Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration • Fredericksburg, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Purchasing Agent supports the Prosthetics & Sensory Aids Service at the Fredericksburg Health Care Center, procuring prosthetic and sensory aids, durable medical equipment, surgical implants, and related supplies for Veterans throughout the Central Virginia VA Health Care System. The position works directly with Veterans, families, and clinical providers to fulfill prescribed equipment needs, verify eligibility and entitlement, and ensure compliance with acquisition regulations.

This is a multi-grade career-ladder position at GS-5 and GS-6. At GS-5, assignments are more limited in scope and performed with less independence; the employee progressively gains the background to perform at the GS-6 full-performance level. Promotion may occur without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met, but depends on satisfactory performance, higher-level work, and available funding. Selection at a lower grade does not guarantee promotion.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework is at the supervisor's discretion. This is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

The work is sedentary, with some walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items such as papers and books. Applicants must meet the applicable GS-5 or GS-6 experience, education, or combination qualification requirements. The announcement lists specialized experience examples for each grade, including healthcare administration and purchasing-related duties. Education may substitute for experience as specified in the posting; transcripts are required when qualifying based partly or entirely on education.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Applicants may be required to serve a probationary or trial period and are subject to a background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants must complete an online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements; beginning May 7, 2025, non-REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards are not acceptable for this purpose.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
• Applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date: 52 weeks at GS-4 for GS-5 consideration, or 52 weeks at GS-5 for GS-6 consideration, for current or former Federal employees subject to the requirement.
• GS-5 applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, or four years of post-high-school education, or a qualifying combination of specialized experience and education beyond two years of post-high-school education.
• GS-6 applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5.
• Examples of GS-5 specialized experience include healthcare administrative duties; working with patient medical records; training or assistance with routine and complex clinic purchases, including medical equipment and prosthetic and orthotic appliances; using computer software; and communicating with internal and external customers.
• Examples of GS-6 specialized experience include interpreting prescriptions and medical equipment or service requests; maintaining regular contact with vendors, contractors, medical center professionals, and staff; using databases and computer systems; purchasing equipment, supplies, and services with an agency or organization purchase card; reconciling charges; and preparing and submitting reports.
• Applicants qualifying through education must submit transcripts. Only education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited institutions may be used; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.
• Applicants seeking credit for part-time experience must clearly state duties and responsibilities and hours worked per week.

Responsibilities

• Perform procurements within the simplified acquisition threshold through competitive open-market procedures or by placing orders or blanket purchase agreements under GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts.
• Purchase equipment, commodities, and services using standard methods.
• Determine what additional information is needed to support or complete purchase requests and coordinate with requesting offices to obtain it.
• Provide technical purchasing support in accordance with FAR, VAAR, VHA, Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, VISN policy, and station memorandums.
• Acquire patient-specific medical equipment, supplies, and services.
• Determine whether requests or portions of requests can be met from Government sources.
• Identify appropriate commercial sources and determine the extent of competition and methods of solicitation required.
• Prepare synopses for Commerce Business Daily.
• Solicit competitive offers and actively seek new sources and potential vendors.
• Evaluate responses to bids and requests for proposal.
• Perform other similar duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package. Annual leave accrual may be credited for qualifying prior work or military service experience, subject to request and approval before appointment; approval is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED