Purchasing Agent

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves in the developmental capacity as a Purchasing Agent for Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS), within a VA Medical Facility.

This position performs direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management support to the administrative and clinical services of the medical center to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/24/2026.

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-06 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.

TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-5 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given you the knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent GS-5.

Specialized experience includes performing administrative duties in a healthcare setting; reviewing and working with patient's medical records; assisting in routine purchases for clinics, including medical equipment, prosthetic and orthotic appliances; utilizing computer software programs; and communicating with internal and external customers via various methods.

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.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title; duties; month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

-OR- EDUCATION: Have 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: Have 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 CRITERIA: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of a Purchasing Agent - Prosthetics, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position.

Specialized experience includes interpreting prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services; maintaining regular contact with vendors, contractors, medical center professionals and staff; utilizing a variety of databases and computer systems; purchasing equipment, supplies and services using an agency/organization purchase card; and reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title; duties; month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

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.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary and is carried out in an office setting. There exists prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal.

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. The work involves moderate discomfort when visiting sites away from the office.

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 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, the employee performs assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence.

Duties include but not limited to: The incumbent receives and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions for items, services and home medical equipment.

The incumbent reviews requests for completeness, proper documentation and make arrangements to procure these items. Establishes workflow protocols to ensure the timely execution of work.

Coordinate work for special circumstances.

As the subject matter expert (SME), will advise other services on the policies and procedures to establish requisitions for services, equipment and commodities.

Review requests from various sources and making substitutions if necessary (within scope).

As a subject matter expert, the incumbent will provide general guidance to potential vendors on requirements and information needed to be entered into the VHA's local vendor file.

Examine clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services.

Advise Veterans and clinicians in relation to eligibility for entitlements for items and services.

Review clinical requests, determine sources and determine the availability of replacement parts and alternatives for power mobility, artificial limbs and other pieces of medical equipment.

Review unique requests to ensure the requesting entity has addressed any special prescribing procedure or guidance.

Reconcile all invoices for certification of payment by reviewing Veteran records against invoices to ensure that accurate cost is being charged for service/item rendered and verifies the correct total cost.

Follow up in relation to parts and labor orders, returns shipping back to manufactures and accounting for warranty work.

Maintain accurate records of transactions and to complete all adjustments to computerized system.

Maintain accurate funding, billing, reconciling of accounts and sub-account balances to include the Prompt Payment Act as it affects vendors and the payment process between vendors and the VA Medical Center.

Procures specialized medical equipment, supplies and services for Veterans.

Examples include but are not limited to augmented speech devices specialized for veterans individual need such as eye tracking, Custom wheelchairs built with measurements and specs unique to the veteran, vehicle modifications, specialized ramping with prep work and labor.

Procure specialized medical equipment with critical and unique characteristics and associated guidance from a variety of sources.

Purchases various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of the government purchase card for micro purchase.

The incumbent will be responsible and knowledgeable in various purchasing strategies, such as how to solicit, who to solicit, what clauses to include, which offers to accept or how much lead time.

The incumbent will negotiate prices with sole source vendors, persuade reluctant vendors and collect data for requirements not previously required.

Authorizes and prepares complex purchase orders for a wide variety of devices, medical supplies and durable medical equipment.

Prepares complex purchase orders for a wide variety of devices, medical supplies and durable medical equipment. The incumbent will also coordinate work with local vendors.

Follow up communication and amendments to purchase orders are required to adjust for parts and labor, shipping parts back to manufactures and accounting for warranty work.

Represents the VA in discussions with vendors/contractors to obtain agreement on micro purchases and vendor/contractor compliance. Performs 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: 8:00AM-4:30PM Monday through Friday Telework: This position may be authorized for telework.

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

Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD0826VS Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized