Lead Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration•Aurora, CO

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Purchasing Agent works in the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) at the Jewell VA Clinic of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in Aurora, Colorado. The position provides direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management support for administrative and clinical services, including supplying durable medical equipment and other supplies directly to Veterans. The role performs technical-level purchasing, gathers information for acquisition plans and procurement packages, researches additional or alternate vendor resources not available in the System for Award Management (SAM), reviews transactions for discrepancies or loopholes, and uses PSAS reporting tools to monitor and track open purchase card orders. As team lead, the employee communicates assignments and problems to the team, coaches team members, balances workloads, arranges training, monitors work progress, maintains records and reports, and updates the supervisor on team and individual accomplishments and deadlines. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Situational (ad hoc) telework is authorized; the position is not virtual or remote. Work is primarily sedentary during purchasing functions, with inventory work taking place in a warehouse and storage areas. The position may involve sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, retrieving, and managing inventory, as well as prolonged computer use and climbing to stock equipment. Items weighing up to 25 pounds may be carried or lifted. Some work may involve visiting sites away from the office, walking between the medical center and other Prosthetics areas, and wearing protective clothing when visiting the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Fabrication Laboratory.

Requirements

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-06, including team communication, coaching, workload distribution, and training or arranging training for team members, and use of PSAS reporting tools to monitor and track open purchase card orders.
Current Federal employees who held a GS grade within the past 52 weeks must meet the GS-07 time-in-grade requirement of 52 weeks at GS-06 and submit supporting SF-50 documentation.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Applicants must complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
Applicants are subject to a background/security investigation and must complete the online onboarding process and acceptable-identity-document requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
The position requires a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
Physical capacity for occasional inventory work, including retrieving equipment from storage, climbing to stock items, and carrying or lifting items up to 25 pounds.
Normal safety precautions are adequate; some site visits involve moderate discomfort, and protective clothing may be required in the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Fabrication Laboratory.
No educational substitution is available at this grade level.

Nice To Haves

Two years of prosthetics purchasing experience.
Two years of file management experience in Prosthetics.
Clear and concise communication with supervisors, providers, and Prosthetics staff.

Responsibilities

Communicate assignments, projects, and problems to be solved to the team.
Coach the team on selecting and applying appropriate problem-solving methods and techniques.
Lead the identification, distribution, and balancing of workload and tasks among employees.
Train or arrange training for team members.
Monitor and report the status and progress of work.
Prepare reports and maintain records of work accomplishments and administrative information.
Periodically report team and individual work accomplishments to the supervisor.
Estimate and report progress toward established milestones and assignment deadlines.
Perform technical-level purchasing and obtain information needed for acquisition plans and procurement packages.
Research additional or alternate vendor resources not available in the System for Award Management (SAM).
Review purchasing work for discrepancies or loopholes.
Use PSAS reporting tools to monitor and track open PSAS purchase card orders.
Conduct inventory management, including retrieving, stocking, and managing equipment and supplies.