Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration • Saint Louis, MO

19d • Onsite

About The Position

This position serves in the Logistics Service within a VA Health Care System, acquiring supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through delivery orders and small-purchase procedures. The role applies policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases, along with knowledge of commercial supply sources and common business practices related to sales, prices, discounts, units of measurement, deliveries, stocks, and shipments.

The position is not virtual. The employee must live within, or be willing to relocate within, a commutable distance of the duty location. The work is performed in an office setting and includes some standing, sitting, walking, or bending, with no special physical demands. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Recruitment and relocation incentives are not authorized, and a Critical Skills Incentive is not approved.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment. Other conditions include Selective Service registration for applicable males, a background/security investigation, onboarding and identification requirements, participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program, and a one-year probationary period. At the GS-6 level, applicants must have at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to GS-5. There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Requirements

• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service, typically in or related to the work of the position.
• Specialized experience must include clerical or assistant duties supporting purchasing and procurement.
• Experience procuring supplies and services to meet an organization's purchase, rental, or lease needs.
• Experience working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities.
• Experience resolving shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations.
• Experience purchasing equipment, supplies, and services using a purchase card.
• Experience assembling or summarizing information from files and documents to create reports using automated computerized supply or inventory management systems and Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel.
• Qualifying experience must be supported by the applicant's resume.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Complete all required application steps, including the online assessment.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Successful applicants are subject to a background/security investigation and must complete online onboarding.
• Acceptable identification is required for pre-employment requirements; beginning May 7, 2025, non-REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state identification cards cannot be used as acceptable identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one-year probationary period.
• There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Responsibilities

• Conduct purchasing under the micro-purchase threshold and review and edit purchase requests.
• Resolve issues to ensure requests and bills are processed accurately and promptly.
• Identify needs or problems and determine corrective action.
• Use federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify potential sources and other relevant purchasing information.
• Track obligations and commitments and monitor expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste, and abuse based on procurement history and purchasing trends.
• Procure supplies and services to meet organizational purchase, rental, or lease needs.
• Develop unique selection criteria for each purchase.
• Prepare and issue contract modifications for delivery-schedule changes.
• Send formal correspondence to customers, including inventory management specialists, other service-line contacts, and contracting officers, for purposes such as auditing documents, processing receiving reports, and payments.
• Conduct open-market research and sole-source small purchases for highly specialized medical items with critical product requirements.
• Serve as the first point of contact for medical staff and customers regarding procured items.
• Develop reports and spreadsheets and obtain, organize, file, and retrieve reports for briefings and presentations.
• Perform receptionist, timekeeping, record-keeping, and other miscellaneous duties in a medical facility.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience; the credit must be requested and approved before appointment and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed