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Purchasing Agent

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PMRS) under the supervision of the department Program Manager. The Prosthetics initiates and completes the procurement of prosthetics goods and services for eligible Veterans within all settings of the Butler VA Health Care System to include the Health Care Center (HCC), Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (DRRTP), Community Living Center (CLC), and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/05/2026 to 05/12/2026
Salary
$46,949 - $61,033 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Butler, PA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSZ-12948674-26-MB
Control number
867785100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Status Candidates, CTAP and ICTAP candidates. Documentation required to verify eligibility.

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Duties

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Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm

The Prosthetics Purchasing Agent receives and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions (VAF 10-2431) for items, services and home medical equipment from physicians, therapists, Medical Center personnel, patients, or their representatives. The incumbent reviews requests for completeness, comparing disability or diagnosis to equipment and/or services normally provided for the condition for which they are requested, and ensures that the proper documentation has been provided to justify the issuance and makes arrangements to procure these items.

Major Duties Include but not limited to:

  • Receives and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions for items, services and home medical equipment.
  • Reviews requests for completeness, proper documentation and makes arrangements to procure these items.
  • Establishes workflow protocols to ensure the timely execution of work. Coordinates work for special circumstances.
  • Advise other services on the policies and procedures to establish requisitions for services, equipment, and commodities.
  • Reviews requests from various sources and makes substitutions if necessary (within scope).
  • Provide general guidance to potential vendors on requirements and information needed to be entered into the VHA's local vendor file.
  • Examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services.
  • Advises Veterans and clinicians in relation to eligibility for entitlements for items and services.
  • Reviews clinical requests, determines sources and determines the availability of replacement parts and alternatives for power mobility, artificial limbs, and other pieces of medical equipment. Reviews unique requests to ensure the requesting entity has addressed any special prescribing procedure or guidance.
  • Reconciles 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.
  • Follows up in relation to parts and labor orders, returns shipping back to manufacturers and accounting for warranty work.
  • Maintains accurate records of transactions and completes all adjustments to computerized system. Maintains 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 needs such as eye tracking; custom wheelchairs built with measurements and specifications unique to the Veteran; vehicle modifications; specialized ramping with prep work and labor.
  • Reviews various configurations and determines the most cost-effective measure to meet the Veteran's need.
  • Procures specialized medical equipment with critical and unique characteristics and considers 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.
  • 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.
  • Executes price adjustments; resolves any discrepancies, modifications, amendments to purchase orders and cancelations of purchase orders. Coordinates medical device orders that may require more than one vendor and more than one end user.
  • 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 manufacturers and accounting for warranty work. Represents the VA in discussions with vendors/contractors to obtain agreement on micro purchases and vendor/contractor compliance. Monitors vendor performance through personal contact, review of progress reports, and discusses reasons for delays, failures, or price changes.

Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD04095A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • 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.
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/12/2026.

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 as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: 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:
    • Receives and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions;
    • Reviews requests for completeness, comparing disability or diagnosis to equipment and/or services;
    • Examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services;
    • Use different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures, purchasing methods, or clauses and provisions depending upon the type, complexity, quantity, dollar value, or urgency of the requirement.
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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Your 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. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

Margie Brooks
Phone
(412) 822-1090
Email
margie.brooks@va.gov
Address
VA Butler Healthcare
353 North Duffy Road
Butler, PA 16001
US

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