Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration•Buffalo, NY

8d•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service within the VA Health Care System in Buffalo, New York. The employee acquires supplies, services, and construction through purchase, rental, or lease using delivery orders and small-purchase procedures. The role supports a wide range of programs and activities and involves purchasing complex and highly specialized services, supplies, equipment, and systems. The Purchasing Agent uses policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases, along with knowledge of commercial supply sources and business practices. Duties include purchasing under the micro-purchase threshold, reviewing purchase requests, resolving processing issues, conducting market research, supporting procurement and contract modifications, monitoring obligations and expenditures, and providing administrative support to medical staff and customers. The position is full-time, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Telework is not authorized, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
For current or former Federal employees subject to time-in-grade requirements, GS-06 applicants must have served 52 weeks at GS-05; supporting SF-50 documentation is required.
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-05, including experience in clerical or assistant support for 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 assembling or summarizing information to create reports using automated supply or inventory systems and Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel.
Applicants must clearly describe the nature of their duties and responsibilities and the number of hours worked per week to receive experience credit.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Selected applicants are subject to a background/security investigation and must complete online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

Responsibilities

Conduct purchases under the micro-purchase threshold.
Review and edit purchase requests and resolve issues to ensure requests and bills are processed accurately and promptly.
Identify needs or 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, and abuse based on procurement history and 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 changes in delivery schedules.
Send formal correspondence to customers, including inventory management specialists, service-line contacts, and contracting officers, for document audits, 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 the medical facility.
Perform other related duties as assigned.