Purchasing Agent

Summary

This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service and supported catchment area. Primarily performs Purchasing Agent work to acquire supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through (a) delivery orders and/or (b) small purchases. This position becomes a purchase card holder who fulfills acquisition requests under the federal micro purchase threshold, ensuring purchases are procured in accordance with Federal and VA regulations, policy and procedure.

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Duties

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Major Duties include but are not limited to:

Purchasing Support:

• Conducts purchasing for a VA Medical Center, and supported catchment area, under the mirco purchase threshold.
• Purchases various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of government purchase card micro purchases.
• Reviews and edits purchase requests to ensure the item or service is adequately described based on the requester's need.
• Ensures all information has been provided and the request is consistent with legal requirements.
• Obtains necessary product information, price information and procedures for written and verbal purchase orders.
• Provides general guidance to potential vendors on requirements and information needed to be entered into a local vendor file.
• Reviews Fund Control Points and verifies the running balances to ensure procurement obligations are compete and approved prior to placing orders.
• Provides administration and oversight on orders and services.
• Monitor vendor performance through personal contact, reviews progress reports, and discuss reasons for delays, failures, or price changes.

Procurement Support

• Procures supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of the organization.
• Examines incoming requests for completeness including presence of purchase request number, accounting codes, item description estimated cost, and quantity.
• Ensures all critical information is included in the solicitation package and develops unique selection criteria for each purchase.
• Conducts open market research for purchases of routine equipment, supplies and services.
• Prepare and issue contract modifications for changes in delivery schedule and sends formal correspondence to a variety of customers such as inventory management specialists, or other service line contacts, and contracting officers as appropriate for the purposes of auditing documents, processing receiving reports, and payments.

Administrative Support

• Serves as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers in regard to procured items.
• Provides clerical support and coordination to approving officials and administrators.
• Perform a variety of receptionist, timekeeping, record keeping and miscellaneous duties in medical facility.
• Continuously review policies and regulations related to time and leave.
• Obtain data from section supervisors and submits employees' requests for overtime and prepares staffing and overtime reports.
• Answers telephones and refers calls to appropriate staff.
• Uses departmental software to produce printouts for logistic and medical staff.

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

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent / PD99896A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, 08/12/2026.

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-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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• 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: developing procurement packages, utilizing different ordering, reporting procedures, and purchasing methods, maintaining communication with vendors and medical center staff, practicing cost containment through efficient purchasing, and maintaining item and vendor.

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: Requires some physical effort such as standing, sitting, walking, or bending. There are no special physical demands.

Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts. Normal safety precautions are adequate.

Performs other duties as assigned.

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

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

Interchange Agreement: Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit:

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.