Visual Information Specialist (GS-7/12)

Summary

WHAT IS TAXPAYER SERVICES? A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions Position(s) are to be filled in following area(s): TS - CARE-Customer Assistance, Relationship and Education -40-41 REVIEW THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position. Consults with and provides assistance to managers, instructors, and functional employees related to the presentation of information through visual media within a host site Meets with executives and other professionals to present design concepts and techniques for use in high-level conferences, briefings, hearings, and IRS documents and publications Designs and produces original graphic material, develops new concepts, and incorporates current social trends or style standards. Demonstrates how published products in print and other media can be used to optimize quality or enhance communications to multiple market segments and affected stakeholders. Researches and determines the appropriate media, including computer hardware and software, for presenting information visually.

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS IOR: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, visual communication, or other fields related to the position. Some positions may also require subject-matter knowledge of medicine, science, or technical equipment. Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis. OR Experience: Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes planning the preparation and use of photographs, illustrations, drawings, and other art work, charts, diagrams, dioramas, maps, slides, overlays, and other kinds of visual material for use in communicating information through visual means. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-7 Level: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in applying graphic design and print/electronic publishing processes using current versions of graphical software applications (in both Macintosh and Windows environments) such as Adobe Creative Suite (specifically InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) to design and produce publications and web based designs; Experience using standard graphic design industry tools (such as color swatch books, photo libraries, image scanners and photocopiers) to develop products; Experience writing business style correspondence, such as writing narrative to explain and defend design proposals and responding to business correspondence inquires. Examples of qualifying work experience include: coordinating numerous design products/projects simultaneously and preparing them for printing (e.g., size of document, bleeds, color space, margins, fold guidelines, export PDF for printing). Independently and/or assisting others with the design, development, and execution of a wide collection of meeting/events/conference materials, exhibits, flyers, folded brochures, posters, websites, digital publications, multiple page publications (e.g., booklet, catalogue), and other campaigns involving multiple products. OR Superior Academic Achievement - A Bachelors degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last 2 years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in the major field of study or those courses in the major completed in the last 2 years of study, or rank in the upper one third of the class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Note: Grade point averages should be rounded to one decimal point. For example, 2.95 is rounded to 3.0, and 2.94 is rounded to 2.9. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an Honor Society. OR At least one (1) academic year of graduate education in a major field of study such as visual communication, commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, or other fields related to the position. OR A combination of qualifying education and experience equivalent to that described above. Specialized experience for GS-9, GS-11 and GS-12 continued in Education and Additional Information Sections AND You must also meet the following requirement(s): PERFORMANCE RATING: Current federal employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration. TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT (TACA): By the closing date (or if this is an open continuous announcement, by the cut-off date) specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens" TIME IN GRADE (TIG): Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. For positions above the GS-05, applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the grade you are applying for. For positions at the GS-05, you cannot advance to the GS-05 if you have held a GS-02 in the past 52 weeks. There is no TIG restriction for GS-02, 03, or 04 positions. MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Minimum age for federal employment is 18 years old, or at least 16 years old and have: Graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or Completed a formal vocational training program; or Received a statement from school authorities agreeing with your preference for employment rather than continuing your education. For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.

Requirements

Probationary Period - All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. Probationary Period - A person who is required to go through a probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before he or she completes such period is required to complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position. Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. Key Eligibility Requirements: U.S Citizenship - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Selective Service Registration - Males born after December 31, 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System or prove they are exempt from having to do so. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) - Must provide 2 forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS OR ADDTIONAL INFORMATION SECTIONS

Education

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here (Section 3, Explanation of Terms) or here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions. We recommend choosing an evaluator from a member organization of one of the following national associations of credential evaluation services: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE). SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-9 Level: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience applying graphic design and print/electronic publishing processes using current versions of graphical software applications (in both Macintosh and Windows environments) such as Adobe Creative Suite (specifically InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) to design and produce publications and web based designs; Experience with using standard graphic design industry tools (such as color swatch books, photo libraries, image scanners and photocopiers) to develop products; Experience writing business style correspondence, such as writing narrative to explain and defend design proposals/formal presentations, developing design briefs and responding to business correspondence inquires.Examples of qualifying work experience include: coordinating numerous design products/projects simultaneously, analyzing design projects for content and feasibility and making appropriate recommendations to customers regarding size of document, styles, color pallets, format, images, typography, to effectively design, development and execution of a wide collection of meeting/events/conference materials, exhibits, flyers, folded brochures, posters, websites, digital publications, multiple page print publications (e.g., booklet, catalogue), and other campaigns involving multiple products. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of study such as visual communication, commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, or other fields related to the position. OR Two (2) full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study such as visual communication, commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, or other fields related to the position. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR A combination of qualifying graduate education and experience equivalent to that described above. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-11 Level: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in applying graphic design and print/electronic publishing processes using current versions of graphical software applications (in both Macintosh and Windows environments) such as Adobe Creative Suite (specifically InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) to apply design standards elements, such as, logos, typography, photographs, images, colors, and typefaces onto the designs of electronic and print products; Experience with using standard graphic design industry tools (such as color swatch books, photo libraries, image scanners and photocopiers) to develop products; Experience writing business style correspondence, such as writing narrative to explain and defend design proposals/formal presentations, developing design briefs and responding to business correspondence inquires. Examples of qualifying work experience include: designing graphic design products independently (or by art directing projects with co-workers and/or third party design services), reviewing project design briefs and analyzes design project requirements to establish direction, define clear goals, solve problems, mitigate risks and using graphic design industry standard equipment and tools, such as color swatch books, photo libraries, image scanners, photocopiers, style sheets to set up text formatting, and master pages for recurring graphical elements to design and produce a wide range of products, such as form designs, publications, presentations, and exhibits. OR PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field of study such as visual communication, commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, or other fields related to the position. OR Three (3) full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a doctoral degree in a related field of study such as visual communication, commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, or other fields related to the position. OR LL.M., if related OR A combination of qualifying graduate education and experience equivalent to that described above.

How you will be evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Business Results – Efficiency Business Results – Quality Current Business Operating Division (BOD) and Job Series Customer Satisfaction – Application Customer Satisfaction – Knowledge Customer Service Decision Making Employee Satisfaction - Employee Contribution Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Performance Appraisal Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Rating: Your application will be evaluated in accordance with the Service's Merit Promotion Plan. A quality group rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level groups, Superior/Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. Referral: Eligible applicants rated in the highest quality group, may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a rating of Highly Qualified or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority. If you are selected, you may be subject to all requirements listed in the Requirements, Qualifications, and Additional Information sections of this announcement which includes, Prior Employment/Tax Checks, Fingerprint/Criminal History checks. Suitability Requirements: Prior IRS Employment - Former employees will be subject to a screening of their prior conduct with the Service. The Taxpayer First Act of 2019, 26 U.S. Code 7804, prohibits the IRS from rehiring certain former employees who were removed from service. Tax Check - Must undergo a review of income tax verification. To check the status of your tax record go to: (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript). If you are not in compliance, you will be determined unsuitable for employment with IRS. Fingerprint/Criminal History Check - This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information regarding your rights refer to Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement in order to receive an invitation to complete the USA Hire Assessment. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 10/30/2026. To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button. You will be re-directed to USA STAFFING to continue your application process; answer the online questions. To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13097740. Upload all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need is not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application.) Click the Submit Application button. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability. Set aside up to 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. Visit USA Hire Online Help for online assessment information, system requirements, reasonable accommodations, and what to expect next. Reasonable Accommodations (RA): We provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process. To review reasonable accommodation policies and procedures please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/reasonable-accommodations/. USA Hire Assessment 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) To update your application, including supporting documentation: Visit USAJOBS - How to Update Application during the announcement open period, make updates or add supporting documentation, then continue through the entire application process and click Submit Application to send updates to the hiring agency. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

Other information

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-12 Level: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in applying expert knowledge of graphic design and print/electronic publishing processes proficiently using current versions of graphical software applications (in both Macintosh and Windows environments) such as Adobe Creative Suite (specifically InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) using master pages and style sheets and other software resources to apply design standards elements, including logotype, way-finding system, fonts, and color onto the designs of electronic and print products; Experience with using standard graphic design industry tools (such as color swatch books, photo libraries, image scanners and photocopiers) to develop products; Experience writing business style correspondence, such as writing narrative to explain and defend design proposals/formal presentations, business reports, operation reviews, vendor correspondence, statements of work, developing design briefs and responding to business correspondence inquires; Experience overseeing and defining project design, technical and production specifications, developing original concepts by extracting information from a design brief to provide original design solutions, design configurations and product development while taking into account demographics, target audience needs, quality, equality, security, and ethics. Examples of qualifying work experience include: experience in leading strategic design processes, including planning, coordinating, leading creative brainstorming meetings and preparing/presenting formal design presentations to upper management and/or executives. Designing, developing, and managing the execution of a wide collection of design products/projects simultaneously (in English and other languages), such as meetings/events/conference materials, social media elements, tradeshow exhibits, forms, brochures, posters, websites, single and multiple page print and digital publications, promotional displays, packaging, and signage systems for a diversified nationwide audience. Additional Information: Consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a location, that location will become your official post of duty. In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location. Additional jobs may be filled from this announcement or any other source to fill these vacancies. Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours may be available. Salary: General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Cost-of-Living Allowances (COLA): Puerto Rico includes COLA. See COLA Rates 2026. Formal Development Plan - If this position is covered by a formal development plan, pay retention will be offered where applicable based on law and regulation.