Summary This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service within the VA Health Care System performing work to acquire patient-specific medical supplies and services through small purchase procedures. Responsibilities 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: The incumbent develops knowledge and understanding of medical disorders and the prosthetic devices utilized in the treatment of the same. Familiarity with rehabilitation procedures and the support equipment necessary in that process. Incumbent must have an understanding of clinical, social, economic, vocational, psychological and environmental needs of the patients serviced by the facility and how these impact the patient's prosthetic and rehabilitative goals is essential to this position. The work requires knowledge of a body of standardized purchasing regulations, policies, and procedures; established commodities and markets; and common business practices to make purchases involving commercial requirements and average complexity. Routine purchases are simplified orders that do not require extensive research and are generally procured using FSS/VISN/Local and/or DALC contracts. Such purchases are generally one-line purchase order where pricing is known in advance through established contract vehicles (i.e., eyeglasses, Standard Electric Hospital Beds, Blood Pressure Cuffs, CPAP Supplies). The incumbent develops knowledge of community care DME practices and procedures to coordinate complex DME purchases between Veteran's being seen in the community on community care authorizations and VA purchasing to support those needs. PSAS often is required to coordinate with outside physician and other clinical providers offices on the specific requirements the VA has for provision of particular pieces of medical equipment as well as work with those providers on filling out Request for Additional Services Forms and submitting to VA properly for provision of these services. The purchasing staff are often tasked with educating outside providers on VA common practices and regulations to ensure proper orders from the community with high volume clinics over a period of time. The incumbent develops knowledge of prosthetic regulations and policies, as stated in VHA Directives and Handbook 1173, " Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service." As well as "Prosthetic and Rehabilitative Items and Services" 38 CFR 17.3200-3250. This is imperative to administer appropriate benefits to the Veteran. To facilitate these, a working knowledge of Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 17; VHA Manuals: M-4, Part V, M-6, Part VI, Chapters 11. 12. 13; VHA Directives relating to Home Oxygen Therapy and familiarity with Automobile Adaptive Equipment will be required. Knowledge of medical terminology, physical and sensory disabilities, basic anatomy and kinesiology is imperative. The ability to interpret oral and written instructions from physicians and therapists is essential. Knowledge of all PSAS VA Forms and the ability to determine when to use each form. Each form has a distinctive use and a thorough knowledge of eligibility/entitlement will be required to make an accurate assessment of which form should be utilized. The incumbent has the authority to purchase on contract surgical implants up to a dollar threshold of $100,000 for contracted surgical implants. The purchasing agent must independently interpret and review the implants used in a procedure and determine if they meet the requirement to be purchased using 8123 authority at the higher micro purchase threshold. During the developmental period the incumbent will gain knowledge in the above areas to become a purchasing subject matter expert and understand all the tools available to them. The incumbent demonstrates knowledge of VA Medical Center and PSAS mission, regulations and policies regarding eligibility for treatment, as they are necessary to adequately determine a patient's eligibility/entitlement for equipment. The incumbent demonstrates knowledge of FAR, VAAR, Medical Center and PSAS policies and procedures as they pertain to prosthetic purchasing to ensure that procurement follows all government regulations.The incumbent develops thorough knowledge and understanding of CPRS consult request process and proceeds to provide as described. The position must be knowledgeable of the Medicare HCPCS for accurate reporting and accountability as well as accurate 3rd party billing. Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 0800-1630 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD03189A and PD99434A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/21/2025.Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:GS-5 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Ability to interpret oral and written instructions. Knowledge of contracts, purchasing policies, equipment sources, trade policies, shipping procedures and the corresponding terminology. Knowledge for troubleshooting/repairing equipment. Knowledge of medical terminology. Knowledge of computer software programs. Manage data collection and prepare reports. Utilize a variety of automated systems to enter, update, revise, sort, and calculate data. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess the successful completion of four (4) years above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond post-high school education and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this Purchasing Agent position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. GS-6 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: purchasing of equipment, supplies, and services through simplified acquisition procedures, formal competitive bid (sealed bid) and negotiated procedures; screening purchase requests for completeness and adequacy to determine how a purchase should be made; ordering against an existing contract (e.g., Federal Supply Schedules) or through open market/small purchase procedures; soliciting quotes either orally or by issuing requests for quotation (RFQ); selecting and using the appropriate method (e.g., delivery order, purchase order, blanket purchase agreement, impressed funds, and credit cards) to confirm and place an order. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Technical Competence Manage Resources Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for PSAS. However, while conducting inventory management functions, the incumbent may work comfortably in a warehouse environment, sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, retrieving and managing inventory. Prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal is required. Ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room is required. Climbing associated with stocking of equipment and other items in storage areas is necessary. Incumbent may carry/lift items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Normal safety precautions are adequate. The work involves moderate discomfort when visiting sites away from the office. At times, the employee may be required to wear protective clothing when visiting the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Fabrication Laboratory. Often, walking between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics to conduct professional duties. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at the GS-06 grade level. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.