The Purchasing Agent position is a member of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line with the VA Sioux Falls, South Dakota Health Care System. The purpose of this position is to perform technical level purchasing support to acquire patient specific medical equipment, supplies, and services. Patient care and support services are provided to an adult population and the employee will serve as a direct point of contact for the Veteran population.

Duties

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-7. At the GS-5 and GS-6 grade levels, 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-7. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Major duties include but are not limited to: Performs technical level purchasing support while adhering to VA and department directives and handbooks. Verifies accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in the purchase menu and the prosthetics program. Documents the appropriate types of services provided and the duration. Serves as point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support. Tailors the patient care/support services to meet the specialized need(s) of the individual patient and the clinical service it supports. Reviews written prescriptions or oral requests to determine what items or services are needed. Examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services based on adopted criteria. Completes a Veterans Record Transaction on patients' medical records to ensure documentation of exactly what was purchased and issued to the Veteran. Utilizes office automation equipment to place purchase orders, produce forms, and complete correspondence. 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: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99433A, PD99432A, and PD99434A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit Position: Yes - AFGE Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for PSAS, however, while conducting inventory management functions, the employee 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 involved 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 the Prosthetics to conduct professional duties. Work Environment: Employee works in a health care office with the possibility of contact with ill and diseased patients. Normal duties are performed in an office setting, which has adequate heat, light, and ventilation; however, the employee must retrieve prosthetic items from various storage areas daily. The employee may on occasion accompany the Site Manager and/or Prosthetic Representative on visits to the patients' homes or to a vendor for shop inspections. Incumbent has direct daily contact with patients and may handle equipment returned from Veterans with contagious diseases; hence, the employee is required to practice Universal Precautions in observance of normal safety practices with office equipment and prosthetics equipment and supplies; avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations is required. The area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/12/2023. 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. For a GS-06 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-07 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Minimum Qualifications for GS-05 (Developmental): 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:Performing duties with supervision pertaining to purchasing equipment and supplies through an automated process or through utilization of a purchase card; ability to interpret federal laws and regulations that pertain to eligibility and entitlement to determine treatment and provision of equipment to Veterans; and review incoming shipments for correct quantities and initiates paperwork to correct deficiencies. Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work. (This experience must be well documented in your resume or application package.) OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years of education above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial, or technical school, junior college, college, or university. One year of full-time academic 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements at the GS-05 grade 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) Minimum Qualifications for GS-06 (Developmental): 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: Performing all duties with limited supervision pertaining to purchasing equipment and supplies through an automated process or through utilization of a purchase card; ability to interpret federal laws and regulations that pertain to eligibility and entitlement to determine treatment and provision of equipment to Veterans; and review incoming shipments for correct quantities and initiates paperwork to correct deficiencies. Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work. (This experience must be well documented in your resume or application package.) Minimum Qualifications for GS-07 (Full Performance): Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing duties without supervision pertaining to purchasing equipment and supplies through an automated process or through utilization of a purchase card; providing purchasing support while adhering to and interpreting local laws and regulations that pertain to eligibility and entitlement to determine treatment and provision of equipment to Veterans; utilizing computer software to submit various plans and bids for multiple vendors; applying excellent communication skills while providing care and support to patients; researching the status of vendors to ensure they are in good standing to do business with; selecting the most cost-effective and reliable source to deliver items/services; and examining health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services. (This experience must be well-documented in your resume or application package.) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: AccountabilityAttention to DetailCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Technical 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. 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 or GS-07 grade levels.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education at the GS-05 grade 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 Royal C Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital 2501 West 22nd Street Sioux Falls, SD 57105 US
• Name: Tracy Casady
• Phone: 402-995-4028
• Email: [email protected]