Purchasing Agent

Department of Veterans Affairs•Walla Walla, WA

27d•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service within the VA Health Care System performing work to acquire supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through (a) delivery orders and/or (b) small purchase procedures. THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION This position utilizes knowledge of policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases and knowledge of commercial supply sources and common business practices related to sales, prices, discounts, units of measurement, deliveries, stocks, and shipments. The Purchasing Agent maintains responsibility for work leading to the purchase of a wide variety of complex and highly specialized services, supplies, equipment, and systems that support the full range of programs and activities. Major duties and responsibilities include: Purchasing Support - Conducts purchasing under the micro purchase threshold; reviews and edits purchase requests; resolves issues to ensure requests and bills are processed accurately and in a timely manner; identifies needs or problems and determines corrective action; utilizes federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify possible sources and other pertinent information related to purchases; tracks obligations/commitments and monitors expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste and abuse based on procurement history and purchase trends. Procurement Support - Procures supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of the organization; develops unique selection criteria for each purchase; Prepare and issue contract modifications for changes in delivery schedule and sends formal correspondence to a variety of customers such as inventory management specialists, other service line contacts, and contracting officers as appropriate for the purposes of auditing documents, processing receiving reports, and payments.; conducting open market research and sole source small purchases for highly specialized medical items with critical product requirements. Administrative Support - Serves as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers in regard to procured items; develops reports and spreadsheets, obtains, organizes, files and retrieves reports for briefing and presentation purposes; performs a variety of receptionist, timekeeping, record keeping and miscellaneous duties in medical facility. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

Conducts purchasing under the micro purchase threshold
Reviews and edits purchase requests
Resolves issues to ensure requests and bills are processed accurately and in a timely manner
Identifies needs or problems and determines corrective action
Utilizes federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify possible sources and other pertinent information related to purchases
Tracks obligations/commitments and monitors expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste and abuse based on procurement history and purchase trends.
Procures supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of the organization
Develops unique selection criteria for each purchase
Prepare and issue contract modifications for changes in delivery schedule and sends formal correspondence to a variety of customers such as inventory management specialists, other service line contacts, and contracting officers as appropriate for the purposes of auditing documents, processing receiving reports, and payments.
Conducting open market research and sole source small purchases for highly specialized medical items with critical product requirements.
Serves as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers in regard to procured items
Develops reports and spreadsheets, obtains, organizes, files and retrieves reports for briefing and presentation purposes
Performs a variety of receptionist, timekeeping, record keeping and miscellaneous duties in medical facility.
Performs other related duties as assigned.