Purchasing Agent

Summary This position is located within the Prosthetics & Sensory Aid Service within the Prosthetic Service Line in the VA Medical Center, Huntsville, Alabama performing direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management support to the administrative and clinical services of the VA to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans. Responsibilities Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Receives and analyzes prosthetic request forms and prescriptions from physicians, therapists, patients, and patient representatives. Examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine legal eligibility and medical entitlement for the prosthetic items and service based on criteria; and advises veterans on the outcome of eligible and entitlement determination. Authorizes and prepares complex purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and sensory aid devices, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment. Utilizes several established procedures and guidelines in the performance of work assignments. These include procurement history, Federal Supply Schedules or other established contracts, standard operating procedures, and regulations governing small purchases and delivery orders. Coordinates the delivery of home medical equipment, including oxygen therapy, through contracted providers. Ensures funding allocations for the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service Line reflect correct expenditures and balances utilized Fiscal policies and procedures. Reconciles all invoices for certification of payment. Makes purchases through automated process or through utilization of a purchase card. Operates the Prosthetics software package to maintain detailed and accurate accounting of all actions taken for veterans and documents their records to show all items and services provided. Conducts quarterly inventory of prosthetic stock in compliance with procedures and regulatory requirements. Maintains continuous liaison with vendors, medical center professionals and staff to ensure timely acquisition and provision of items and services to veterans. Advises physicians and other professional staff on the availability, selection and acquisition of prosthetic devices or services. 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 am- 4:30 pm ( Work schedule is subject to change based on agency needs.) Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99433, PD99432, and PD99434 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/30/2024. 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. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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 GRADE LEVEL: Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04) 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. Qualifying specialized experience includes 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: Successful completion of 4 years of education above high school. OR, Education and Experience: Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education beyond two (2) years of progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of a purchasing agent. GS-6 GRADE LEVEL: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) in Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of qualifying specialized experience for the GS-6 grade level include, but are not limited to: experience as a procurement clerk or purchasing agent that demonstrates knowledge of Federal procurement laws and regulations; experience that demonstrates knowledge of medical equipment/prosthetic and orthotic appliances; skill in fund control procedures (making and reconciling purchases/maintaining a budget). PLEASE NOTE: Your description of your work experience(s) in your resume must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience. Please be detailed in your description of your experience(s). GS-7 GRADE LEVEL: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-6) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: receiving and analyzing prosthetic request forms from physicians, therapists, patients, and patient representatives; determining eligibility and medical entitlement for prosthetic items and services based on established criteria; authorizing and preparing purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and sensory aid devices, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment; coordinating the delivery of home medical equipment through contract providers; making purchases through an automated process or utilization of a purchase card. PLEASE NOTE: Your description of your work experience(s) in your resume must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience. Please be detailed in your description of your experience(s). Preferred experience: At least one (1) year experience in purchasing. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) 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: The work is primarily sedentary but requires some physical effort such as walking, standing, bending and carrying of books, manuals, vendor catalogs and prosthetics items to be issued from stock rooms. May carry or lift items weighing up to 40-50 pounds. The incumbent may visit clinics and vendor shops, therefore the ability to operate a government-owned motor vehicle is required. 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/.eneral-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at the GS-06 or GS-07 grade level. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.