Purchasing Agent
What you'd do
This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service and supported catchment area. Primarily performs Purchasing Agent work to acquire supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through (a) delivery orders and/or (b) small purchases. This position becomes a purchase card holder who fulfills acquisition requests under the federal micro purchase threshold, ensuring purchases are procured in accordance with Federal and VA regulations, policy and procedure.
Major duties
Major Duties include but are not limited to: Purchasing Support: Conducts purchasing for a VA Medical Center, and supported catchment area, under the mirco purchase threshold. Purchases various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of government purchase card micro purchases. Reviews and edits purchase requests to ensure the item or service is adequately described based on the requester's need. Ensures all information has been provided and the request is consistent with legal requirements. Obtains necessary product information, price information and procedures for written and verbal purchase orders. Provides general guidance to potential vendors on requirements and information needed to be entered into a local vendor file. Reviews Fund Control Points and verifies the running balances to ensure procurement obligations are compete and approved prior to placing orders. Provides administration and oversight on orders and services. Monitor vendor performance through personal contact, reviews progress reports, and discuss reasons for delays, failures, or price changes. Procurement Support Procures supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of the organization. Examines incoming requests for completeness including presence of purchase request number, accounting codes, item description estimated cost, and quantity. Ensures all critical information is included in the solicitation package and develops unique selection criteria for each purchase. Conducts open market research for purchases of routine equipment, supplies and services. Prepare and issue contract modifications for changes in delivery schedule and sends formal correspondence to a variety of customers such as inventory management specialists, or other service line contacts, and contracting officers as appropriate for the purposes of auditing documents, processing receiving reports, and payments. Administrative Support Serves as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers in regard to procured items. Provides clerical support and coordination to approving officials and administrators. Perform a variety of receptionist, timekeeping, record keeping and miscellaneous duties in medical facility. Continuously review policies and regulations related to time and leave. Obtain data from section supervisors and submits employees' requests for overtime and prepares staffing and overtime reports. Answers telephones and refers calls to appropriate staff. Uses departmental software to produce printouts for logistic and medical staff. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD99896A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/12/2026. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 announcement. In 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-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: developing procurement packages, utilizing different ordering, reporting procedures, and purchasing methods, maintaining communication with vendors and medical center staff, practicing cost containment through efficient purchasing, and maintaining item and vendor. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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: Requires some physical effort such as standing, sitting, walking, or bending. There are no special physical demands. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts. Normal safety precautions are adequate. Performs other duties as assigned. 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/.
Before you apply
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