Purchasing Agent

This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetics Service within the VA Health Care System performing work to acquire supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through (a) delivery orders and/or (b) small purchase procedures.

**Qualifications:**
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/13/2026. GS-5 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet one of the following: Experience: 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: Knowledge of standardized purchasing regulations, policies and procedures, and common business practices to make purchases involving commercial requirements. Broad in-depth knowledge of purchasing regulations, methods, procedures and business practices to make purchases involving specialized requirements and complicating factors. Knowledge of Federal laws and regulations, and agency, medical center and Prosthetics policies regarding eligibility and entitlement to determine patient eligibility for treatment and equipment. Knowledge of budget control point maintenance, and skill in procedures to maintain accurate funding, billing, and balances. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years above high school. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as described above. GS-6 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Experience: 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: Knowledge of standardized purchasing regulations, policies and procedures, and common business practices to make purchases involving commercial requirements. Broad in-depth knowledge of purchasing regulations, methods, procedures and business practices to make purchases involving specialized requirements and complicating factors. Knowledge of Federal laws and regulations, and agency, medical center and Prosthetics policies regarding eligibility and entitlement to determine patient eligibility for treatment and equipment. Knowledge of budget control point maintenance, and skill in procedures to maintain accurate funding, billing, and balances. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Decision Making Manages and Organizes Information Manages Resources Reasoning (Clerical/Technical) 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, vendor's 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 stocking items in storage areas. Incumbent may carry or lift items weighing up to 40-50 pounds. There are no special physical demands. 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/.