Inventory Management Specialist (EX)

This position serves as an Inventory Manager in the Commodity Management Division of the Logistics Service in the VA Health Care System responsible for the inventory and management of all expendable supplies and durable equipment in the assigned area(s).

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Inventory Management and Control: Responsible for the management and control of an assigned class of expendable material; serves as the point of contact for the coordination of material support and resolution of logistic problems; conducts forecasting and quantitative analysis; conducts spot checks; and complies with special requirements for firearms ammunition and sensitive equipment.
• Conducts short- mid- and long-term advanced planning for expendable items and DME utilizing enterprise-wide computerized planning tools. Analyzes data to include demand history program requirements VA HCS operations procurement lead time current stock levels and other factors that impact procurement decisions. Advanced planning requires significant interaction and coordination with service lines biomedical engineering and other stakeholders to balance competing priorities including clinical requirements and budget constraints. Computes requirements for supplies and DME.
• Uses a range of well-established and commonly applied inventory principles standard and nonstandard methodologies and concepts to determine the need to intervene in the supply system in response to fluctuations in rates of usage cost availability for established suppliers alternative sources of supply and other similar conditions. Proactively engages customers to make recommendations for product changes substitutions and additions to product lines with a focus on increasing supply economy and efficiency.
• Performs analytical work to manage regulate coordinate or otherwise exercise control over EX supplies. Applies knowledge of systems techniques and underlying management concepts for determining regulating and controlling the level and flow of supplies from the initial planning stages with service lines through procurement storage issue utilization and disposal.
• Forecasts short and long-range inventory needs considering changes in medical and surgical technologies clinical scheduling changes and program requirements.
• Conducts data analysis for acquisition planning associated with DME. Assists customers in the creation of Performance Work Statements for procurement. Researches alternative sources for procurement. Independently determines the best purchasing and payment method to utilize; i.e. purchase card order contract document etc. Decisions regarding procurement methods are made in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the VA Acquisition Regulations (VAAR) for competition and formal advertisement
• Analyzes and advises the customer on supply/DME purchase recommendations utilizing the best value approach which may include criteria such as special features of the supply that are required in effective program performance that is not provided by a comparable supply; probable life of the item selected as compared with that of a comparable item; warranty considerations; and past performance.
• Conducts wall-to-wall and periodic inventories on own initiative to identify potential shrinkage issues or other supply chain discrepancies
• Returns Recalls and Reutilization: Implements federal and agency programs for the return and reutilization of supplies; coordinates disposal of surplus or excess supplies; makes emergent procurement decisions; and participates in root cause analysis process
• Supports other elements of the organization and performs other duties as assigned.

Conditions 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
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification 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)
• Physical Requirements: Work is normally accomplished in an office setting; however due to the nature of the position and duties may be called upon to assist in the receipt storage and distribution of various supplies primarily consisting of lifting light boxes generally less than 40 pounds utilizing appropriate material handing devices and placing items on shelves or carrying them elsewhere on station or within the catchment area. Must maintain applicable training and licensing to operate assigned equipment

• 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; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 02/09/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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 this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-07 grade level you must meet one of the following:

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-5) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: managing a variety of expendable items and durable medical equipment; forecasting short and long-range inventory needs; analyzing inventory management reports and the effectiveness of various options proposed to provide supply support; utilizing automated inventory management systems to maintain current inventory data; researching and analyzing information to resolve questions and issues and implementing federal and agency programs for the return and reutilization of medical supplies. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement that demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelors degree may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify a copy of your transcript is required

NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with the application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR

COMBINATION: Possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. OR

SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level in the qualifying curriculum detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelors degree in a curriculum that qualifies for the position to be filled and meet one of the following:

1. Class Standing: Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college university or major subdivision.

2. Grade Point Average: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on their official transcript as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or

3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

3. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit For more information regarding SAA please visit meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-09 grade level you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: managing a variety of expendable items; developing and supporting the creation of acquisition strategies to acquire and purchase durable equipment; implementing federal and agency programs for the return and reutilization of supplies; utilizing best practices principles and tools concepts and methodologies to determine and evaluate supply system performance; and serving as a point of contact for the coordination of material support and the resolution of logistics problems.

NOTE: 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. OR

GRADUATE EDUCATION: Successfully complete 1 full year of graduate-level education that demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position

• Communication
• Contracting/Procurement
• Planning and Evaluating
• Problem Solving
• Technical Competence
• Technology Application