Purchasing Agent-Prosthetics

Full Job Description

These positions serve as a Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetic Service at the Veteran Affairs Health Care System (VA HCS) in White River Junction, Vermont.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.

You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-5 - Possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-04) in the Federal Service that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the GS-05 Purchasing Agent - Prosthetics position.

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 (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Possess the successful completion of 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 (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Possess the equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this Purchasing Agent - Prosthetics position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-6 - Possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal Service that has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent - Prosthetics.

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.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Financial Management 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 Environment: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetic Service.

However, while conducting inventory management functions, the selectee 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 are 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. 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.

The Purchasing Agent works in a health care office with the possibility of contact with ill and diseased patients.

Normal duties are performed in an office setting, which has adequate heat, light, and ventilation; however, the purchasing agent must retrieve prosthetic items from various storage areas daily.

The purchasing agent may on occasion, accompany the Site Manager and/or Prosthetic Representative on visits to the patients' homes or to a vendor for shop inspections.

The purchasing agent has direct daily contact with patients and may handle equipment returned from Veterans with contagious diseases; hence, the purchasing agent is required to practice universal precautions in observance of normal safety practices with office equipment, prosthetics equipment & supplies; avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations is required.

The area is adequately lit, heated, and ventilated.

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*** These positions involve a multi-grade career ladder.

The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-6. At the GS-5 level, the employee performs 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.

Major duties and responsibilities include: Performs technical level purchasing support adhering to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Veteran Affairs Acquisition Regulations (VAAR), Veteran Health Administration (VHA), and Prosthetics directives and handbooks, Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) policy and station memorandums to acquire patient specific medical equipment, supplies and services based on a medical provider's clinical assessment and evaluation of the Veteran's medical condition; Submits 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 Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS); Provides Veteran care and support services to an adult population and serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support.

Verifies accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in both the purchase menu and the prosthetics program and associate all obligations to the individual veteran; Ensures the services provides are documented not only as the type of service, but the duration; Complex purchasing: requires irregular research, analysis, collaboration and many other steps to ensure both best value and the most appropriate devices are purchased for the Veterans; Routine purchasing: includes routine purchase orders on established contracts or through established vendor resources using regular significant research, analysis or collaboration; Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be approved for highly qualified candidate. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved