Purchasing Agent

Purchasing Agent

The Purchasing Agent is a member of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line. 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 necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.

Duties :

• Performs technical level purchasing adhering to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulations (VAAR), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) policy and station memorandums to acquire Veteran specific medical equipment, supplies and services based on a medical provider's clinical assessment and evaluation of the Veterans' medical condition.
• Obtains 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 document to the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS / FORCE).
• Ensures each vendor in the System for Award Management (SAM) is in good standing to do business with the government.
• Performs research to find alternate vendor resources not available in SAM to meet the needs of specific purchase situations.
• Independently performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following VHA Prosthetics guidelines to complete purchases for items that are available through established vendor networks.
• 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 types of service and duration.
• Verified adherence to training and other contractual agreements.
• Complete written procurement and support notes in the Veteran's medical record to ensure order status is provided to the clinical requestor to ensure the requestor is aware of procurement timelines, manufacture or shipping delays, backorder status, and other information impacting the procurement deliverable to the Veteran.

Promotion Potential : The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level, GS-06, 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 : 00am-4 : 30pm Telework : ADHOC-May be authorized (Employees who Telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement). Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Position Description / PD# : Purchasing Agent / PD23554A and PD23555A Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not authorized

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements :

Qualifications :

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11 / 05 / 2025. 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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 level, you must meet one of the following :

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 level, you must meet one of the following :

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position :

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.