Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/17/2026. 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-09. 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 Occupation Requirement (IOR). All applicants must meet one of the 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. 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: Experience with space planning and design, including the creation of floor plans, elevations, and detailed drawings; Experience using computer-aided design (CAD) software and other design tools; preparing design concepts, presentations, and project documentation; Coordinating design projects from conception through completion, including interaction with clients, contractors, and other stakeholders; Assessing and selecting appropriate materials, finishes, furniture, and fixtures for interior spaces; Ensuring design solutions comply with applicable building codes, standards, and regulations; Managing project budgets and timelines, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget. In addition to the above IOR, you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of an Interior Designer, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Developing original designs and supporting construction documents; ability to communicate via architectural drawings, sketches, and renderings; coordinates furniture procurement through contracting offices and works within budget constraints for interior design projects; skill and ability to provide accurate justification, quotes, and market research. 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. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Design Financial Management Project Management Technical Competence 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: Most of the work is performed indoors in a well-lit, temperature and sound controlled office setting. However, incumbent may be exposed to the hazards of weather, dirt, dust, etc. associated with construction setting while making "on-site" inspections of assigned projects. Incumbent be physically able to climb, crawl, walk, stoop, sit and stand to perform assigned duties. Incumbent is also expected to comply with all safety codes and other practices described in the Engineering and Medical Center Safety Manuals. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Work Environment: Most of the work is indoor in a lighted area, with temperature and sound-controlled office setting. However, incumbent may be exposed to the hazards of tripping, falling, shock, burns, dust, fluids, chemicals and/or a variety of diseases when making "on-site" inspections. Incumbent must comply with all safety codes and other practices described in the Engineering Service and Medical Center Safety Manuals. 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/.