Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Administration; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration is seeking a Purchasing Agent within the Prosthetic Service Line to manage direct medical supply purchasing and inventory control for prosthetic and sensory aids services, including DME, at the VA. You will coordinate with VISN or medical center teams and ensure timely obligations for required materials.

The role emphasizes experience in healthcare purchasing, attention to detail, and collaboration with clinicians and administration to support Veterans' care

Qualifications

• At least one year of GS-5 level specialized experience or four years education (as allowed) in federal service?
• Experience with medical equipment purchasing and inventory management.
• Ability to communicate with internal and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Perform direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management to support VA medical center services.
• Initiate obligations for requirements to provide prosthetic and sensory aids to Veterans, including durable medical equipment.

Job description

This developmental position is located in the Prosthetics & Sensory Aid Service within the Prosthetic Service Line under the VISN or medical center. The purpose of this position is to 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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2026. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the 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:GS-5 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience at the GS-4 level that equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Purchasing Agent position, and that is typically in or related to the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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; and communicating with internal and external customers via various methods. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 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.).. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond.

GS-6 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level that equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Purchasing Agent position, and that is typically in or related to the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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; and reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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: The work requires some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending, or