Purchasing Agent

Full Job Description

This position is located in Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO), Assistant Director, Administrative Services Division.

The Purchasing Agent reports to the Business Operations Manager, performing a variety of tasks for the acquisition of supplies, materials, equipment and services for the assigned jurisdiction.

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position.

You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions.

It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

To be creditable, an applicant's one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance.

To qualify at the GS-08 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-07 level in the federal service.

Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis: Utilizing purchasing regulations, methods, procedures and business practices to make purchases involving specialized and commercial items and services; Using government or company purchase card to process purchases, service or goods; Communicating (oral and written) with internal and external customers and vendors on purchasing/procurement questions, policies and procedures; creating reports utilizing automated computerized supply/inventory management systems and Microsoft Office software programs; and resolving a variety of shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations.

Major Duties:

The work requires an in-depth knowledge of a variety of specialized purchasing methods and procedures to perform procurement actions.

Meets with suppliers to discuss terms, special requirements, schedules, etc., resulting from the nature of item or service being purchased.

Responsible for procuring supplies, services, equipment through a variety of small purchasing methods and procedures.

Receives, reviews, and analyzes assigned procurement requests including SOW and specifications for adequacy, conciseness and consistency with AOC purchasing guidelines.

Processes purchase requests by screening and reviewing the request for completeness and accuracy, ensuring available funds, determining the appropriate purchase method in accordance AOC policies and consistent with FAR regulations.

Develops unique selection criteria for each purchase.

Interprets guidelines, adapts procedures , decides approaches, and resolves specific problems in soliciting sources and investigating markets for items or services with unique or complicated requirements or circumstances.

Develops purchasing/solicitation strategy by analyzing a variety of information, such as specifications and AOC procurement policies and procedures, history files, market conditions, item characteristics, or catalogs, and analyzing various tradeoffs , such as cost of renting vs.

purchasing, free services included, vendor reputation or previous performance , etc.

Independently determines whether to meet requirements by ordering against an existing contract or through open market procedures, whether and how to solicit quotes, markets to locate a source, analyzes proposed prices or costs, and evaluates methods of allocating costs through various types of overhead and/or general and administrative expense.

Awards and administers small purchases that require extensive monitoring and oversight resolving complex problems, such as protests, claims, terminations, or substantial modifications.

Uses FMS & Maximo operating systems to perform purchasing and conduct keep current on FAR guidelines and US code. Performs other related duties as assigned.