What are the responsibilities and job description for the Purchasing Agent - Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) position at VA Central Iowa Health Care System?
This position performs direct medical supply Purchasing and Inventory Management support to the administrative and clinical services of the Veterans Affairs to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.
Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent - Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes performing administrative duties in a healthcare setting or in support of purchasing and procurement; reviewing and working with patients' medical records; completing training or assisting in routine and complex specialized purchases for clinics including medical equipment and prosthetic appliances; utilizing computer software programs; and communicating with internal and external customers via various methods. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week. ~OR~
Education: Successfully completed four (4) years of education 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. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~
Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must meet the following:
Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent - Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes interpreting prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services; maintaining regular contact with vendors, contractors, medical professionals and staff; utilizing a variety of databases and computer systems; purchasing equipment, supplies, and services using an organization purchase card; and reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week.
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for PSAS. However, while conducting inventory management functions, the incumbent may work comfortably in a warehouse environment, sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, retrieving and managing inventory. Prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal is required. Ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room is required. Climbing associated with stocking of equipment and other items in storage areas is necessary. Incumbent may carry/lift items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds. 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 Fabrication Laboratory. There may be frequent walks between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics to conduct professional duties.
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/.
This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-06. At the GS-05 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-06. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following:Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent - Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes performing administrative duties in a healthcare setting or in support of purchasing and procurement; reviewing and working with patients' medical records; completing training or assisting in routine and complex specialized purchases for clinics including medical equipment and prosthetic appliances; utilizing computer software programs; and communicating with internal and external customers via various methods. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week. ~OR~
Education: Successfully completed four (4) years of education 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. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~
Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must meet the following:
Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Purchasing Agent - Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes interpreting prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services; maintaining regular contact with vendors, contractors, medical professionals and staff; utilizing a variety of databases and computer systems; purchasing equipment, supplies, and services using an organization purchase card; and reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week.
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions for PSAS. However, while conducting inventory management functions, the incumbent may work comfortably in a warehouse environment, sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, retrieving and managing inventory. Prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal is required. Ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room is required. Climbing associated with stocking of equipment and other items in storage areas is necessary. Incumbent may carry/lift items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds. 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 Fabrication Laboratory. There may be frequent walks between the main medical center and other parts of Prosthetics to conduct professional duties.
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/.
Responsibilities:
***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-06. At the GS-05 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-06. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Performs complex purchasing that requires irregular research, analysis, collaboration and many other steps to ensure both best value and the most appropriate devices are purchased for the Veterans, and occupies the majority of the duty time in this position
- Performs routine purchasing that includes routine purchase orders on established contracts or through established vendor resources using regular significant research, analysis or collaboration
- Performs the process of vetting and vendorizing following VHA Prosthetics guidelines to complete to complete purchases for items that aren't available through established vendor networks
- Reviews for discrepancies or loopholes in lengthy specifications or statements of work that are very detailed, or otherwise difficult to understand
- Evaluates many different specifications or statements of work and work with the vendor on corrections to ensure the proper piece of medical equipment is purchased
- Coordinates with appropriate vendor for device retrieval and reconciliation of acquisition days to ensure daily fund rental fiscal accountability
- Researches the use of different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures in both the purchase card menu and the prosthetics program for both complex and simplified purchases
- Performs purchases of specialized/customized equipment or services that have an unstable price or product characteristic, hard-to-locate sources, have critical characteristics, or similar complicating factors and resolves a variety of purchasing problems, such as inadequate or restrictive specifications, lack of multiple suppliers, urgent need, or insufficient price history, or with continual requirement changes and updated products; to include life threating or life sustaining supplies and equipment, Veterans requiring hospice care in need of immediate supplies and equipment, emergent services and surgical implants with short suspense, and rehabilitation equipment to allow the Veterans to leave the facility
- Manages data collection used in preparing and submitting numerous reports
- Conducts thorough market research by obtaining competitive bids/ Request for Quotation (RFQ) to determine fair and reasonable pricing
- Monitors, receives, tracks, interprets, and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions for items, services and home medical equipment from physicians, therapists, medical center personnel, Veterans, or their representatives
- Performs all other duties as assigned
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Telework: This position may be authorized for AD HOC telework. AD HOC telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Salary : $41,066