Inventory Management Specialist

Full Job Description

You will serve as an Inventory Management Specialist with the Supply Chain Management service with the VA Puget Sound located in Seattle, Washington.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 04/17/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level or pay band in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: conduct short, mid and long-term advanced planning for expendable items and durable medical equipment (DME), utilizing enterprise-wide computerized planning tools; engage customers to make recommendations for product changes, substitutions, and additions to product lines; forecast short and long range inventory needs considering changes in medical and surgical technologies, clinical scheduling changes and program requirements; manage inventory, set initial stock, par levels, and reorder points, and resolve issues for a complete medical commodities; research opportunities for and conducts analysis of potential cost savings, efficiencies, and process improvements using quantitative analysis and historical usage patterns.

OR, EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed one (1) full year of graduate level education OR have a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement.

This education must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position at this grade level and is in a field directly related to the position.

OR, COMBINATION: EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have some specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level but less than one year, and have some graduate level education but less than one year.

You have computed the percentage of the requirements that you meet, and the total is at least 100% of the requirement for the GS-7 grade level.

SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): To meet the qualification requirements for this position using Superior Academic Achievement (SAA).

You have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and I meet one of the following: Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision OR A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study OR A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study OR Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.

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

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/.

Major Duties:

Develop and support the creation of acquisition strategies and standardization initiatives to acquire and purchase durable medical equipment.

Utilize best practices, principles and tools, and concepts and methodologies to determine and evaluate supply system performance.

Research opportunities for and conduct analyses of potential cost savings, efficiencies, and process improvements using quantitative and historical usage patterns.

Conduct short, mid-and-term advanced planning for expendable items and durable medical equipment. Perform analytical work to manage, regulate, coordinate and exercise control over expendable supplies.

Analyzes and advises customers on supply/durable medical equipment purchase recommendations. Conduct data/information analysis for acquisition planning associated with durable medical equipment.

Recommend actions to eliminate problems involved in delivering services to inventory customers.

Advise and inform stakeholders concerning the management, control and accountability of expendable items in use.

Manage inventory independently sets initial stock and par levels, and reorders points and resolves issues. Perform other duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM PDT.

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Ad-hoc telework is defined as situational telework approved on a case-by-case basis.

Examples of situational or ad-hoc telework include telework because of inclement weather, doctor appointment, or special work assignments.

Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Inventory Management Specialist/PD99823S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Work Conditions: Work is primarily performed in normal office surroundings involving everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions.

Required to use safe work practices with office equipment, avoid trips or falls and observe fire regulations and traffic signs.

Frequent trips outside are required for visits to the other areas of the Medical Center, such as the warehouse and some Veteran care areas, in order to resolve problems, cover for other members in the unit, attend meetings and training.