Visual Information Specialist (GS-7/11)

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Shortage and Critical Need to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: This will be a full-time permanent position.

Duties

As a Visual Information Specialist, you will: Perform layout design on computers with graphics software to produce command visual information products. Conceptualize, design, and assemble visual materials to illustrate factual and graphic information. Develop original graphic designs aligning with the organization’s concepts. Works with the Webmaster to design, develop, edit and contribute to the quality of the organization’s internet homepage. Consult with customers to assist in developing engaging visual, graphic, and multimedia content Serve as the secondary command photographer, providing support for high-profile events and bridging coverage gaps. Advises and provide recommendations on procurement strategies for information technology hardware, software licenses, and maintenance contracts, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with technical requirements. *** These duties are described at the full performance level GS-11. If selected at the GS-07 or GS-09 level, the position will be developmental and eligible for non-competitive promotion to the full performance level.

Qualifications

DEVELOPMENTAL: Management may select at any of the grade levels announced. This recruitment provides promotion opportunity to the target grade of the position, without further competition, when selectee is eligible and recommended by management. Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. GS-07 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled including: Using computer graphics software to produce visual information products; Assisting personnel with visual information inquiries, products, or services; Using design software to create products across some elements of visual arts, such as video, photo, graphic design, physical production. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). OR Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: commercial art, fine arts, photography, visual communication, or other fields directly related to the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.). OR Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. They should equal 100. GS-09 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled including: Reviewing multimedia products to ensure compliance with an organization's standards; Assembling visual information products including video, multimedia, and photography for final senior leadership review; Advising customers on best methods of portraying information through media products. Using design software to create products across several elements of visual arts, such as video, photo, graphic design, physical production. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: commercial art, fine arts, photography, visual communication, or other fields directly related to the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. They should equal 100. Qualifications are continued below in Education Section.

Education

CONTINUATION OF QUALIFICATIONS: GS-11 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled including: Creating a variety of muti media products to effectively communicate information and command messages; Utilizing state of the art computer graphics software to produce visual information products; Contributing to the design and editing of an Internet homepage; Reviewing cost of developing visual information products to ensure cost effectiveness; Using design software to create products across several elements of visual arts, such as video, photo, graphic design, physical production. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: commercial art, fine arts, photography, visual communication, or other fields directly related to the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. They should equal 100. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ In order to qualify for this position, based on your education, education substitution, or combination of education and experience, you must have either completed the education requirement, or will complete this requirement within thirty (30) days from the closing date of this announcement. If you will not complete this requirement within thirty (30) days of the closing date of this announcement, you will be rated as Not Qualified for this position. You must provide appropriate documentation to reflect when you will meet the education requirement. Appropriate documentation includes: (1) Resume indicating your projected completion/graduation date; OR (2) Transcripts indicating your projected completion/graduation date; OR (3) A letter signed by the institution's registrar indicating your projected completion/graduation date.

How you will be evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/08/2026 to receive consideration Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Other information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest. The use of illegal drugs by Federal employees, whether on duty or off duty, is contrary to the efficiency of the service. The legalization and/or decriminalization of marijuana by some states has no impact on Federal law. The use and/or possession of marijuana remains illegal for Federal employees. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is a Career Program position aligned under the Professional Services Career Management Directorate. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Recruitment/Relocation incentive may be authorized if determined to be in the best interest of the Federal Government and requirements are met. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.