Purchasing Agent

Summary

This position is located at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee, OK in the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) line. The incumbent 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.

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Duties

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Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates; sets and adjusts short term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work based on priorities;
• Advises, counsels and instructs employees on work and administrative manners, such as complaints, grievances, etc.;
• Finds and implements ways to eliminate or reduce significant bottlenecks and barriers to production;
• Provides guidance and evaluates work involving new, complex or unusual situations and those without clear precedence;
• Oversees management and distribution of all supplies and material in the medical center through subordinates who maintain stock, monitor expiration dates and rotating stock, ensure critical supplies are monitored, perform daily inventory, resolve differences in records, distribute items, deliver supplies in a timely manner, and complete specialty cart preparation;
• Oversees the receipt of supplies and material into the medical center;
• Ensures supplies are unpacked and properly stored in inventory areas;
• Analyzes and resolves difficult issues and problems in order to plan effectively and render equitable and reliable decisions;
• Conducts market research on all new products and ensures they are recorded in the automated inventory system;
• Ensures availability of recurring supply items which are managed and distributed through the computerized inventory management system;
• Analyzes management reports in order to manage and control the fund control point limitations and identify trends, correct errors, and resolve problems;
• Works with members of the vendor and/or contract community, managers, supervisors and other staff throughout the medical center on Logistics issues; and
• Communicates with subordinate staff and other administrative and clinical staff to coordinate and persuade logistics activities on the implementation of policy or procedural changes.

Work Schedule: Full-time Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Telework: Ad-Hoc This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent / PD14574A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

To be considered for this position, You must complete all required steps in the process.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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, 07/20/2026.

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 6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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 5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Qualifying specialized experience includes Knowledge of solicitation and purchasing methods to make competitive or sole source small purchases that involve collecting data to determine price reasonableness for new items, preparing detailed written solicitations, tailoring special terms and conditions, or other matters of similar complexity. Skills in analyzing descriptions that have unique aspects or critical characteristics to identity problem areas in specifications or work statements, determine if quotations are responsive, or decide if substitutions are acceptable or should be referred to other personnel for further review. Knowledge of price analysis techniques to evaluate prices or costs for requirements with inadequate price history or evaluate allowable charges for requirements involving special cost features. Knowledge of various acquisition clauses such as those pertaining to inspection, acceptance packaging, or testing to select or tailor clauses for purchases that involve special handling. Knowledge of post award procedures to discuss equitable price adjustments for modifications to a purchase order, determine whether to recommend termination of an accepted purchase order for convenience or perform similar actions. Ability to analyze descriptions that have unique aspects in order to identify problem area in specifications or work statements, to determine if quotations are responsive and to decide if substitutions are acceptable. Ability to work and negotiate with requestors, technical representatives, and vendors in analyzing these descriptions and administering the order.

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

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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 sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers and books, The incumbent is work is normally performed in an office setting utilizing a computer terminal. Incumbent performs job site visits when necessary.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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 person with disabilities (i.e. intellectual disabilities. severe physical disabilities disabilities.) and/or Disabled veteran with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply 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

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 hardship or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.