Summary The incumbent is a member of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Services (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line under the VISN or medical center. Incumbent is assigned to the VA Medical Center and has an active inpatient implant care coordinator and outpatient treatment program and inventory responsibility. Performs 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 to Veterans. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Complex purchasing that requires irregular research, analysis, collaboration and many other steps to ensure both best value and the most appropriate devices are purchased for the Veterans. This category occupies the majority of the duty time in this position. Routine purchasing includes routine purchase orders on established contracts or through established vendor resources using regular significant research, analysis or collaboration. Use guidance, direction and direct use of policies and guidelines, performs technical level purchasing adhering to the FAR, VAAR, VHA and Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, VISN policy and services based on a medical provider's clinical assessment and evaluation of the Veteran's medical condition. Obtain all necessary procurement information to successfully submit 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. The incumbent under close supervision, performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following VHA Prosthetics guidelines to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks. Under close direction and supervision, the incumbent conducts thorough market research by obtaining competitive bids/Request for Quotation (RFQ) to determine fair and reasonable procing. 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 healthcare. Incumbent independently examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services based on adopted criteria and advises Veteran of the same. As a purchase card holder, the incumbent is subjected to purchase card audits, at lease quarterly. Develops an understanding and gains knowledge of all Prosthetic items currently on national Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). Uses all applicable BPAs when ordering prosthetic items for patients for direct patient care or for inventory. Performs all other duties as assigned. 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. Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99432A, PD99433A, and PD99434A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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, 02/09/2024. 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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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: To Qualify for a GS-05 Position you must have one of the following: 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: receiving and analyzing prosthetic request and prescriptions from licensed independent practitioners and works with the Prosthetics Program Manager to ensure that veterans receive information about prosthetic and sensory aids equipment, services and benefits and that information and services provided to Veterans are in accordance with applicable regulations and directives; receiving phone calls, correspondence , and visits from veterans, family members, veteran service organizations, home based primary care teams , private medical facilities, hospice care, nursing homes, assistive living facilities and clinical staffs about eligibility, equipment, services and benefits that are available and how to access them. 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 an combination of specialized experience and education beyond two (2) years and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this Purchasing Agent position. To Qualify for a GS-06 Position you must have one of the following: 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: experience performing clerical or assistant duties in support of purchasing and procurement; procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization; working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities; resolving a variety of shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations; purchasing various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of a purchase card; and assembling and/or summarizing information from files and documents as required to create reports utilizing automated computerized supply/inventory management systems and Microsoft Office software programs such as MS Word and Excel. To Qualify for a GS-07 Position you must have one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Utilizing electronic contracting databases or systems, submitting plans and procurement packages to contracting offices; interpreting and analyzing prescriptions and request for medical equipment and services; maintaining regular contact and resolving issues with vendors, contractors, medical center professionals and staff; purchasing equipment, supplies and services using an agency/organization purchase card and reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports. Responsible for procurement of Surgical Implants and interaction with Surgical Staff. You will be rated on the following You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Budget Administration Computer Skills Contracting/Procurement Decision Making Medical Information Speaking 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 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/. Education 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.