Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration•Temple, TX

16d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is part of the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line, assigned to a VA Medical Center. The Purchasing Agent provides direct medical-supply purchasing and inventory-management support to administrative and clinical services, initiating obligations for requirements needed to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services—including durable medical equipment and supplies—to Veterans. The position reviews prosthetic consultations, prescriptions, and requests for items, services, and home medical equipment; verifies completeness and documentation; and arranges procurement. It establishes workflows for timely execution, advises other services on requisition procedures, reviews requests and makes substitutions within scope, and provides vendors with guidance on local VHA vendor-file requirements. The Purchasing Agent examines clinical records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement, and advises Veterans and clinicians accordingly. The role procures specialized medical equipment, supplies, and services tailored to Veterans’ needs. Examples include eye-tracking augmented speech devices, custom wheelchairs, vehicle modifications, and specialized ramps with preparation and labor. It uses purchasing strategies to identify and solicit vendors, determine applicable clauses and lead times, evaluate offers, negotiate prices with sole-source vendors, and gather information for new requirements. The position uses a government purchase card for micro-purchases and prepares and authorizes complex purchase orders for devices, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment. The position has promotion potential to the full performance level without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met; 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. This is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized, and the Critical Skills Incentive and Permanent Change of Station are not approved/authorized.

Requirements

For GS-05, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-04, or four years of education above high school in a qualifying accredited institution, or an equivalent combination of specialized experience and post-high-school education. For a combination, only education beyond 60 semester hours (two years) is creditable.
For GS-06, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05 in Federal service.
Specialized experience includes knowledge of purchasing regulations, methods, procedures, and business practices for specialized medical equipment, supplies, and services.
GS-05 qualifying experience may include facilitating orders under $10,000, including monitoring, follow-up, market research, purchase-order preparation, vendor ordering, delivery validation, reconciliation, document archiving, and invoice uploading.
GS-06 qualifying experience may include resolving purchase-order conflicts and handling deviations from established procedures under supervision and applicable agency or local standards.
Current Federal employees and certain former Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements: 52 weeks at GS-04 for GS-05, or 52 weeks at GS-05 for GS-06.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Applicants are subject to a background/security investigation and must complete online onboarding and provide acceptable identification.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
A one-year probationary period or two-year trial period is required, during which continued employment is evaluated.
Transcripts are required when education is used to qualify; qualifying education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Competencies include Customer Service, Quality Assurance, Standards, Writing, Computer Skills, Attention to Detail, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Reading Comprehension, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork.

Responsibilities

Receive and analyze prosthetic consultations and prescriptions for items, services, and home medical equipment.
Review requests for completeness and proper documentation, and arrange procurement.
Establish workflow protocols to ensure timely execution of work.
Advise other services on policies and procedures for requisitions for services, equipment, and commodities.
Review requests from various sources and make substitutions when necessary and within scope.
Guide potential vendors on requirements and information for the VHA local vendor file.
Examine clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services.
Advise Veterans and clinicians regarding eligibility and entitlements.
Procure specialized medical equipment, supplies, and services tailored to individual Veteran needs.
Use purchasing strategies to determine solicitation methods and vendors, applicable clauses, acceptable offers, and lead times.
Negotiate prices with sole-source vendors, persuade reluctant vendors, and collect data for previously unrequired items.
Purchase equipment, supplies, and services using a government purchase card for micro-purchases.
Authorize and prepare complex purchase orders for devices, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment.
Facilitate orders under $10,000, including monitoring and follow-up, market research, purchase-order creation, vendor ordering, delivery validation, reconciliation, document archiving, and invoice uploading for audit validation.
At the GS-06 level, resolve purchase-order administration conflicts such as protests, claims, duplicate billing, and terminations for convenience, and handle procedural deviations and related problems under supervision.