Purchasing Agent
Bargaining position Performs technical level purchasing support adhering to the FAR, VAAR, VHA, and Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, VISN policy and station memorandums to acquire patient specific medical equipment, supplies and services. To include; rentals to meet the outpatient medical needs of the services, which include all outpatient durable medical equipment and supplies, rehabilitation equipment, mobility and daily living aids, neuro-sensory, home oxygen, inpatient surgical implants and supplies. 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 the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS). Verifies Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and Bradstreet information and ensures each vendor is in the System for Award Management (SAM) and in good standing to do business with the government. Verifies accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in both the purchase menu and the prosthetics program and associates all obligations to the individual Veteran. Ensures the services provided are documented as the type of service and duration. Verifies adherence to training and other contractual agreements. Follow up action on the status of all these orders is required weekly until purchased and direct patient care is completed. Written notes must be completed in the Veteran's medical record to ensure order status is provided to the clinical requestor. Incumbent provides patient care and support services to an adult population and serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support. The incumbent must tailor the patient care/support services to meet the specialized need(s) of the individual patient and the clinical service it supports. 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 should display 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. 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. Using various sub-accounts of funds maintained by the incumbent, he/she chooses to obligate and authorize payments. Initiate action on stat requests within 24 hours, or five (5) working days for routine requests. Obligates purchase order 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-day period. Action taken must explain why actions could not be completed within the established timeframe. 75% of the incumbent's workload is complex; specialized purchases require in-depth market research, collaboration with clinical providers, manufacturers and validation of quote to medical prescription. 25% of the incumbent's workload are routine simplified purchase orders that do not require extensive research and are generally procured using Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)/VISN/Local and/or DALC contracts. Monitors, receives, tracks, interprets, 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. Reviews requests for completeness, comparing disability or diagnosis to equipment and/or services normally provided for the condition for which they are requested, and/or proper documentation has been provided to justify the issuance. Ensures consults are competed and appropriately closed within guidelines and follows-up on all pending consults to ensure services are rendered as quickly as possible or as indicated on the prescription/consult. Promotion Potential:
The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule:
Monday - Friday 8:
00 a.m. - 4:
30 p.m. (Alternate schedules may be necessary to meet the needs of the organization). Telework:
Not Available Virtual:
This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#:
Purchasing Agent/PD00395A, PD00397A, and PD00396A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/11/2020. 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-6 you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5, for the GS-7 you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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:
GS-5:
Experience. I possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the Federal service, that equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to successfully perform the duties of this position and that is typically in or related to the position being filled. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to:
makes purchases involving specialized medical equipment, supplies, and services, etc. Education. I possess the successful completion of 4 years of education above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical school (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Experience/Education Combination. I possess a combination of education and experience as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirement at GS-05. For GS-05 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 related to the work of the position as outlined above. GS-6:
Have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in Federal service. Examples of specialized experience for this position would typically include, but are not limited to:
A broad knowledge of a body of purchasing regulations, methods, procedures, and business practices to make purchasing involving specialized requirements and/or commercial requirements that have unstable price or product characteristics, hard to locate sources, many critical characteristics or similar complicating factors. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. GS-7:
Have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in Federal service. Examples of specialized experience for this position would typically include, but are not limited to knowledge of purchasing methods, such as extended training or experience to make competitive or sole source, small, micropurchases that involve collecting data to determine process reasonableness for new items, prepared detailed written solicitations, tailoring special terms and conditions or other matters of similar complexity. Routine purchases are simplified orders that does not require extensive research and are generally procured using FSS/VISN/Local and/or DALC contracts. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Biomedical Equipment TechnologyCustomer ServiceRequirements Analysis 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:
Moderate lifting/carrying (15 - 44 pounds); Straight pulling/pushing .5 hours reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking/standing (4 hours); near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability. Work is primarily sedentary when conducing 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/.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule:
Monday - Friday 8:
00 a.m. - 4:
30 p.m. (Alternate schedules may be necessary to meet the needs of the organization). Telework:
Not Available Virtual:
This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#:
Purchasing Agent/PD00395A, PD00397A, and PD00396A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/11/2020. 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-6 you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5, for the GS-7 you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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:
GS-5:
Experience. I possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the Federal service, that equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to successfully perform the duties of this position and that is typically in or related to the position being filled. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to:
makes purchases involving specialized medical equipment, supplies, and services, etc. Education. I possess the successful completion of 4 years of education above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical school (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Experience/Education Combination. I possess a combination of education and experience as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirement at GS-05. For GS-05 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 related to the work of the position as outlined above. GS-6:
Have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in Federal service. Examples of specialized experience for this position would typically include, but are not limited to:
A broad knowledge of a body of purchasing regulations, methods, procedures, and business practices to make purchasing involving specialized requirements and/or commercial requirements that have unstable price or product characteristics, hard to locate sources, many critical characteristics or similar complicating factors. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. GS-7:
Have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in Federal service. Examples of specialized experience for this position would typically include, but are not limited to knowledge of purchasing methods, such as extended training or experience to make competitive or sole source, small, micropurchases that involve collecting data to determine process reasonableness for new items, prepared detailed written solicitations, tailoring special terms and conditions or other matters of similar complexity. Routine purchases are simplified orders that does not require extensive research and are generally procured using FSS/VISN/Local and/or DALC contracts. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Biomedical Equipment TechnologyCustomer ServiceRequirements Analysis 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:
Moderate lifting/carrying (15 - 44 pounds); Straight pulling/pushing .5 hours reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking/standing (4 hours); near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability. Work is primarily sedentary when conducing 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/.
- Department:
1105 Purchasing - Salary Range:
$34,916 to $56,222 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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