Inventory Management Specialist

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

• Returns Recalls and Reutilization: Implements federal and agency programs for the return and reutilization of medical supplies; coordinates disposal of surplus or excess supplies; makes emergent procurement decisions; and participates in root cause analysis process

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Preferred Experience: Preferred candidates will possess experience managing medical and surgical supply inventories within a healthcare environment including demand forecasting inventory optimization product standardization and supply utilization analysis. Experience using automated inventory management systems collaborating with clinical stakeholders managing recalls and expiration-sensitive products and implementing process improvements that improve supply availability while reducing costs is highly desirable. Candidates with a strong background in healthcare supply chain analytics and data-driven inventory management are encouraged to apply.


Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory qualification and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.



Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Inventory Management Specialist/PD99823S and PD99823 S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized


Physical Requirements and Work Environment: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. 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.

VA Whole Health Statement: The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care you will operate in a model with three core elements seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veterans community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor Americas Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 identification 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 07/24/2026.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-07 grade level you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 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 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. 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 completed 1 full year of graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR
• COMBINATION: Possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education level and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify a copy of your transcripts is required. 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 is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following:
  • Class Standing: Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college university or major subdivision.
  • Grade Point Average: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on their official transcript or 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.
  • 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 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:
    • Specialized 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 and durable medical equipment; developing and supporting the creation of acquisition strategies to acquire and purchase durable medical equipment; implementing federal and agency programs for the return and reutilization of medical 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: Have successfully completed a masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. of J.D. if related that demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR
    • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education the first year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify a copy of your transcript is required
    
    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.
    
    For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at
    Education

    A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
    
    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:

    Additional information

    Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
    
    Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e. physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position after notification of the adjudication of your request you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
    
    Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
    
    This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
    
    The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice your most recent performance rating and your most recent SF-50 noting current position grade level and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPMs Career Transition Resources website at should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

    A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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    Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

    
    

    Required Experience:

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