The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions.

Duties

The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements. *ALTERNATE LANGUAGE FOR RECENT GRADUATES: Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, Continued Service and Participant Agreements. This is a developmental position leading to a GS-09, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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. Duties include but not limited to: Conducts planning for expendable items and durable medical equipment (DME), utilizing enterprise-wide computerized planning tools. Uses a range of well-established and commonly applied inventory principles, standard and nonstandard methodologies, and concepts to determine need to intervene in the supply system in response to fluctuations in rates of usage, cost, availability for established suppliers, alternative sources of supply and other similar conditions. Performs basic analytical work to manage, regulate, coordinate, or otherwise exercise control over EX supplies. Applies practical knowledge of systems, techniques, and underlying management concepts for determining, regulating, and controlling the level and flow of supplies from the initial planning stages with service lines, through procurement, storage, issue, utilization, and disposal. Forecasts short- and long-range inventory needs considering changes in medical and surgical technologies, clinical scheduling changes and program requirements and while in development, provides to the supervisor or higher graded specialist for consideration and review. Supports customers and acquisition personnel in developing requirements, utilizing mandatory sources and standardization of sources. Conducts basic data analysis for acquisition planning associated with DME. Assists customers in the creation of Performance Work Statements for procurement. Researches alternative sources for procurement. Determines the best purchasing and payment method to utilize, i.e., purchase card order, etc. Ensures procurement methods are made in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the VA Acquisition Regulations (VAAR) for competition and formal advertisement. Conducts market research on product pricing and performance. Manages inventory, sets initial stock and par levels and reorder points and assists the supervisor and/or higher graded specialist with issues for a complete medical or service category (i.e., surgical, dental, imaging, engineering, prosthetics, laboratory, or other major commodity). Utilizes current best practices, principles and tools to determine and evaluate supply system performance and make recommendations to the supervisor for improvement. Reviews and reports back to Fiscal on listings of delinquent payments and receipts of purchase orders. In highly structured and reviewed situations - corresponds with procurement officials, vendors, project engineers and other stakeholders to help resolve inventory issues. Coordinates rotation of emergency caches to prevent expirations and economy of supply while maintaining National Emergency Management stock levels. Conducts wall-to-wall and periodic inventories, as assigned by the supervisor and then further independently as training proceeds, to identify potential shrinkage issues or other supply chain discrepancies. Utilizes automated inventory management system, such as General Inventory Reviews inventory management reports including due-in reports, pending backorder reports, outdated inventory reports, inventory balance reports and 90-day inactive reports and conducts basic analysis. Acts as a central point of contact for the coordination of material support and while in the developmental capacity, works with the supervisor or higher graded specialist on the resolution of logistics problems across organizational lines. Work schedule: Monday-Friday; 8 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Position Description Title/PD#: Inventory Management Specialist (TCF)/PD99353TS

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/28/2024. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 . For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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 education and/or experience as described below: GS-05 Grade Level: General Experience: You must have at least three (3) years of general experience with at least one (1) year of which was equivalent to performing the work at the GS-04 grade level that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. General experience is defined progressively responsible experience that demonstrates the ability to: Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; Plan and organize work; and communicate effectively orally and in writing. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four (4) years of education 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. 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. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of general experience and education beyond high school. 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. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. ACWA Testing: At this grade level ACWA testing may be required. GS-07 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: the ability to search for and analyze information; acquire a working knowledge of a wide range of well-established and commonly applied inventory management principles, concepts, and methodologies; maintain inventory control records in an automated system; use judgment in interpreting, adapting, and applying guidelines; and meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 year of graduate-level education. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Please see education section for details. OR, Superior Academic Achievement: In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Please see education section for details. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education with a major appropriate to the position (in excess of a bachelor's degree) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ACWA Testing: At this grade level ACWA testing may be required. GS9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Maintaining inventory control records in an automated system; managing a property management program and determining the means and methods to resolve issues and improve operations; determining required sources of equipment, purchase card program and simplified acquisition procedures; researching and analyzing information to include tracing sequences of inventory management transactions; and advising on the management, control and accountability of equipment in use. OR, Education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. of J.D. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR, Combination (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first year of graduate school or 18 semester hours. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationContracting/ProcurementPlanning and EvaluatingProblem SolvingTechnical CompetenceTechnology Application 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.

Education

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

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) qualifications:

S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

   Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.

   The G.P.A should be credited in a manner that is most beneficial to the applicant. For example, applicants may list their G.P.A. as recorded on their final transcript, or they may choose to compute their G.P.A. The specific provisions are detailed below:

   1. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
   2. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
   • G.P.A. as recorded on the final transcript. The final transcript must cover the period being used to determine G.P.A., i.e., all 4 years or last 2 years.
   • G.P.A. including course work after bachelor's degree. Undergraduate course work obtained after an applicant has received a bachelor's degree can be credited in computing the G.P.A. of applicants who need those courses to meet minimum qualification requirements, i.e., the courses are required by the standard or by the individual occupational requirement. They are treated as described in the following example:
     • An applicant for a Biologist position has a bachelor's degree that included no biology course work, but has taken 24 semester hours in undergraduate biology courses after obtaining the bachelor's degree. The grades earned in the biology courses should be included in the computation to determine this applicant's eligibility for GS-7 under the Superior Academic Achievement provision. These courses should be counted in determining (1) the overall grade-point average, (2) the average obtained during the final 2 years of the undergraduate curriculum, and/or (3) the average in the major field of study. For purposes of this example, biology would be considered the major field of study.
   • G.P.A. excluding pass/fail courses. Applicants usually cannot claim credit based on their overall G.P.A. if more than 10 percent of their total credit was based on pass/fail or similar systems rather than on traditional grading systems. However, if they can document that only their freshman-year courses (25 percent or less of their total credit) were credited on a pass/fail or similar system, they can use their overall G.P.A. to claim Superior Academic Achievement. If 10 percent or fewer credits or only freshman-year courses were based on pass/fail or similar systems, such credits can be ignored and the G.P.A. computed on the graded courses. Applicants can, however, still claim credit based on their last 2 years if 10 percent or fewer credits were based on pass/fail or similar systems. Applicants who cannot claim credit under the G.P.A. requirements may claim credit for superior academic achievement only on the basis of class standing or honor society membership.
3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (external link). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

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/.

Contacts

• Address Anchorage VA Medical Center 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 US
• Name: Stephenie Merrill
• Phone: 509-525-5200 X26794
• Email: [email protected]