Purchasing Agent

This position is part of the Prosthetic Treatment Center (PTC) within the Prosthetics Product Line of VISN 9 - Mid-South Healthcare Network in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. This position is assigned to the Memphis VA Medical Center.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2023.

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. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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.



You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• GS-5 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include: performing administrative duties in a healthcare setting; reviewing and working with patients' medical records; conducting follow up action; knowledge of medical terminology; receiving and reviewing requests; reading prescriptions; utilizing computer software programs; maintaining accurate records; communicating with internal and external customers; entering data into databases; retrieving information from databases; tracking consults.
• OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four years of study above high school, obtaining a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. (Transcripts required)
• OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education to include the completion of related post-high school education (30 semester hours beyond Associates degree) and 6 months of specialized experience that meets the requirements for this position.
• GS-6 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 include: making basic purchases of supplies, equipment and/or services; balancing funds; knowledge of medical terminology; working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities; assembling and/or summarizing information from files and documents to create reports utilizing automated computerized systems and Microsoft Office software programs such as MS Word and Excel; tracking and meeting deadlines; following up on pending items; knowledge of common business practices; resolving problems and discrepancies.

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

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Manages Resources
• Technical Competence

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: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions. While conducting inventory management functions, the employee may work comfortably in a warehouse environment, sitting, standing, walking, bending, and lifting, carrying, retrieving, and managing inventory. Prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal, ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room, and climbing to stock equipment and other items in storage areas is required. The Purchasing Agent may carry/lift items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Normal safety precautions are adequate. The work involves moderate discomfort when visiting sites away from the off ice. At times, the employee may be required to wear protective clothing. Normal duties are performed in an off ice setting which has adequate heat, light, and ventilation. The Purchasing Agent may, on occasion, accompany the Site Manager and/or Prosthetic Representative on visits to patient homes or to a vendor for shop inspections. The position is located in a healthcare environment with the possibility of contact with ill/diseased patients and potentially contaminated equipment. The employee is required to practice universal precautions in observance of normal safety practices. The area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Responsibilities:

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-7 grade level. At the GS-5 and 6 grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-7. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

Major duties includes, but not limited to:

• Performs technical level purchasing support adhering to the FAR, VAAR, VHA, and Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, VISN policy and station memorandums to acquire patient specific medical equipment, supplies and services.
• Submits Acquisition Plans and Procurement Packages for stock and Veteran specific needs to the Network Contracting Office and uploads quotes, bids, invoices, consults, and other important documents to the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS).
• Verifies Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and Bradstreet information and ensures each vendor is in the System for Award Management (SAM) and in good standing to do business with the government.
• Verifies accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in both the purchase menu and the prosthetics program and associates all obligations to the individual Veteran.
• Ensures the services provided are documented as the type of service and duration. Verifies adherence to training and other contractual agreements.
• Provides patient care and support services to an adult population and serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support.
• Utilize various sub-accounts of funds maintained by the incumbent, he/she chooses to obligate and authorize payments.
• Monitors, receives, tracks, interprets, and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions (VAF 10-2431) for items, services and home medical equipment from physicians, therapists, medical center personnel, patients or their representatives.
• Reviews requests for completeness, comparing disability or diagnosis to equipment and/or services normally provided for the condition for which they are requested, and/or proper documentation has been provided to justify the issuance.
• Identifies, verifies and ensures eligibility of all services and durable medical equipment (DME) requested on Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) consult request by an authorized requester per the area of responsibility and training is addressed before issuing DME.
• Purchases specialized equipment or services that have an unstable price or product characteristic, hard-to-locate sources, have critical Characteristics, or similar complicating factors and resolves a variety of purchasing problems, such as inadequate or restrictive specifications, lack of multiple suppliers, urgent need, or insufficient price history, or with continual requirement changes and updated products; to include life-threatening or life sustaining supplies and equipment, Veterans requiring hospice care in need of immediate supplies and equipment, emergent services and surgical implants with short suspense, and rehabilitation equipment to allow the Veterans to leave the facility.

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 through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: Not eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99432 and PD99433A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Salary : $37,696 - $60,703