This Purchasing Agent position is located in Engineering Service at the VA Boston Healthcare System (Jamaica Plain). The incumbent performs a wide variety of administrative tasks associated with maintaining and supporting the work performed within the Engineering organization. Such work includes a variety of administrative functions necessary to the smooth management of an office and ranges from correspondence and information control to tracking equipment, supplies, and services.

Duties

Office Support Performs a wide variety of administrative tasks associated with maintaining and supporting the work performed within the Engineering organization to include a variety of administrative functions necessary to the smooth management of an office and ranges from correspondence and information control to tracking equipment, supplies, and services. Acts as the primary liaison between the Engineering Office and administrative offices outside the organization. Types and submits reports and documents, transcribes, and compiles reports, documents and statistical data for Engineering Service. Regularly (at least hourly) reviews work requests submitted to Engineering by customers throughout the assigned division or community based outpatient clinic of the Health Care System and assigns them as appropriate. Answers both routine and trouble calls to Engineering Service and takes appropriate actions, directs calls to proper staff, responds to questions, or takes messages as appropriate. Searches, assembles and summarizes information from files and documents as required for reports, briefings and conferences. Utilizes appropriate computer software (e.g. MS Office, including Excel and Word) and programs (e.g. VISTA/DHCP) in the performance of tasks required for the job. Maintains key control records and distributes office and car keys. Manages the government vehicle reservations for the Fleet and submits the monthly reports of use to the Fleet Coordinator. Purchasing Coordinates procurement activity in Engineering Service at the division assigned. Serves as the organization's focal point for arranging and coordinating training activities. Works with staff to develop specific procedures to maximize efficiency of procurement for the section within Logistics and Fiscal guidelines. Creates and modifies forms for use by non-card­holding individuals to record all information necessary to process procurement requests. Develops procedures for issuing purchase orders to vendors. Creates any necessary documentation systems. Establishes procedures for prompt reconciliation and approval of credit card statements and/or FMS and IFCAP transactions. Serves as primary purchasing agent for Engineering at the assigned division through use of VA Purchase Card. Acts as a resource in establishing purchase card procedures for Engineering Service at the division. Enters all traditional (non purchase card) IFCAP requests for material and service and alerts Chief, Engineering or other designated Control Point Official of need for approving transactions and follows-up on status of any requests. Generates any purchasing-related reports needed by Engineering Manager for budgetary or other reasons using VA File Manager, IFCAP, or other applicable systems on software. Work Schedule: To be determined by management Ad Hoc Telework: Telework that occurs on an occasional, non-routine basis. Telework that occurs to complete short-term special assignments or to accommodate special circumstances even though the telework arrangement may occur continuously for a limited and specific period of time. 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD523-00389-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/29/2024. Time-In-Grade (TIG) 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. Position to be Filled (Up to GS-5): Candidate may advance up to two grades above lowest grade held within the past 52 weeks since last non-temporary appointment from register or direct hire. Example: An employee hired from register at GS-2 receives a new appointment, 6 months later, from register at GS-3. Employee meets TIG for GS-4 and GS-5. 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 your experience and/or education as described below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) in Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Purchasing Agent position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. The incumbent coordinates procurement activity in Engineering Service at the division assigned. The incumbent serves as the organizational focal point for arranging and coordinating training activities. Works with staff to develop specific procedures to maximize efficiency of procurement for the section within Logistics and Fiscal guidelines. This includes creating and modifying forms for use by non-card-holding individuals to record all information necessary to process procurement requests; developing procedures for issuing purchase orders to vendors; creating any necessary documentation systems; and establishing procedures for prompt reconciliation and approval of credit card statements and/or FMS and IFCAP transactions. Serves as primary purchasing agent for Engineering at the assigned division through use of VA Purchase Card. Acts as a resource in establishing purchase card procedures for Engineering Service at the division. Enters all traditional (non purchase card) IFCAP requests for material and service and alerts Chief, Engineering or other designated Control Point Official of need for approving transactions and follows-up on status of any requests. Generates any purchasing - related reports needed by Engineering Manager for budgetary or other reasons using VA File Manager, IFCAP, or other applicable systems on software. Performs a wide variety of administrative tasks associated with maintaining and supporting the work performed within the Engineering organization. Such work includes a variety of administrative functions necessary to the smooth management of an office and ranges from correspondence and information control to tracking equipment, supplies, and services. In addition, the position may act as the primary liaison between the Engineering Office and administrative offices outside the organization. Types and submits reports and documents, transcribes, and compiles reports, documents and statistical data for Engineering Service. Answers both routine and trouble calls to Engineering Service and takes appropriate actions, directs calls to proper staff, responds to questions, or takes messages as appropriate. Searches, assembles and summarizes information from files and documents as required for reports, briefings and conferences. Utilizes appropriate computer software (e.g. MS Office, including Excel and Word) and programs (e.g. VISTA/DHCP) in the performance of tasks required for the job. Maintains key control records and distributes office and car keys. Manages the government vehicle reservations for the Fleet and submits the monthly reports of use to the Fleet Coordinator. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite is creditable at grade GS-5. 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. As a general rule, education is not creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements at grades GS-5. For GS-5 level positions, 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. The following are examples of how education and experience may be combined. They are examples only, and are not all inclusive: The position to be filled is a Purchasing Agent, GS-5. The applicant has 9 months of specialized experience and 75 semester hours of college (15 semester hours beyond the second year and the equivalent of 3 months of specialized experience). The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 25 percent of the required education. The applicant meets 100 percent of the requirement for 1 year of specialized experience and is qualified for the position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: AccountabilityClericalComputer SkillsTechnical 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. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. The incumbent may be required to travel to another division if needed. Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, or libraries. Area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. 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

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Jonathan Montgomery
• Phone: 734-905-2529
• Email: [email protected]