Materials Handler

Summary

This position is located in the Warehouse area of the Logistics Service in a Veteran Affairs Health Care System (VA HCS) and supported catchment area. The position is located at the Fargo VA Medical Center performing warehouse work that involves receiving, storing, selecting, and shipping general or specialized bulk and bin materials and equipment. The primary purpose of this position is to provide warehousing, distribution and receiving of supplies goods and equipment.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Works in the Receiving/Distribution area of Logistics located in the warehouse.
• Receives incoming shipments and checks the items against the electronic purchase orders and other related documentation to verify correctness prior to completing the receiving process.
• Records, annotates and forwards all appropriate information in accordance with current procedures and notes discrepancies such as shortages and damages while ensuring all are resolved in a timely manner.
• Maintains the flow of the warehouse by moving, delivering, shelving, storing and inventorying materials and equipment per appropriate procedure.
• Handles delivering and warehousing materials including hazardous, flammable, and temperature sensitive products.
• Places items appropriately on shelving, pallets on bins so as to ensure adequate safeguards and access.
• Ensures product and shelving are marked with corresponding ID numbers.
• Ensures items are pulled using the First In First out (FIFO) method.
• Makes off-site deliveries in motor vehicles typically with a gross weight not exceeding 26000 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
• Prepares authorized materials for shipment both small package and bulk.
• Sorts and delivers incoming mail, picking up intra-office and processing outgoing mail, supporting the mail center with off campus deliveries, understanding and adhering to all facility and federal postal regulations.
• Loads and secures supplies, materials, and equipment for both on and off-site deliveries, ensuring items are transported safely to prevent damage, with special attention given to hazardous and oversized loads.
• Operates and maintains a variety of powered industrial vehicles, including powered hand trucks, forklifts, and other vehicles. Adheres to all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) operating and safety standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

Help

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
• Pre-employment physical required
• Current valid, state driver's license or commercial driver's license (CDL)
• 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 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

This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Must possess a current valid, state driver's license or commercial driver's license (CDL), as applicable, if required to operate a motor vehicle or commercial vehicle. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not provide a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your valid, state driver's license or commercial driver's license (CDL).

~AND

SCREEN OUT: Must possess the ability to perform the duties of the Materials Handler without more than normal supervision. Experience includes: performing warehouse work involving receiving, storing, selecting and shipping of general or specialized bulk materials and equipment; loading and unloading materials; route materials and equipment to correct locations or storage areas; prepare shipping and inventory documents. (*Your experience must be detailed in your resume to receive full credit.)

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Work involves considerable walking, pushing and pulling a variety of carts and materials handling equipment; offloading and loading trucks, lifting products on and off shelves, handling boxes frequently weighing over 40 pounds; handles equipment, furniture and materials of an awkward and heavier nature in excess of 100 pounds (typically using specialized equipment and/or assistance of co-workers). Greater physical effort may be required on projects involving the movement of large quantities of products over an extended period including turn-ins, large shipments and deliveries. While operating vehicles, may be required to exert a greater level of physical exertion while backing and turning trucks, operating forklifts, or hand trucks on uneven terrains and uncertain conditions.

Working Conditions require working in storage buildings, pods, trailers, vehicles and warehouses that may be hot, cold, drafty and poor lighting; work outdoors, on docks, making deliveries in all types of weather conditions during all seasons; hazardous materials may be encountered in daily work activities; will be subject to the possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury from the use of equipment; may be subject to conditions that could result in serious accidents; personal protective equipment may be required.

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.

You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Dexterity and Safety
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Materials
• Technical Practices
• Without more than normal supervision
• Work Practices

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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; religious; 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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

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.

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.