The Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) department of the James A Haley Veterans Hospital is recruiting for Purchasing Agents. The incumbents of these positions perform direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management support to the administrative and clinical services of the VA to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.

Duties

The Purchasing for the Agent for the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) department of the James A Haley Veterans Hospital performs direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management support to the administrative and clinical services of the VA to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans. Duties include but are not limited to: Initiates procurement of all outpatient medical requirements. Completes transaction on the patient's medical record to ensure documentation of exactly what was purchased and issued. 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. Manages the collection of data to be used in numerous reports to ensure adequate resource funding and compliance. Researches the use of different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures, and purchasing methods to distinguish between different purchasing strategies. Conduct face-to-face and telephone conversations with patients, family members, and private medical staff, contractors, vendors, and co-workers. 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. Examines contracts, purchasing policies, equipment sources, shipping procedures and corresponding terminology to rapidly find the most reasonably priced item to meet requirement. Maintains accurate records of transactions and completes all adjustments to computerized system before final payment to vendor is certified. Completes written procurement and support notes in medical records to ensure order status is provided to the clinical requester to reduce delivery delays. Ensures the services provided are documented as the type of service and duration. 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: 8:00am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. 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 ADHOC telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99432-A, PD99433-A, PD99434-A, PD99432A, PD99433A, and PD99434A 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, 08/30/2024. GS-05 Qualifications: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-05 Specialized Experience: 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 me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a 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. Communicating with internal and external customers via various methods. OR 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.) (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) GS-06 Qualifications: 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. 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. GS-06 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the Purchasing Agent position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. 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. Reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports. GS-07 Qualifications: 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-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. 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. GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the Purchasing Agent position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Utilizing electronic contracting databases or systems, submitting plans and procurement packages to contracting offices. Interpreting and analyzing prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services needed, selecting the most appropriate cost-effective source to deliver the items/service in the most reliable manner. Serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support, maintaining regular contact and resolving issues with vendors, contractors, medical center professionals and staff. Works independently to complete purchase orders and reconcile charges for equipment, supplies and services purchased using an agency/organization purchase card. Resolves conflicts in administering purchase orders, such as protests, claims, duplicate billing & terminations for convenience or default. 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 conducting purchasing functions. 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 and ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room are required. Climbing associated with stocking 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. 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 PSAS Fabrication Laboratory. There may be frequent walks between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics. 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 James A Haley Veterans Hospital 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33612 US
• Name: Mary Guthrie
• Phone: 813-816-7155 X110408
• Email: [email protected]