Clarification from the agency

Open to ALL Current Permanent Federal Employees, including Current Permanent Department of Veterans Affairs (Agency - VHA, VBA, NCA) Employees, and West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System (Facility) Employees. Facility Employees will have FIRST consideration.

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The primary purpose of the position is to ensure that supplies and material are distributed to all areas serviced by Logistics. Provides wards, clinics, operating rooms, secondary storage locations, and other hospital facilities with supplies and material including, but not limited to, sterile and non-sterile medical supplies, instruments sets, and equipment. Assignments include but are not limited to: scanning, bar­coding, receiving, storing, and the distribution of medical and surgical supplies, instruments, and other material. The work requires knowledge of applicable policies and procedures as well as inventory systems such as the generic inventory package (GIP), bar-coding, aseptic procedures and Logistics processes. Work is performed on established shifts, which may involve evening, overnight, or weekend hours.

Additional duties Include but not limited to:

• Maintains stock at primary and secondary inventory locations for all clinical and administrative services.
• Pulling stock inventory and material from main inventory for delivery.
• Replenishing stock inventory; interacting with clinical and administrative customers to ensure issues and needs are identified and either resolved or escalated to supervisors or Inventory Management Specialists as needed.
• Maintaining records on stock levels.
• Recommending revisions in stock levels as needed to supply changes to Inventory Management Specialists.
• Communicating to the lead or supervisor any concerns related to supplies, equipment and procedures, providing information as needed orally or in writing regarding customer or external stakeholder issues, general telephone inquiries and visitor referrals.
• Communicating with customers and vendors to obtain information regarding medical supplies.
• Monitors expiration dates, rotates stock to limit outdates and removes items from use as required by outdates.
• Supports managers in checking inventory for stock identified for recalled items and hazard alerts.
• Ensures critical supplies are appropriately monitored and controlled, resolving deviations when possible, and escalating significant deviations to the Inventory Management Specialists.
• Performs daily inventory of primary and secondary inventory points using bar coding equipment on a predetermined schedule that will allow for timely replenishment orders.
• Resolves differences between records and physical count of stock.
• Distributes items according to established or ad hoc requirements in computerized inventory management systems such as GIP.
• Utilizes a pager or similar device to expedite the pick/delivery of items needed in user areas throughout the VA HCS and supported catchment area. Fills requests for items based on daily schedules of need or on an emergent basis as appropriate.
• Delivers supplies in a timely and accurate manner, ensuring supplies and material delivered are in sterile and operational condition.
• Deliveries will be to wards, clinics and other secondary locations that may be in remote sites.
• Delivery by motor vehicle may be required.
• Completes specialty cart preparation and stocking.
• Cleans assigned secondary areas (shelves and bins) in accordance with aseptic principles as published in infection control guidelines, local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Joint Commission standards as scheduled.
• Supports wall-to-wall and periodic inventories.
• As needed, assists in other functional areas of the Section and performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday with rotating weekends, 8:00am-4:30pm,subject to change based on agency needs.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supply Technician/PD99834S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 identification 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 or trial 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, 06/16/2026.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4. 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:

• Specialized Experience: 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: providing supplies and material to clinical and/or administrative areas of a facility; scanning, bar-coding, receiving, storing and distributing supplies, instruments and other material; pulling stock, replenishing stock and maintaining records on stock levels; monitoring expiration dates; cleaning assigned areas in accordance with regulations and policy; utilizing an automated system to maintain inventory; and answers customer questions regarding supplies and materials. OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 4 years above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. For GS-5, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
• Communications: Effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear, convincing oral and written communications; demonstrates logical thinking when describing facts and concepts, and shapes communications to meet the needs of a specific audience; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions.
• Technology Application: Uses machines, tools, or equipment effectively; uses computers and computer applications/systems to analyze and communicate information in the appropriate format.
• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

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: The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday, and frequent reaching, bending and lifting of supply packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). Work requires pushing loaded carts of medical supplies (weighing in excess of 100+ pounds). With proper assistance, moves heavier items' weighing over 40 pounds.

Work Environment: Work is performed throughout the medical center and supported catchment areas, which includes wards, storage buildings, and warehouses that range from a clean environment to hot, cold, drafty, and poorly lighted. The possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury are present in the day-to-day work of the position. Work requires stocking supplies in the primary inventory area as well as numerous secondary inventory points throughout the hospital work area, including wards, clinics, operating rooms, warehouses, and nursing areas. Work requires maintaining a clean environment while performing tasks that can produce dust or other infectious pollutants while transitioning between environments. Supported units may be offsite requiring roundtrip travel time in excess of 90 minutes. Tours of duty may require afternoon, evening, and/or overnight shifts.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.