Purchasing Agent

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 38,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service in Nashville, TN. The role involves direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management, supporting clinical services to enhance veteran care. Candidates should have relevant procurement experience and strong customer service skills, with the potential to work in diverse environments, including warehouse operations.

Qualifications

• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5 level.
• Experience in purchasing and procurement support.
• Ability to work with medical staff and resolve procurement issues.

Responsibilities

• Perform direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management.
• Initiate obligations for prosthetic and sensory aids services.
• Conduct inventory management functions in a warehouse environment.

Skills

Customer Service

Problem Solving

Technical Competence

Organizational Awareness

Tools

Microsoft Office (MS Word, Excel)

Job description

This position is located in the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the VA Tennessee Valley Health Care System with one position located in Nashville, TN and one located in Murfreesboro, TN. The primary purpose of the Purchasing Agent 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.
Duties

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

Requirements

Qualifications
To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must have: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Examples of specialized experience include: performing clerical or assistant duties in support of purchasing and procurement; procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization; working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities; resolving a variety of shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations; purchasing various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of a purchase card; and assembling and/or summarizing information from files and documents as required to create reports utilizing automated computerized supply/inventory management systems and Microsoft Office software programs such as MS Word and Excel.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Customer Service
• Organizational Awareness
• Problem Solving
• Technical Competence

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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; religious; 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.

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. There may be frequent walks between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics to conduct professional duties.

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/.