Pharmacy Technician (Procurement and Inventory)

Summary This position is assigned within the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Pharmacy Service. Pharmacy technicians (Budget/Procurement) at this level require independent technical judgement and expertise. They serve as the lead ordering officer for pharmacy service, providing guidance to lower-level procurement ordering officers. Responsibilities Duties are as follows: Procurement/inventory technicians perform duties independently under broad delegated authority which consists of significant scope, skill and complexity at the facility level. They provide oversight of the pharmacy service fund control point activity, budget expenditures and all procurement activity to ensure full accountability and reconciliation per VHA financial policy. They collect, analyze, and prepare data to complete monthly budget reports on current and past spending patterns. Pharmacy technicians provide financial status reports for review to ensure compliance to pharmacy budgetary goals and objectives. They participate in forecasting the budget for the next fiscal year, function as contracting officer representatives and ensure all VA policies, regulations and payments are interpreted, applied and completed accurately and timely. Pharmacy technicians develop standard operating procedures, training programs and material for orientation, educational needs and regulatory requirements within the pharmacy and the facility. They investigate a variety of unusual supply problems, including specialty medication purchases, backorders and questions from pharmacy or physician stakeholders VA Careers - Pharmacy: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 7:30am -4 pm, M-f Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education or Experience. None required. For all grade levels and positions that accept both education and experience to qualify, equivalent combinations of qualifying education and experience that total at least 100% are qualifying. The combined percentage is determined by adding total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level to the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. (1) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). (2) National Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician(ExCPT). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-10. (1) Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the lower grade level. (2) Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT. (3) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: (a) Ability to analyze data for performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports. (b) Ability to prepare for and maintain special accreditations, inspections and reviews (e.g., The Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, controlled substances inspections). (c) Ability to solve problems and implement corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area. (4) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (a) Pharmacy Technician. Pharmacy technicians at this level oversee and coordinate pharmacy programs at the VISN, regional (consortium or Clinical Resource HUB level) or national level. These positions require expertise in complex areas of pharmacy practice, regulatory requirements and quality standards. The incumbent provides program oversight of specialty pharmacy programs at various VHA levels, interacting as a subject matter expert and communicates with pharmacy leadership. They gather reports, perform inspections of regulatory records and provide feedback and performance improvement. Pharmacy technicians develop comprehensive training programs and materials for orientation, competency development and educational needs related to this program. They also aggregate and analyze data related to pharmacy programs. i Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). (A) Knowledge of a particular specialty area with detailed understanding of variations based on complexity of program area. (B) Skill in developing comprehensive training programs and material for orientation, competency development, educational needs and regulatory requirements. (C) Skill in analyzing information from multiple services, programs or facilities to evaluate regulatory compliance and make necessary quality improvements to ensure compliance within a particular area of pharmacy practice Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is 10. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 10 to 10. Physical Requirements: 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: 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 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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.