Acquisition & Utilization Specialist

Veterans Health Administration • Louisville, KY

21d • Onsite

About The Position

The Acquisition & Utilization Specialist serves as the medical center liaison and advisor on contract-related services, focusing on critical clinical and healthcare services, product acquisition, and support services. The role provides procurement advice and support to project managers, program managers, upper management, and stakeholders for a wide variety of items, including specialized services. The specialist provides expert contract pre-award and post-award support to administrative and clinical services within the medical center and its supported catchment area.

The position develops procurement policies, procedures, and supporting materials consistent with federal acquisition laws and regulations; analyzes service requirements and recommends courses of action; trains facility Contracting Officers; and coordinates procurement packages, including unique, emergent, and complex requirements. The specialist also advises on negotiations and contract administration, establishes controls to ensure contracts are executed according to their terms, and monitors quality assurance plans for contracted services.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Flexible or compressed scheduling is not available. This is not a virtual position. The work is primarily sedentary in an adequately lighted, climate-controlled office, with some standing, walking, bending, and lifting up to 40 pounds. The position requires occasional physical exertion such as stretching, reaching, and pushing or pulling when assisting with inventories or retrieving items from shelves and cabinets.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the applicable time-in-grade requirement for a GS-11 position if currently or formerly covered by the stated federal employee eligibility provisions: 52 weeks at GS-09.
• Qualify through one of the stated pathways: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09; a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.M.; or an equivalent combination of graduate education and specialized experience.
• Specialized experience, when used to qualify, must include experience handling contract-related services, product acquisition, and procurement in a healthcare environment; overseeing pre-award and post-award contracts; preparing procurement packages for unique, emergent, and complex requirements and developing requirement documents; developing sole-source justifications; developing and analyzing reports and making recommendations on acquisition and contracting issues; participating in negotiations throughout contract administration; and monitoring expenditures and reporting deviations from contract terms.
• Complete the required application steps, including the online assessment.
• Complete the required background/security investigation and online onboarding process.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel requirement.
• Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Submit transcripts if relying on education to qualify; qualifying education must be from an appropriately accredited institution, and foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.

Responsibilities

• Develop procedures, policies, and supporting artifacts to ensure procurement activities comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), VA Acquisitions Regulations (VAAR), and other federal procurement laws and regulations.
• Analyze clinical and administrative service requirements and recommend courses of action that address construction, budgeting, supporting manpower, and other relevant factors.
• Train facility Contracting Officers on procurement policies and new procurement processes and procedures.
• Establish, expedite, and review consolidated procurement packages, including unique, emergent, and complex requirements, to meet timely and technical acquisition needs.
• Develop and deliver presentations and recommendations to leadership and stakeholders to explain regulations and procedures.
• Negotiate performance requirements among multiple sites and service lines to achieve agreement and standardize enterprise equipment, supply, and service requirements in support of strategic acquisition plans.
• Establish and maintain controls to ensure contracts are executed in accordance with their terms.
• Advise contract specialists and Contracting Officers on all phases of negotiations and contract administration, including contract modifications, change orders, supplemental agreements, delivery orders, requirements definition, justification and approval for service contract extensions, contracting methods, proposal evaluation, and administration.
• Monitor quality assurance surveillance plans to ensure contracted services meet facility expectations and needs.

Benefits

• Federal employees receive a comprehensive benefits package; eligibility depends on position type and other factors.
• VA may offer newly appointed federal employees credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree