Purchasing Agent

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Eureka (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking candidates for GS-05/GS-06 procurement-focused positions within the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) at VA San Francisco Health Care System.

Applicants may be assigned to San Francisco, Santa Rosa, or Eureka duty locations with compensation determined per location's salary schedule. Roles emphasize purchasing, vendor relations, and inventory management to support medical products and services.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-04 in purchasing, procurement, or related duties.
• Four years of education above high school in any field.
• A combination of education and experience as described above is also acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Process purchase requests and equipment orders according to procedures and policies.
• Research vendors, contracts, and product specifications to identify appropriate equipment and supplies.
• Enter and track purchase orders and maintain purchasing records.

Skills

Procurement experience

Vendor communication

Recordkeeping

Education

Post-secondary education

Tools

Purchasing systems

Job description

There are two (2) positions located in the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) at VA San Francisco Health Care System. The applicant can choose one or all of the following locations as a duty location: San Francisco VA Medical Center in San Francisco, CA; North Santa Rosa VA Clinic in Santa Rosa, CA; or Eureka VA Clinic in Eureka, CA. The salary will be determined by the selected duty location, as outlined in Salary section of the announcement.

Minimum Requirement:

For GS-05

• Specialized Experience (GS-05): 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-04). Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: processing purchase requests and equipment orders according to purchasing procedures and procurement policies; researching vendors, contracts, and product specifications to identify appropriate equipment and supplies; entering and tracking purchase orders; maintaining purchasing records and inventory accountability; verifying invoices and transaction information; and communicating with vendors, staff, and customers to support timely procurement and delivery of goods and services. (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.) OR,
• Education (GS-05): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years of successfully completed education 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. NOTE: One year of full‑time undergraduate 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 or technical school. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR,
• Combination (GS-05): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and successfully completed post‑high‑school education as described above. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

For GS-06

• 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 examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: performing purchasing or procurement‑related work involving medical equipment, medical supplies, prosthetic devices, durable medical equipment, or other healthcare‑related products, including gathering and reviewing purchase request information; researching vendors, product descriptions, prices, and established contracts for medical products; preparing and tracking purchase orders using established purchasing procedures; reviewing and processing medical product transactions/invoices; maintaining purchasing records and monitoring order status; resolving routine order and payment discrepancies involving medical products; and communicating with vendors and internal customers regarding medical product purchasing requirements, deliveries, and order status. (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/.

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. At times, the employee may be required to wear protective clothing when visiting the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Fabrication Laboratory. Often, walking between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics to conduct professional duties.