This position is located in the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line under the Johnson City, VA Clinic in Johnson City, TN.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties: Using guidance, direction, and direct use of policies and guidelines, performs technical level purchasing. Conducts open market research for purchases of routine equipment, supplies, and services. Conducts purchasing under the micro purchase threshold. Obtains all necessary procurement information to successfully submit Acquisition Plans and Procurement Packages for stock and Veteran specific needs to the Network Contracting Office. Uploads quotes, bids, invoices, consults, and other important documents to the Electronic Contract Management System. Utilizes 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. Performs research to find alternate vendor resources not available in SAM to meet the needs of specific purchase situations. Performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Prosthetics guidelines to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks. Finds additional vendor resources not available in SAM to meet the needs of specific purchase situations. Reviews for discrepancies or loopholes in lengthy specifications or statements of work that are very detailed, or otherwise difficult to understand. Coordinates under close direction and supervision, with appropriate vendor for device retrieval and reconciliation of acquisition days to ensure daily fund rental fiscal accountability. Performs purchasing methods which may include Veteran-specific purchases in the Prosthetics Application Suite/ graphical user interface (GUI) or the Prosthetics Official Purchasing Menu for Inventory support. Completes a Veterans Record Transaction on the patient's medical record to ensure documentation of exactly what was purchased and issued is recorded on the Veteran's record. Initiates recall action of identified recall products provided and communicates all findings to the Logistics Service. Performs purchases of specialized/customized equipment or services that have an unstable price or product characteristic, hard-to-locate sources, have critical characteristics, or similar complicating factors and resolves a variety of purchasing problems. Makes independent purchasing decisions outside of already established contracts for open market items for custom/complex in home installations or other custom devices where the particular purchase route or vendor is not always clear and decisions must be made based on multiple bids, Veteran's medical condition living situation, and information from the original consult. Maintains accurate records of transactions and completes all adjustments to computerized system before final payment to vendor is certified. Manages data collection used in preparing and submitting numerous reports. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:45am-4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-5 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-04) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as Purchasing Agent. Qualifying specialized experience includes performing administrative duties in a healthcare setting; reviewing and working with patients' medical records; completing training or assisting in routine and complex specialized purchases for clinics including medical equipment, prosthetic and orthotic appliances; utilizing computer software programs; and communicating with internal and external customers via various methods. ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): 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. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Possess the equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education beyond two (2) years and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this Purchasing Agent position. To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-05) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as Purchasing Agent. Qualifying specialized experience includes interpreting prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services; maintaining regular contact with vendors, contractors, medical center professionals and staff; utilizing a variety of databases and computer systems; purchasing equipment, supplies and services using an agency/organization purchase card; and reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)Decision MakingManages ResourcesReasoning (Clerical/Technical)Technical Competence 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 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. 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

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution at the GS-6 level

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 James H Quillen VA Medical Center Corner of Lamont Street and Veterans Way Mountain Home, TN 37684 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]