Lead Purchasing Agent
What you'd do
The position serves as a Lead Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service in a Veteran Affairs Health Care System (VA HCS) and supported catchment area. The Lead Purchasing Agent is responsible for issuing, reviewing and or procuring prescribed items to Veterans in compliance with VHA guidelines and directives and leading a team of Purchasing Agents. The work requires knowledge of policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases.
Major duties
Duties include but are not limited to: Leads three or more Purchasing Agents performing work at the GS-6 level. Serves as first respondent to any staff concerns related to procurement, purchase orders or and is expected to work independently to resolve those issues, only escalating unresolvable issues to the supervisor or the Inventory Management Specialist. Facilitates, coordinates, coaches, and problem solves with team members. Maintains awareness of the status and progress of work, makes day-to-day adjustments to align with established priorities and goals. Identifies training needs and gives on the job training to new Purchasing Agents in accordance with established procedures and practices. Conducts purchasing for the VA HCS and supported catchment area under the micro purchase threshold and must have knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), VA Acquisition Regulations (VAAR) and other federal procurement laws. Purchases various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of the government purchase card for micro purchases. Review Fund Control Points and verify the running balances to ensure procurement obligations are complete and approved prior to placing orders. Researches, reviews, develops spreadsheets, and prepares reports for procurement under the micro threshold to address departmental needs from the Supervisor. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Purchasing Agent/PD99879A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/20/2026. 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 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-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: 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; 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; 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Minimum of 6 months VAMC Purchasing agent experience, knowledge of VA Financial Policy and FAR sections related to micro-purchase spending. 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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