Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration; Battle Creek (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center seeks a Purchasing Agent within the Prosthetic & Sensor Aids Service to initiate procurement of outpatient medical requirements, including implants and rental equipment, to support patient care.

The role requires meeting Time-In-Grade rules, familiarity with Excel/Office tools, and the ability to manage priorities while following established procedures to ensure timely, patient-centered service.

Qualifications

• Ability to adjust to changing priorities and follow established procedures.
• Familiar with computer software and patient-focused service.
• Time-in-grade requirements and federal hiring guidelines may apply.

Responsibilities

• Initiate procurement of outpatient medical requirements, including direct patient purchases and stock purchases.
• Procure medical-surgical implants used during procedures and rental equipment for ongoing outpatient needs.
• Adhere to regulations, timelines, and compliance standards in a federal procurement environment.

Skills

Adaptability

Prioritization

Customer service

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree (4-year)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

The incumbent is a member of Prosthetic & Sensor Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. They Initiate procurement of all outpatient medical requirements to include: direct individual purchases to the Veteran, stock purchases for immediate availability, all medical surgical implants used during surgery, and/or rental requirements associated with continual outpatient medical equipment and supplies.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/16/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement- GS-06: 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-05 Purchasing Agent 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: ability to adjust to changing priorities, regulations or work assignments; willing to follow established procedures and take responsibility for their actions; familiar with the utilization of computer software; focus on the patient experience and responsiveness to their concerns; multi-task, prioritize workload and meet deadlines. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation.OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and at least two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, with courses related to the occupation

GS-06 Purchasing Agent 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: ability to adjust to changing priorities, regulations or work assignments and ability to use sound judgement for potential issues in daily work; be proactive and follow-up on concerns, issues or orders before the problem escalates; utilization of computer software including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft outlook, Microsoft Word, and Adobe Acrobat; follow and adhere to compliance, policies and procedures; multi-task, prioritize workload and meet deadlines. Education: There is no educational substitution at the GS-06 level. 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/.