Lead Purchasing Agent

• Provides either direct or indirect patient care and support services.
• Verifies accountability of all prosthetics expenditures in both the purchase menu and the prosthetics program.
• Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office applications (Word Excel PowerPoint One Note and Outlook).
• Plans and coordinates actions to prevent correct or resolve delays or misunderstandings in the processes.
• Resolves minor disputes and informal complaints.
• Applies conventional practices to problem solving.
• Provides face to face contact with patients and their families to meet outpatient medical needs.
• Serves as a contact for external and internal customers regarding service needs and support.
• Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately.
• Deals with issues such as organizational conflict competing objectives or resource problems to find solutions.
• Recommends a variety of issues that affect the effectiveness and efficiency of health care delivery in an innovative team treatment approach.
• Provides guidance to assist in developing policy or process recommendations.
• Ability to read and process consults and can work with various VHA computer programs (CPRS VISTA).
• Collaborates with requester to resolve questions of equipment i.e. priority variation of design function size and appropriateness of prescription.
• Identifies and records all equipment by documenting the serial model manufacturer and other identifiable information as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Telework: Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Lead Purchasing Agent/PD07633O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 02/05/2026.

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-6. 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. 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 as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to:

• Experience with procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase rental or lease needs of an organization assisting in training new employees and answering questions on purchasing/procurement procedures policies etc.
• Purchasing various equipment supplies and services through the use of a purchase card.
• Experience in working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities. resolving a variety of shipments payment or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations.
• The ability of 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.
• Capable to effectively communicate other Team members/staff and possesses the ability to enforce policy requirements set forth by Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) Service Line.
• Act as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) regarding all policy and procedures matters regarding Prosthetic purchasing.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:


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: 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.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.