Employee will serve as a Purchasing Agent, Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service, VA Medical Center Shreveport, LA. Employee will provide direct medical supply Purchasing and Inventory Management support to the administrative and clinical services of the VA to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: performing clerical or assistant duties in support of purchasing and procurement; experience procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization; working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities; resolving a variety of shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations; purchasing various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of a purchase card; and assembling and/or summarizing information from files and documents as required to create reports utilizing automated computerized supply/inventory management systems and Microsoft Office software programs such as MS Word and Excel. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required): Successful completion of (4) years of education above the high school level in any field. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical school. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required): Combination of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Computer Skills Contracting/Procurement Customer Service Problem Solving IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions. 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. Employee 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/.
***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 involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-06. At the GS-05 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-06. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Duties include but may not be limited to the following: Performs complex purchasing that requires irregular research, analysis, collaboration, and many other steps to ensure both best value and the most appropriate devices are purchased for the Veterans; and performs routine purchasing which includes routine purchase orders on established contracts or through established vendor resources using regular significant research, analysis or collaboration. Performs independent technical level purchasing support adhering to all appropriate guidelines and policies to acquire Veteran-specific medical equipment, supplies and services based on a medical providers clinical assessment and evaluation of the Veteran's medical condition. Performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following appropriate guidelines to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks. Utilizes reporting tools to monitor and track open purchase card orders. Has the authority to obligate the government in procurement actions up to the single micro-purchase threshold for open market and under established contracts for all types of goods and services. Researches the use of different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures in both the purchase card menu and the prosthetics program for both complex and simplified purchases. Performs purchases of specialized/customized equipment or services. Manages data collection used in preparing and submitting numerous reports. Resolves conflicts in administering purchase orders, such as protests, claims, duplicate billing, and terminations for convenience or default. Conducts thorough market research by obtaining competitive bids/ Request for Quotation (RFQ) to determine fair and reasonable pricing. Uses all applicable Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) when ordering prosthetic items for Veterans for direct patient care or for inventory. Completes mandatory purchase card training. Processes emergent orders identified as "stat" orders, providing services within 24-hours. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be approved.