Summary This position serves as a Supervisory Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System, at the Charles George VA Medical Center, located in Asheville, NC. Responsibilities Duties to include, but not limited to: Fiscal and Resource Utilization: Incumbent assists the Assistant Service Chief in counseling veterans relative to all phases of the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service and serves as the Supervisor over a minimum of ten (10) Purchasing Agents. Responsible for ensuring purchasing staff do not purchase over their micro-purchase threshold, split purchase, or otherwise create an unauthorized commitment. In addition, the incumbent will be responsible for ensuring those requirements above the micro-purchase threshold are entered in to Forecast of Opportunities and Requirements Center for Excellence (FORCE) appropriately along with all required documentation. Technical Support: The Purchasing Agent is responsible for deciphering the Physician's prescriptions as they can be vague in terms of @type, style, size, attachments, etc. The typical outpatient physician prescription will simply state "wheelchair" or "cushion." Through consultation with the veteran, physician and research file, incumbent will conduct chart reviews and coordinate with Asheville VAMC internal/external customers to ensure the appropriate device is ordered. The incumbent advises outpatient veterans as to available repair sources and procurement sources nearest their homes. The incumbent counsels' veterans who have problems with private repair companies and resolves differences between them; determines if payment is to be made or delayed based on facts of each case. This position researches VHA Handbook 1173, VA and VHA Directives, National Strategic Contract Website, FAR and the National Prosthetic SharePoint for Business Practice Guidelines policy and procedures governing the validation and issuance of prosthetic supplies and services. Product Delivery: The incumbent monitors the delivery of Home Medical Equipment, to include the provision of home oxygen therapy through contracted providers. The Supervisory Purchasing Agent reviews National Prosthetic Patient Data (NPPD) monitors national Healthcare Common Procedure Coding (HCPC) compliance, Key Performance Indicators also ensures data for these reports are accurate; monitors quotes and invoices from vendors and ensures that serial number for scooters and custom mobility devices are recorded on the veteran's record. Ensures each separate fund control point is monitored closely to prevent overspending with a present Prosthetic budget of approximately $40,000,000.00 this per year. This position assists the Assistant Service Chief with budget estimate preparation. Supervision: This position supervises purchasing agents performing work at or below the GS-6 level. Incumbent has the full and final technical authority over their work requiring the coordination and integration of work efforts both outside and within the department. Managerial responsibilities include implementing ways to enhance production, promote team building, improve business practices, approving employee leave requests, administering personnel actions, performance evaluations, establishing performance standards and determining quality of performance, hears and resolves employee complaints, and initiates disciplinary actions. Incumbent manages training program and assures that purchasing agents attend all required training and continuing education that is required to receive and maintain warrant authority. Incumbent evaluates the work performance of subordinates to insure they are completing their work according to the current established policies, directives, regulations, and performance measures dealing with purchasing of prosthetic items and services for veterans is responsible to ensure the continuous evolving and changing technology associated with all aspects of Prosthetics and Sensory Aids is conveyed through extensive training and guidance. Monitors and reports on the status and progress of work, checking on work in progress and reviewing completed work to see that instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines, and quality have been met. Manages even workload distribution amongst purchasing staff to ensure that prosthetic orders are not delayed over five (5) calendar days before action is taken and demonstrates the ability to handle priority situations in keeping the Service's mission and identified goals. Preforms other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent-Supervisory/PD045270 Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/15/2025. 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-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, durable medical equipment, 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, reconciliations, 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Customer Service Interpersonal Skills Teaching Others 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 mostly sedentary but requires some physical effort such as walking, standing, bending, and carrying of books, manuals, vendors' catalogs, and prosthetics items to be issued from various stock rooms. Duties involve extended periods of working at a computer terminal. Some climbing is associated with issuing/mailing stocking items within storage areas. Incumbent may carry or lift items weighing up to 40-50 pounds. There are no special physical demands. 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 The work can be very stressful in nature and demanding mentally 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/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's 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.
