Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration (DOVA); Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 47,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration (DOVA) at VA Western New York Healthcare System in Buffalo, NY is seeking a Purchasing Agent (GS-6) to perform complex and routine purchasing duties for the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service and other medical services.

The role involves preparing acquisition plans, obtaining vendor quotes, ensuring FAR/VAAR/SAM compliance, and maintaining procurement documentation. Location is Buffalo, NY with full-time hours and ad-hoc telework eligibility.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirement: GS-06 specialized experience in purchasing or procurement related to medical equipment, prosthetic or orthotic devices, durable medical equipment, or medical supplies.

Responsibilities

• Purchasing specialized prosthetics, durable medical equipment, rehabilitation equipment, and medical supplies based on clinical prescriptions and Veterans’ medical needs.
• Preparing acquisition plans and procurement packages, obtaining vendor quotes and bids, uploading supporting documentation into eCMS/FORCE, and ensuring compliance with FAR, VAAR, VHA directives, and SAM requirements.

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) at VA Western New York Healthcare System – Buffalo VA Medical Center in Buffalo, NY. The Purchasing Agent is responsible for performing both complex and routine purchasing duties for the PSAS and other medical services.

Location

Buffalo, NY

Telework Eligibility

Yes—Ad-Hoc (as determined by the agency policy)

Remote Job

No

Salary

$47,484 – $61,729 per year

Pay Scale & Grade

GS 6

Work Schedule

Full-time; Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m.

Travel Required

Not required

Appointment Type

Permanent

Job Series

1105 Purchasing

Supervisory Status

No

Federal Service Type

Competitive Service

Union Representation

No

Drug Test

No

Security Clearance

Other

Position Sensitivity and Risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Background Check Type

Suitability/Fitness

Financial Disclosure Required

No

Announcement Number

CARZ-13103035-27-AH

Control Number

890873500

Eligibility - Citizenship

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Physical Requirements

Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for PSAS. 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 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. Incumbent may carry/lift items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Normal safety precautions are adequate. The work involves moderate discomfort when visiting sites away from the office.

Duties and Responsibilities

THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION

• Purchasing specialized prosthetics, durable medical equipment, rehabilitation equipment, and medical supplies based on clinical prescriptions and Veterans’ medical needs, while identifying and qualifying vendors in accordance with VHA Prosthetics guidelines
• Preparing acquisition plans and procurement packages, obtaining vendor quotes and bids, uploading supporting documentation into eCMS/FORCE, and ensuring compliance with FAR, VAAR, VHA directives, and SAM requirements
• Procuring complex and customized medical equipment, including power wheelchairs, artificial limbs, home modifications, environmental control units, and surgical implants, while coordinating urgent purchases of life‑sustaining equipment and supplies
• Conducting market research, evaluating competitive quotations, reviewing equipment specifications, determining fair and reasonable pricing, and selecting the best value to meet clinical requirements and Veterans’ needs
• Monitoring contractor performance, delivery schedules, quality standards, and contract compliance, while resolving vendor disputes, billing discrepancies, inadequate specifications, and other procurement issues
• Collaborating with Veterans, families, clinical providers, manufacturers, and vendors to clarify medical needs, validate equipment specifications, coordinate deliveries and repairs, and determine appropriate purchasing strategies
• Managing purchase card and prosthetics obligations, reconciling expenditures and invoices, resolving billing discrepancies, and maintaining financial accountability using applicable 2237 and 1358 processes
• Processing routine purchases, reviewing prosthetic consults and prescriptions, examining medical records, and verifying Veteran eligibility, entitlement, and medical justification for requested equipment and services
• Monitoring purchase orders and pending consults, maintaining inventory records, tracking equipment issuance, expiration dates and recalls, and documenting transactions in Veterans’ medical records and prosthetics systems
• Supporting specialized prosthetics, orthotics, footwear, wheelchair, and major medical equipment programs, while training staff, maintaining item catalogs, preparing procurement reports, and ensuring appropriate HCPC coding and equipment accountability

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives

Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI)

Not Approved

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents. Effective May 7, 2025, driver’s licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Required Documents” below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government;
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Purchasing Agent in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must meet.

• Specialized Experience (GS-06): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-05). Qualifying experience must involve purchasing or procurement activities related to medical equipment, prosthetic or orthotic devices, durable medical equipment (DME), medical supplies, or other related medical products and services. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to: purchasing medical products, equipment, supplies, or related services; reviewing purchase requests and equipment or product specifications; obtaining, evaluating, and comparing vendor quotations; preparing and processing purchase orders in accordance with established purchasing procedures and applicable regulations; and maintaining purchasing, inventory, and financial records related to medical procurement activities. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.)

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

IMPORTANT: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by‑case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Application Deadline

Closing Date: 11/05/2026

Agency Contact Information

VHA National Recruitment Center

[phone]

[e-mail]

VA Western New York Healthcare System

3495 Bailey Avenue

Buffalo, NY 14215

US

Next Steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications per Category Rating procedures to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with a final selection for a position.