for efficient space management, etc.

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

• Specialized Experience: You must have 1 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 include, but are not limited to: Supervise/monitor contractor work performance; Explain services provided/processes followed/benefits derived through designed spaces; Present oral/written/graphic proposals; Manage/determine costs/cost estimates; Adhere to pre-determined budgets in budget submissions; Schedule areas for replacement/upgrading; Determine materials to complete schemes; Evaluate/determine disposition of new/excess/replacement/damaged furniture/furnishings; coordinate/maintain records on pick up/delivery/storage/disposition of items; Prepare purchase repair/redistribution/turn-ins paperwork; Maintain interior plan: Determine sign locations, compile message lists, coordinate project phases; Develop interior design standards permitting area refurbishing; Develop/maintain resource library; Maintain relationships w/commercial vendors; Prepare equipment/furniture listings for renovations/construction; Evaluate existing furniture/equipment; Review renovation/construction projects; Provide design consultation; Develop/maintain record of projects; Produce proposed space change drawings; Design/develop specifications for fabrications/installations; Conduct evaluations, advise of defects/required actions; Supervise interior design students w/projects; Purchase card use; Create 5-Year Interior Design Capital Plan; Update Project Tracking Reports; Coordinate furniture moves w/contracted vendors; Oversee information installations; Coordinate/consult w/field representatives; Formulate working drawings/specifications; Inspect physical installation/project execution; Speak to availability cost of materials; Evaluate materials/products offered by manufacturers; Determine appropriate design/decor; Maintain interior graphics program; Develop furniture replacement program; Originate orders; Evaluate deposition of new/excess/replacement furnishings; Conduct area studies/analysis; Review proposals/architectural drawings; Recommend changes/adaptations/modifications; Develop finish/color schedule; Recommend approval/rejection/substitution/correction on materials/drawings submitted; Compile project data/records; Educate on functional use of color/materials.

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, 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 superior academic achievement. (Transcript required).

OR

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11.

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

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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.

Preferred Experience: Creates architectual floor plans using AutoCad software.

Physical Requirements: The work is essentially sedentary with daily physical activity to include walking, climbing, bending or stooping, to coordinate work processes, meet with contractors, manufacturer's representatives and other government agency representatives to update or establish product feasibility, adequacy, installation and specification compliance. Travel may be required to local or national trade shows, construction sites of new clinics or leased clinic space in the surrounding regions.

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

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: 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:

Additional information

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

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.