Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration • Chesapeake County, VA

24d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Logistics Service within the North Battlefield VA Outpatient Clinic in Chesapeake, Virginia. The Purchasing Agent acquires supplies, services, and construction through delivery orders and small-purchase procedures, including purchase, rental, and lease arrangements. The role supports the organization’s programs by purchasing a wide variety of complex and specialized services, supplies, equipment, and systems. 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 includes purchasing under the micro-purchase threshold, reviewing requests, resolving processing issues, applying federal and agency acquisition regulations, researching sources, and tracking commitments and expenditures. The position also procures supplies and services, develops selection criteria, prepares contract modifications and correspondence, conducts market research and sole-source small purchases for specialized medical items, and provides administrative support to medical staff and other customers.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The position is performed in an office setting with ordinary workplace risks and no special physical demands. Some standing, sitting, walking, or bending is required. Recruitment and relocation incentives are not authorized, and a Critical Skills Incentive is not approved. The position requires U.S. citizenship, an online assessment, a background/security investigation, participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program, and a one-year probationary period. There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in federal service, including experience relevant to the duties of a Purchasing Agent.
• Specialized experience must include clerical or assistant duties supporting purchasing and procurement; procuring supplies and services; working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities; resolving shipment, payment, or other procurement discrepancies; purchasing equipment, supplies, and services using a purchase card; and preparing or summarizing information for reports using automated supply or inventory management systems and Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel.
• Experience must be documented on the resume with job title, duties, start and end dates by month and year, and hours worked per week.
• Complete the required application steps and online assessment.
• Register with Selective Service if male and born after December 31, 1959.
• Successfully complete a background/security investigation and the online onboarding process, including acceptable employment identification.
• Participate in the Department of Veterans Affairs seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one-year probationary period.
• There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
• Be within or willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location.

Responsibilities

• Conduct purchases under the micro-purchase threshold and review and edit purchase requests.
• Resolve issues so requests and bills are processed accurately and promptly; identify problems and determine corrective actions.
• 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, or abuse based on procurement history and purchase trends.
• Procure supplies and services to meet purchase, rental, or lease needs.
• Develop selection criteria for individual purchases.
• Prepare and issue contract modifications for delivery-schedule changes and send formal correspondence to customers and contracting officers as appropriate.
• 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, recordkeeping, and other miscellaneous duties in the medical facility.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Prior federal or military service may be credited toward annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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