Purchasing Agent
: Job Details :

SummaryThis position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service within the VA Health Care System, Northport, performing work to acquire supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through (a) delivery orders and/or (b) small purchase procedures.Learn more aboutthis agencyHelpOverview* Accepting applications* Open & closing dates09/13/2024 to 09/27/2024* Salary$51,829 - $67,379 per year* Pay scale & gradeGS 6* HelpLocation1 vacancy in the following location:* Northport, NY* Remote jobNo* Telework eligibleNo* Travel RequiredNot required* Relocation expenses reimbursedNo* Appointment typePermanent* Work scheduleFull-time* ServiceCompetitive* Promotion potentialNone* Job family (Series)* 1105 Purchasing* Supervisory statusNo* Security clearanceNot Required* Drug testNo* Position sensitivity and riskNon-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk* Trust determination process* Suitability/Fitness* Financial disclosureNo* Bargaining unit statusYes* Announcement numberCBTE-12504330-24-AF* Control number803533500HelpThis job is open to* Internal to an agencyCurrent federal employees of this agency.Clarification from the agencyThis position is only open to current, permanent employees of the Veterans Health Administration.VideosHelpDutiesThis position utilizes knowledge of policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases and knowledge of commercial supply sources and common business practices related to sales, prices, discounts, units of measurement, deliveries, stocks, and shipments. The Purchasing Agent maintains responsibility for work leading to the purchase of a wide variety of complex and highly specialized services, supplies, equipment, and systems that support the full range of programs and activities. Major duties and responsibilities include:* Purchasing Support - Conducts purchasing under the micro purchase threshold; reviews and edits purchase requests; resolves issues to ensure requests and bills are processed accurately and in a timely manner; identifies needs or problems and determines corrective action; utilizes federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify possible sources and other pertinent information related to purchases; tracks obligations/commitments and monitors expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste and abuse based on procurement history and purchase trends; and,* Procurement Support - Procures supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of the organization; develops unique selection criteria for each purchase; Prepare and issue contract modifications for changes in delivery schedule and sends formal correspondence to a variety of customers such as inventory management specialists, other service line contacts, and contracting officers as appropriate for the purposes of auditing documents, processing receiving reports, and payments.; conducting open market research and sole source small purchases for highly specialized medical items with critical product requirements; and,* Administrative Support - Serves as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers in regard to procured items; develops reports and spreadsheets, obtains, organizes, files and retrieves reports for briefing and presentation purposes; performs a variety of receptionist, timekeeping, record keeping and miscellaneous duties in medical facility; and,* Performs other related duties as assigned.Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday 8:00am- 4:30pmVirtual: This is not a virtual position.Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99896-AHelpRequirementsConditions of Employment* You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job* Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959* You may be required to serve a probationary period* Subject to background/security investigation* Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process* Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)* Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See Additional Information below for details.QualificationsTo 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 perform successfully the duties of a Purchasing Agent and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: experience 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 (Clerical/Technical)* Decision Making* Manages and Organizes Information* Manages Resources* Reasoning (Clerical/Technical)* Technical CompetenceIMPORTANT: 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: Requires some physical effort such as standing, sitting, walking or bending. There are no special physical demands. The work is performed in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts. Normal safety precautions are adequate.For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at is no educational substitution at this grade level, therefore, there is no need to submit transcripts.NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).Additional informationThis job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.Read more* BenefitsHelpReview our benefitsHow You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.How You Will Be Evaluated:IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.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 making a final selection for a position.Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:* Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;* Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;* Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and* Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.(except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.