Supervisory Purchasing Agent

Description:

This position serves as a Supervisory Purchasing Agent for the Prosthetics Service within the VA Health Care System Columbia, SC and supported catchment area. The Supervisory Purchasing Agent assists the Prosthetics Manager in the overall management of Purchasing at this facility, with efforts directed toward Veteran satisfaction. You will be expected to model the utmost tact, sensitivity, diplomacy and compassion in order to achieve customer satisfaction.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,01/20/2026 .

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-7 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.

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Maintain good public relations with a large number of commercial prosthetic manufacturers and serves as interpreter of regulations and the representative of the Veterans Administration. Makes contact with private physicians and vendors who provide the desired prosthetic appliance or service required of the position on a daily basis since we currently serve over 45,000 patients in this area. Assists the Prosthetic program Manager in counseling veterans relative to all phases of the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Program. Coordinates the delivery of Home Medical Equipment, to include the provision of home oxygen therapy through contracted providers.

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.

Preferred Experience : Ability to apply skill in dealing with a wide range of people, from a variety of backgrounds and educational levels, with differing medical problems, emotional problems and disabilities and to resolve their issues appropriately and quickly. Must be skillful in negotiating issues, such as termination settlements or other significant changes in the small purchase.

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: Must be able to lift at least 25 lbs.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/ .