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Summary This position is organizationally located in the Prosthetic Service within VA Altoona. The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Chief Prosthetics Agent. The incumbent has coordination and active involvement with various Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) throughout VISN 4. Responsibilities The Purchasing Agent has coordination and active involvement with various Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) throughout VISN 4. The incumbent receives and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions (VAF 10-2431) for items, services and home medical equipment from physicians, therapists, medical center personnel, patients or their representatives. The incumbent reviews requests for completeness, comparing disability or diagnosis to equipment and/or services normally provided for the condition for which they are requested, and ensures that the proper documentation has been provided to justify the issuance and make arrangements to procure these items. Major duties include, but may not be limited to: The incumbent receives and analyzes Prosthetic Consults, and prescriptions for items, services and home medical equipment. The incumbent reviews requests for completeness, proper documentation and make arrangements to procure these items. Establishes workflow protocols to ensure the timely execution of work. Coordinate work for special circumstances. As the subject matter expert (SME), will advise other services on the policies and procedures to establish requisitions for services, equipment and commodities. Review requests from various sources and making substitutions if necessary (within scope). As a subject matter expert, the incumbent will provide general guidance to potential vendors on requirements and information needed to be entered into the VHA's local vendor file. Examine clinical health records and claims folders to determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services. Procures specialized medical equipment, supplies and services for Veterans. Examples include but are not limited to augmented speech devices specialized for veterans individual need such as eye tracking, Custom wheelchairs built with measurements and specs unique to the veteran, vehicle modifications, specialized ramping with prep work and labor. Review of various configurations and determine the most cost effective to meet the veterans need. Procure specialized medical equipment with critical and unique characteristics and associated guidance from a variety of sources. Purchases various equipment, supplies, and services through the use of the government purchase card for micro purchase. The incumbent will be responsible and knowledgeable in various purchasing strategies, such as how to solicit, who to solicit, what clauses to include, which offers to accept or how much lead time. The incumbent will negotiate prices with sole source vendors, persuade reluctant vendors and collect data for requirements not previously required. Performs other duties as required. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent Prosthetics / PD04098A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/22/2025. 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-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 as described below: Specialized 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: Procurement of medical equipment supplies and services; resolves discrepancies and amendments purchase orders and/or cancellation of purchase orders; knowledge of service and home medical equipment; maintains records of transaction (funding, billing); and use of a government purchase card. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Decision Making Manages and Organizes Information Manages Resources Organizational Awareness 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: Requires some physical effort such as standing, sitting, walking, or bending. There are no special physical demands. The work is performed in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts. Normal safety precautions are adequate. See VA HANDBOOK 5019. 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 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.