Interior Designer

Summary

The New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is currently seeking an Interior Designer to join the Facilities Management Service, Interior Design Section. This role involves overseeing the planning, implementation, and ongoing management of the organization's Interior Design program. The position requires coordination and collaboration with team members, external vendors, and stakeholders, serving as the primary point of contact and liaison for related activities.

Duties

Responsible for planning, implementing, and managing a comprehensive interior design program for a VA facility. Coordinate activities with staff, vendors, and contractors, serving as the liaison. Exercise independent judgment, interpretation, and application of VA, OSHA, TJC, NFPA, and local policies based on critical information from various sources. Develop and execute designs from concept to installation for all spaces, including satellite facilities, to improve employee productivity, health, and safety. Provide technical expertise and ensure compliance with VA regulations and building codes. Manage finish specifications and furniture programs. Prepare procurement packages, supervise installations, and act as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for furniture and interior components. Develop and maintain a 5-year furniture replacement plan. Coordinate interior improvement projects within budget, preparing detailed plans, space layouts, finish schedules, cost estimates, and presentations. Manage signage and wayfinding plans, ensuring compliance with VA standards, The Joint Commission, and ADA requirements. Evaluate signage effectiveness for patients, visitors, and staff. Maintain professional relationships with design vendors and industry contacts to stay current on trends. Manage an interior design file system with drawings, specifications, budgets, and regulatory documentation. Advise the COR on project progress, approve materials, interpret contracts, and oversee site inspections. Respond to design requests and deficiencies, coordinate furniture moves, and facilitate construction project activations. Collaborate on space planning, furniture layout, aesthetics, and code compliance. Communicate with upper management regarding design services. Coordinate with construction teams for painting, flooring, and lighting schedules. Participate in relevant committees and oversee contractor/vendor work to ensure timely, compliant, and functional interior environments. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Interior Designer/PD12291O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements 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 or proof of passage of NCIDQ examination required) 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: 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. GS-11 Grade Level Requirements 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. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: preparing drawings and documents relative to the design of interior spaces; managing design file systems (e.g. drawings, budgets, specifications, project information, etc); reviewing construction documents; and evaluating bid proposals. 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, or related LL.M. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond master's or equivalent graduate degree, beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, or beyond LL.B or J.D., if related (Transcript Required). 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

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/.