Clarification from the agency

Open to all US Citizens and all current Federal VHA employees only SF-50 Reminder: If you are a current or former Federal employee you must provide a most recent SF-50.

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Duties to include but not limited to the following:

• The position has a high degree of visibility due to direct patient care contact with the Veteran population, many of whom are severely disabled; therefore, the incumbent displays a positive image and be highly motivated to seek ways to expedite patient processing, accomplish the VA mission and adapt to the ever-changing world of health care.
• The incumbent must quickly deduce from written prescriptions or oral requests what items or services are needed and/or conduct follow up information requests to the initiator to clarify the medical need or device specifications, based on the Veterans medical evaluation. These medical needs are indicated on Prosthetic Service Requests/Consults. These consults are entered by VA clinicians in the electronic medical record.
• Prosthetics Purchasing Agents are responsible for triaging consults in VISTA or APAT. Based on the urgency of the need, the incumbent will select the most appropriate cost-effective source to deliver the items/service in the most reliable manner. Purchasing staff in PSAS conduct work utilizing independent problem-solving skills in a STAT and routine manner, taking appropriate action based on the request from the clinical provider prescribing the device based on the interpreted instructions on the clinical prescription.
• Timelines for procurement will be established by local or national guidance via Business Practice Guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures. Adherence to these timelines is extremely important, as a delay from PSAS could prevent discharge from input to output status, delay scheduled surgeries, and/or impact other care coordination efforts to Veterans awaiting care.
• They obligate purchase orders for equipment and/or supplies, or the rental of services within 30 working days. Action taken must be annotated on the consult as notification to the requestor and all other necessary parties. Monitors to ensure the completion of requests in less than a 90-days period. Action taken must explain why actions could not be completed within the established timeframe. All updates regarding the acquisition process must be indicated on the consults.
• These updates work as two-way communication between the purchasing staff and the VA clinical staff. PSAS purchasing staff will change the status of consults based on local processes and guidelines and in accordance with all Business Practice Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures. The incumbent will be responsible for using discernment in managing consults and changing statuses accordingly using purchase orders, inventory issues, forwarding consults, and administratively completing them using NR codes.
• The incumbent will be responsible for managing and monitoring their List Open Purchase Card Transactions By Initiator report / unreconciled orders on a regular basis and in accordance The incumbent will be responsible for managing and monitoring their List Open Purchase Card Transactions By Initiator (LPCI) report / unreconciled orders on a regular basis and in accordance.
• The incumbent has multiple levels of micro purchase threshold authority, and these micro purchase thresholds uniquely influence the major duties and responsibilities in this position, particularly the complex purchasing major duty. Purchase authority is established or changed when the incumbents VA Form 0242 is submitted and signed by VHA procurement authority based on the items purchased and their contract status. For non-national contract items the incumbent has a general micro purchase authority of $10,000 (this threshold is subject to change). For national contract-based purchases when 38 U.S.C 8123 authority is delegated, by the Secretary for the Department of Veteran's Affairs, the incumbent has a micro purchase threshold of $100,000 (this threshold is subject to change).
• This includes surgical implants and additional commodities which may be included as the authority is expanded. The 8123 authority was first authorized by the Secretary of the VA on October 5th, 2017, and the authority specifically authorizes the incumbent the following provisions: 1) approval of non warranted individuals to establish purchase orders and use purchase cards to pay for such orders without regard to micro-purchase threshold limitations; and 2) approval of establishing written obligated purchase card orders and payments to vendors after the product has been used.

NOTE: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am- 4:30pm
Telework: This position is not authorized for telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD# 03188-A

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 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 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, 10/22/2026.

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:

GS-5: Specialized Experience:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 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 as Purchasing Agent.
• Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing administrative duties in a healthcare setting; reviewing and working with patients' medical records; completing training or assisting in routine and complex specialized purchases for clinics including medical equipment, prosthetic and orthotic appliances; utilizing computer software programs; and communicating with internal and external customers via various methods.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have 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.

GS-6: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: 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 for this position:

• Communications
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Decision Making
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Manages Resources
• Technical Competence

• 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. Often, walking 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/.

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.