The incumbent is a member of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line under the VISN or medical center. Incumbent is assigned to the VA Medical Center and has an active inpatient implant care coordination and outpatient treatment program and inventory responsibility to include, but are not limited to: Prosthetic and Sensory Aids; Fabrication Lab for Orthotic and Prosthetics, and Orthopedic Services etc.

Duties

The major duties in this position are identified in two categories: 1) 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 occupies the majority of the duty time in this position-(60%); and, 2) routine purchasing includes routine purchase orders on established contracts or through established vendor resources using regular significant research, analysis or collaboration-(40%). The incumbent has multiple levels of micro purchase threshold authority, and these micro purchase thresholds uniquely influence the major duties and responsibilities in this position, particularly the complex purchasing major duty. Purchase authority is established or changed when the incumbents VA Form 0242 is submitted and signed by VHA procurement authority based on the items purchased and their contract status. For non-national contract items the incumbent has a general micro purchase authority of $10,000. For national contract-based purchases when 38 U.S.C 8123 authority is delegated, by the Secretary for the Department of Veteran's Affairs, the incumbent has a micro purchase threshold of $100,000. This includes surgical implants and additional commodities which may be included as the authority is expanded. The 8123 authority was first authorized by the Secretary of the VA on October 5th, 2017, and the authority specifically authorizes the incumbent the following provisions: 1) approval of non-warranted individuals to establish purchase orders and use purchase cards to pay for such orders without regard to micro-purchase threshold limitations; and, 2) approval of establishing written obligated purchase card orders and payments to vendors after the product has been used. Performs technical level purchasing adhering to the FAR, VAAR, VHA, and Prosthetics Directives and Handbooks, VISN policy and station memorandums to acquire Veteran specific medical equipment, supplies and services based on a medical provider's clinical assessment and evaluation of the Veteran's medical condition. Functions include but not limited to: rentals to meet the outpatient medical needs of the services, all outpatient durable medical equipment and supplies, rehabilitation equipment, mobility and daily living aids, neuro-sensory, home oxygen, inpatient surgical implants, and supplies. Obtains all necessary procurement information to successfully submit Acquisition Plans and Procurement Packages for stock and Veteran specific needs to the Network Contracting Office and uploads quotes, bids, invoices, consults, and other important documents to the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS/FORCE). Unique Entity Identifier number (UEI) information and ensures each vendor is in the System for Award Management (SAM) and in good standing to do business with the government. The incumbent may be required to perform research to find alternate vendor resources not available in SAM to meet the needs of specific purchase situations. The incumbent independently performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following VHA Prosthetics guidelines to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks. The lack of vendor availability can add to the complexity of a purchase but is not the only variable that exists when making complex purchase orders. Other complexities include the Veteran's specific medical and social situations, the item requested, timeframes required, geographical and socioeconomic factors and many other variables. The incumbent may be required to find additional vendor resources not available in SAM to meet the needs of specific purchase situations. The incumbent independently performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following VHA Prosthetics guidelines to complete to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks. Duty Station: This position is located at the Jefferson Barracks division, but may be changed to any other VASTLHCS location based on the needs of the medical center. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full Time Permanent Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99432-A, PD99433-A, and PD99434-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/12/2023. 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. 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. For a GS-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. Applicants must provide SF-50(s) - Notification of Personnel Action, to verify their eligibility to apply to the area of consideration listed in this announcement and to verify that they possess the time-in-grade requirements for the position. The following information is provided to assist applicants in the submission of appropriate SF-50s to verify eligibility and time-in-grade requirements: To verify your eligibility to apply to the area of consideration listed in the announcement, you must provide your most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee. An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must also 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 outlined in the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade An award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50's to document time-in-grade include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held; OR, Promotions with an effective date more than one year old 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. Grade Determinations: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-5 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level in the Federal service that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this Purchasing Agent position. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-5 level would typically include one or more of the following: Working independently to complete purchase orders and reconcile charges, Conduct face-to-face and telephone conversations with patients, family members, and private medical staff, contractors, vendors, and co-workers, Researches the use of different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures, and purchasing methods to distinguish between different purchasing strategies. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for the GS-5 grade level you must have successfully completed four academic years above high school, leading to a bachelor's degree. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-5 level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and four academic years of education above high school leading to a bachelor's degree. GS-6 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this Purchasing Agent position. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-6 level would typically include some of the following: Working independently to complete purchase orders and reconcile charges. Quickly deduce from written prescriptions or oral requests what items or services are needed, selecting the most appropriate cost-effective source to deliver the items/service in the most reliable manner. Maintains an inventory of all purchased and consignment equipment with expiration date, imitate exchange and/or replacement of expired stock. Providing patient care and support services to an adult population and serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support. GS-7 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in the Federal service that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this Purchasing Agent position. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-7 level include many of the following: Resolves conflicts in administering purchase orders, such as protests, claims, duplicate billing & terminations for convenience or default. Performs technical level purchasing support adhering to the Service Directives and Handbooks, policy and memorandums to acquire patient specific medical equipment, supplies and services. Verifies accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in both the purchase menu and the prosthetics program and associates all obligations to the individual patient. Maintains accurate records of transactions and completes all adjustments to computerized system before final payment to vendor is certified. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to DetailCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Manages ResourcesTechnical Competence 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 conducing 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

Education can only be substituted at the GS-5 grade level. There is no educational substitution at the GS-6 or GS-7 grade levels.

• For GS-5 level, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA St Louis Health Care System 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive St. Louis, MO 63125 US
• Name: Adam E. Smith
• Phone: 909-683-5470
• Email: [email protected]