Purchasing Agent

Full Job Description

This position is located within Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) of the Prosthetic Service Line at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City, Iowa.

To qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position.

To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization; purchasing various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of a purchase card; utilizing different ordering, reporting procedures, and purchasing methods; conducting open market research for purchases of routine equipment, supplies, and services; utilizing an automated system to enter, update, and calculate data; and developing reports and spreadsheets.

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.

~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successfully completed 4 years of education above the high school level in any field.

This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite.

One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical school.

(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience to meet total qualification requirements at the GS-5 level.

Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must meet the following requirement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position.

To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: placing orders for a variety of prosthetic and sensory aid devices, medical supplies, surgical implants, and durable medical equipment against established contracts; analyzing prosthetic request forms; and researches information on prosthetic appliances.

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.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Manages Resources Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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).

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. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for PSAS.

However, while conducting inventory management functions, the incumbent may work comfortably in a warehouse environment, sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, retrieving and managing inventory.

Prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal is required. Ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room is required.

Climbing associated with stocking of equipment and other items in storage areas is necessary. Incumbent may carry/lift items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds.

Normal safety precautions are adequate.

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:

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position involves a multi-grade career ladder.

The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-6. At the GS-5 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence.

You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-6.

Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Performs technical level purchasing adhering to the FAR, VAAR, VHA, and Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, VISN policy and station memorandums to acquire Veteran-specific medical equipment, supplies and services; Obtains all necessary procurement information to successfully submit Acquisition Plans and Procurement Packages; Serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support; Researches the use of different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures in the purchase card menu and the prosthetics program; Selects the most appropriate cost-effective source to deliver the items/service in the most reliable manner; Monitors, receives, tracks, interprets, and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions (VAF 10-2431) for items, services and home medical equipment; Examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services; Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Telework: This position may be authorized for telework.

Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.