Purchasing Agent

Full Job Description

This position functions as the Purchasing Agent for the Chillicothe VAMC in the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids department.

The incumbent independently monitors, receives, tracks, interprets, and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions for items, services and home medical equipment from physicians, therapists, medical center personnel, patients, or their representatives.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/19/2026.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To qualify for this position at the GS-5 level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: interpreting prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services; ensure consults are competed and appropriately closed within guidelines and follows-up on all pending consults; performing a variety of related tasks using primarily simple purchasing methods; communicates between clinical staff, patients, and contractors; familiarity with automated programs to enter, track, correct, and retrieve recurring reports.

Or, Substitution of education for experience (Transcript required): Possess the successfully completed four (4) years above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite.

This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university.

Or, Combination of experience and education (Transcript required): Possess the equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education beyond two (2) years and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this Purchasing Agent position.

To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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.

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.

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

At times, the employee may be required to wear protective clothing when visiting the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Fabrication Laboratory.

There may be frequent walks between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics to conduct professional duties.

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:

Duties include but not limited to: Monitor, receive, track, interpret, and analyze Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions (VAF 10-2431) for items, services and home medical equipment from physicians, therapists, medical center personnel, patients, or their representatives.

Review requests for completeness, comparing disability or diagnosis to equipment and/or services.

Ensure consults are competed and appropriately closed within guidelines and follows-up on all pending consults to ensure services are rendered as quickly as possible or as indicated on the prescription/consult.

Perform the process of vetting and vendorizing following VHA Prosthetics guidelines to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks.

Conduct thorough market research by obtaining competitive bids/ Request for Quotation (RFQ) to determine fair and reasonable pricing.

Obtain all necessary procurement information to successfully submit Acquisition Plans and Procurement Packages for stock and Veteran specific needs to the Network Contracting Office and uploads quotes, bids, invoices, consults, and other important documents to the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS/FORCE).

Follow-up action on the status of all orders is required weekly until purchased and direct patient care is completed.

Verify accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in both the purchase menu and the Prosthetics program and associates all obligations to the individual Veteran record.

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: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD92885A and PD92884A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized