Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent VA employees of Eastern Kansas Healthcare System (EKHCS) facility only.

Videos

• Plans, directs and manages the activities of the Commodity Management Section, to include inventory management, supply management, receiving, purchasing, distribution, control of facility, pandemic, environmental supplies, office supplies, non-OIT consignment and prosthetics consumables, equipment instrumentation and applicable services. Plan and coordinate the Commodity Management Section and synchronize requirements with other services/sections in the development of a sound course of action and renders the correct interpretations and decisions involving all phases of the operations/requirements. All duties and requirements of this position demand a great deal of concentrated effort and expert judgement. The management of this section requires the incumbent to perform daily, difficult and complex functions. Ensures compliance in section's specific areas of external quality assurance and business reviews.
• Oversees the inventory management, control and distribution of expendable inventory for a VA HCS and supported catchment area. Establishes procedures and oversees and reviews physical inventories and supply reconciliation. Establishes reporting techniques to foresee any potential problems in Supply control. Resolves any problem areas identified by the use of data and interpretation of such factors as value of items, volume purchase advantages, market conditions, storage facilities, holding characteristics, administrative costs, seasonal variations, cost of transportation, susceptibility of change and fluctuations, source of supply, and method of procurement, etc. Plans the grouping of items and establishment of cycles of acquisition that will most nearly accommodate the best combination of these conditions, both marketing and otherwise.
• Analyzes, studies, develops, and directs systems in connection with the EX requirements in the medical center's annual budget development and strategic planning. Inventory accountability responsibilities may require site reviews throughout the VA HCS catchment area.
• Implements best practices, principles, tools and concepts to evaluate and improve supply system performance. Interfaces with peers, stakeholders and customers throughout the VA HCS and supported catchment area including budget/fiscal, engineering, biomedical engineering, facilities, and clinical/administrative service staff to coordinate the management and control of the entire VA HCS and supported catchment area EX inventory and resolve any issues or discrepancies.
• Develops strategies for implementing all future EX automated replacement systems, supply technologies and/or business practices related to Commodity Management Section functions. Coordinates with technical specialists on evaluating the impact of anticipated new technologies on supply processes and customer services; resolves conflicting requirements of several supply program areas.
• Plans and directs the consumable management program, to include supply management accountability, maintaining a quantitative and monetary accountability for all consumable supplies, and purchases from government agencies. Provides EX expertise and serves as a key advisor on issues regarding activation and major consumable purchases.
• Has oversight and accountability of the management plan for the commodity program. Considers historical data as well as the nature and extent of the clinical, research and administrative programs in the operation of the healthcare system, trends such as patient census, program expansion, supplies and equipment needed to support complex clinical programs and other system needs such as activations. Ensures performance measures are met on a monthly basis. Serves as a member the Clinical Product Review Committee (CPRC).
• Directs and/or conducts short, mid and long-term advanced planning for expendable items and durable medical equipment (DME), utilizing enterprise-wide computerized planning tools and the analysis of data to include demand history, program requirements, VA HCS operations, procurement lead-time, current stock levels and other factors which impact procurement decisions.
• May serve as the Approving Official for approving reconciled purchase card transactions.
• Analyzes, coordinates and controls management of stock items to support preparation of long range forecasts necessary to support new requirements.
• Serves as the EX subject matter expert in VISN and facility strategic planning to support major and minor projects and initiatives, ensuring that supply and DME needs are met while considering cost, policies/procedures, sources of supply and other variables.

Work Schedule: 8:00AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Inventory Management Specialist EX/PD99808S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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, 11/19/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Planning, coordinating and executing an inventory and materials management program; directing and overseeing the lifecycle management of individual assets; conducting data/information analysis for acquisition planning; managing and controlling non-expendable equipment and assets; and exercising supervisory responsibilities to include planning, assigning and evaluating work and resolving complaints. NOTE: 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.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education at the graduate level in excess of a master's or equivalent graduate education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-11 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

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:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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 is primarily sedentary and is usually accomplished while seated at a desk or table, typically in an adequately lighted and climate controlled office. Some standing, walking, bending and lifting (up to 40 lbs.) is required. Physical exertions including stretching, reaching and pulling or pushing cares occurs when assisting with inventories or activities involving retrieving items from shelves and cabinets.

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.