Purchasing Agent
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Summary
The Prosthetics Purchasing Agent is a member of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. The incumbent performs direct medical supply purchasing and inventory management support to the administrative and clinical services of the VA to initiate the obligation for all related requirements necessary to provide prosthetic and sensory aids services, including durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.
Qualifications To qualify for this position – applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 03/24/2026.
Time‑In‑Grade Requirement – Current Federal employees who have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date. 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 Federal service. An SF‑50 showing your time‑in‑grade eligibility must be submitted with application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year, you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade.
Applicants wishing to receive credit for specialized 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.
Specialized experience (equivalent to GS‑5) in or related to the work of this position includes:
- Independently monitoring, receiving, tracking, interpreting, and analyzing prosthetic consults and prescriptions.
- Procuring supplies and services to meet purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization.
- Working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities.
- Resolving various shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations.
- Purchasing equipment, supplies, and services through a purchase card.
- Assembling and summarizing information from files and documents to create reports and verify accountability of all prosthetics expenditures.
- Conducting thorough market research by obtaining competitive bids or requests for quotation using FAR, VAAR, and VHA Manual procedures.
- Utilizing automated supply/inventory management systems and Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel).
Volunteer work (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) is also considered if it meets the above criteria.
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary for purchasing functions. Inventory management may involve standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, and retrieving inventory up to 25 pounds. Employees may need to climb or be in storage areas, wear protective clothing, and visit off‑site locations. Prolonged computer use is required.
For more information on these qualification standards, visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Duties The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is a two‑division campus located in Cincinnati – OH and Fort Thomas – KY serving 15 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana, with six community‑based outpatient clinics in Bellevue – KY, Florence – KY, Lawrenceburg – IN, Hamilton – OH, Clermont County – OH, and Georgetown – OH. CVAMC also supports two off‑main‑campus locations via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division.
Purchasing Support – Conduct purchases under the micro‑purchase threshold, review and edit purchase requests, resolve issues to ensure accurate and timely processing of requests and bills, identify needs or problems, determine corrective action, and apply federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify sources and relevant information.
Track obligations/commitments and monitor expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste, or abuse.
Procurement Support – Procure supplies and services for purchase, rental, or lease needs; develop unique selection criteria; prepare and issue contract modifications; conduct open market research and sole‑source small purchases for specialized medical items.
Administrative Support – Serve as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers regarding procured items; develop reports and spreadsheets; obtain, organize, file, and retrieve reports for briefing and presentation; perform receptionist, timekeeping, record‑keeping, and miscellaneous duties.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Work schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (This position is not virtual.)
Position Description/PD# : Purchasing Agent/PD91628S.
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Qualifications To qualify for this position – applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 03/24/2026.
Time‑In‑Grade Requirement – Current Federal employees who have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date. 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 Federal service. An SF‑50 showing your time‑in‑grade eligibility must be submitted with application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year, you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade.
Applicants wishing to receive credit for specialized 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.
Specialized experience (equivalent to GS‑5) in or related to the work of this position includes:
- Independently monitoring, receiving, tracking, interpreting, and analyzing prosthetic consults and prescriptions.
- Procuring supplies and services to meet purchase, rental, or lease needs of an organization.
- Working with medical staff to determine procurement needs and priorities.
- Resolving various shipment, payment, or other discrepancies in support of procurement programs and operations.
- Purchasing equipment, supplies, and services through a purchase card.
- Assembling and summarizing information from files and documents to create reports and verify accountability of all prosthetics expenditures.
- Conducting thorough market research by obtaining competitive bids or requests for quotation using FAR, VAAR, and VHA Manual procedures.
- Utilizing automated supply/inventory management systems and Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel).
Volunteer work (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) is also considered if it meets the above criteria.
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary for purchasing functions. Inventory management may involve standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, and retrieving inventory up to 25 pounds. Employees may need to climb or be in storage areas, wear protective clothing, and visit off‑site locations. Prolonged computer use is required.
For more information on these qualification standards, visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Duties The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is a two‑division campus located in Cincinnati – OH and Fort Thomas – KY serving 15 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana, with six community‑based outpatient clinics in Bellevue – KY, Florence – KY, Lawrenceburg – IN, Hamilton – OH, Clermont County – OH, and Georgetown – OH. CVAMC also supports two off‑main‑campus locations via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division.
Purchasing Support – Conduct purchases under the micro‑purchase threshold, review and edit purchase requests, resolve issues to ensure accurate and timely processing of requests and bills, identify needs or problems, determine corrective action, and apply federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify sources and relevant information.
Track obligations/commitments and monitor expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste, or abuse.
Procurement Support – Procure supplies and services for purchase, rental, or lease needs; develop unique selection criteria; prepare and issue contract modifications; conduct open market research and sole‑source small purchases for specialized medical items.
Administrative Support – Serve as the first line of contact for medical staff and customers regarding procured items; develop reports and spreadsheets; obtain, organize, file, and retrieve reports for briefing and presentation; perform receptionist, timekeeping, record‑keeping, and miscellaneous duties.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Work schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (This position is not virtual.)
Position Description/PD# : Purchasing Agent/PD91628S.
#J-18808-Ljbffr