Purchasing Agent

Purchasing Agent The Veterans Health Administration is seeking a Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetics department at the White River Junction VA Healthcare System in White River Junction, VT. This full-time position supports the purchase of complex and highly specialized services, supplies, equipment, and systems through delivery orders, small purchases, vendor coordination, purchase request review, procurement tracking, and administrative support for medical facility programs and activities. Location: White River Junction, VT Vacancies: 1 Salary: $46,137 - $66,857 per year Pay Scale & Grade: GS-5 to GS-6 Promotion Potential: GS-6 Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Appointment Type: Permanent Telework: Not authorized Remote/Virtual: Not available Travel Required: 25% or less Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized Critical Skills Incentive: Not approved PCS: Not authorized Drug Test: Not required Security Clearance: Not required Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk Financial Disclosure: Not required Union Representation: Yes Key Responsibilities: Conduct purchasing under the micro-purchase threshold. Review and edit purchase requests. Resolve purchasing, billing, and processing issues to ensure requests and bills are completed accurately and timely. Identify procurement needs or problems and determine corrective action. Use federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify possible sources and relevant purchasing information. Track obligations and commitments and monitor expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts. Identify potential fraud, waste, and abuse based on procurement history and purchase trends. Procure supplies and services to meet purchase, rental, or lease needs of the organization. Develop unique selection criteria for each purchase. Prepare and issue contract modifications for changes in delivery schedules. Send formal correspondence to inventory management specialists, service line contacts, and contracting officers. Audit documents and support processing of receiving reports and payments. Conduct open-market research and sole-source small purchases for highly specialized medical items with critical product requirements. Serve as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers regarding procured items. Develop reports and spreadsheets for briefing and presentation purposes. Obtain, organize, file, and retrieve reports and procurement-related documents. Perform receptionist, timekeeping, record keeping, and miscellaneous administrative duties in a medical facility setting. Perform other related duties as assigned. Basic Qualifications: Must be a U.S. Citizen. Must complete all required application steps, including the application, questionnaire, and online assessment. Must meet Selective Service registration requirements if male and born after December 31, 1959. Must be subject to a background/security investigation. Must complete all online onboarding requirements. Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification. Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel. Selected applicant must serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period. Eligibility: This announcement is open to current federal employees in the competitive service, current federal employees in the excepted service, current employees of the hiring agency, CTAP/ICTAP/RPL eligible applicants, land and base management eligible applicants, veterans, military spouses, individuals with disabilities, Peace Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA alumni, and other eligible special hiring authority applicants. Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date. For GS-6, applicants must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 level if subject to time-in-grade rules. This is an open continuous announcement with an initial cut-off date of May 5, 2026 and subsequent cut-off dates bi-weekly. GS-5 Qualification Requirements: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level; or Must have four years of education above high school in a relevant field; or Must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours. Specialized experience includes performing administrative duties in a health care setting. Specialized experience includes reviewing and working with patients' medical records. Specialized experience includes completing training or assisting with routine and complex specialized purchases for clinics, including medical equipment, prosthetic devices, and orthotic appliances. Specialized experience includes using computer software programs and communicating with internal and external customers. GS-6 Qualification Requirements: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level. Specialized experience includes interpreting prescriptions and requests for medical equipment and services. Specialized experience includes maintaining regular contact with vendors, contractors, medical center professionals, and staff. Specialized experience includes using a variety of databases and computer systems. Specialized experience includes purchasing equipment, supplies, and services using an agency or organization purchase card. Specialized experience includes reconciling charges and preparing and submitting reports. There is no educational substitution at the GS-6 grade level. Competencies: Attention to detail Customer service Financial management Flexibility Integrity and honesty Interpersonal skills Managing resources Reading comprehension Self-management Stress tolerance Teamwork Technical competence Education: Transcripts are required if using education to qualify at the GS-5 level. Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be evaluated as equivalent to U.S. education by a recognized credential evaluation organization. No education substitution is available for GS-6. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary when conducting purchasing functions. Inventory management duties may involve sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, retrieving, and managing inventory. Prolonged work at a computer terminal is required. Ability to retrieve equipment from a storage room is required. Climbing may be required when stocking equipment and other items in storage areas. May carry or lift items weighing up to 25 pounds. Work may involve moderate discomfort when visiting sites away from the office. Protective clothing may be required when visiting the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Fabrication Laboratory. Frequent walking between the main medical center and other Prosthetics areas may be required. Required Documents: Resume limited to two pages Transcript, if using education to qualify SF-50 / Notification of Personnel Action, if current or former federal employee Additional SF-50 showing time-in-grade eligibility, if required DD-214 / Statement of Service, if applicable SF-15, if applicable Disability Letter, if applicable CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable Cover letter, license, PCS orders, performance appraisal, professional certification, proof of marriage status, separation notice, and other supporting documents, if applicable Benefits: Comprehensive federal benefits package. Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance options may be available depending on appointment type and work schedule. Paid time off and federal retirement benefits may be available depending on appointment type and work schedule. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service, subject to approval. Eligibility for benefits depends on position type and whether the position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Application Deadline: July 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET Status: Accepting applications This is an open continuous announcement for a Purchasing Agent position in the Prosthetics department at the White River Junction VA Healthcare System. Eligible applications may be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur until the announcement closes or positions are filled.5c143e31-5e48-4549-b2d185386