Purchasing Agent

This position is located at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee, OK in the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) line. The incumbent Performs direct medical supply Purchasing and Inventory Management support to the administrative and clinical services of the VA to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/10/2025. 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-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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 and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-5: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing clerical or assistant duties in support of purchasing and procurement; procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization; 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; purchasing various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of a purchase card; 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed four (4) years above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. (This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university.) (Note: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond two (2) years and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this Purchasing Agent position. (Note: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation). You may qualify for the GS-6 grade level based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-6: 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: Qualifying specialized experience includes Knowledge of solicitation and purchasing methods to make competitive or sole source small purchases that involve collecting data to determine price reasonableness for new items, preparing detailed written solicitations, tailoring special terms and conditions, or other matters of similar complexity. Skill in analyzing descriptions that have unique aspects or critical characteristics to identify problem areas in specifications or work statements, determine if quotations are responsive, or decide if substitutions are acceptable or should be referred to other personnel for further review. Knowledge of price analysis techniques to evaluate prices or costs for requirements with inadequate price history or evaluate allowable charges for requirements involving special cost features. Knowledge of various acquisition clauses such as those pertaining to inspection, acceptance, packaging, or testing to select or tailor clauses for purchases that involve special handling. Knowledge of post award procedures to discuss equitable price adjustments for modifications to a purchase order, determine whether to recommend termination of an accepted purchase order for convenience or perform similar actions. Ability to analyze descriptions that have unique aspects in order to identify problem areas in specifications or work statements, to determine if quotations are responsive, and to decide if substitutions are acceptable. Ability to work and negotiate with requestors, technical representatives, and vendors in analyzing these descriptions and administering the order. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Manages Resources Technical Competence 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: The work is sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers and books. The incumbent's work is normally performed in an office setting utilizing a computer terminal. Incumbent performs job site visits when necessary. 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/.