Purchasing Agent

Summary

This position, located at the Eastern Oklahoma HCS, Prosthetic Service, serves as a Purchasing Agent and 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.

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Duties

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Major duties of this position include but are not limited to...

• Performs procurements within the simplified acquisition threshold through competitive open-market procedures or by placement of an order or blanket purchase agreement under a GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract
• Makes purchases of equipment, commodities and services using standard methods
• Coordinates with requesting offices to obtain additional information determined necessary to support or complete purchase requests
• Determines if requests or portions thereof can be met from Government sources, and determines appropriate commercial sources
• Determines extent of competition required and methods of solicitation
• Develops Requests for Quotation and identifies situations warranting vendor on-site orientations or conferences for prospective vendors prior to submissions of quotations
• Solicits competitive offers and actively seeks new sources and potential vendors; evaluates responses to bids and requests for proposal
• Compiles statistics and prepares reports on purchasing activities
• Prepares purchase award documentation
• Performs other similar 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, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/ PD14574A and PD14575A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• 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 work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 identification 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, 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, 09/23/2026.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04 level .

For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level.

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 (GS-05): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade of 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...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; Ability to analyze descriptions that have unique aspects in order to identify problem areas in specifications or work statements, to determine if quotations are responsive, and to decide if substitutions are acceptable.... OR,

Education (GS-05): 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... OR,

Combination (GS-05): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) to meet the specialized experience requirement.

Specialized Experience (GS-06): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade of 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...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; skill in analyzing descriptions that have unique aspects or critical characteristics to identify 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 areas 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.

Preferred Experience : Customer Service, Purchasing, and computer knowledge

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

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. (GS-05 level only)

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: 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:

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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

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.