The incumbent is a member of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line under the VISN or medical center. 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, to include durable medical equipment and supplies directly to Veterans.
Duties to include but not limited to the following: The position has a high degree of visibility due to direct patient care contact with the Veteran population, many of whom are severely disabled; therefore, the incumbent displays a positive image and be highly motivated to seek ways to expedite patient processing, accomplish the VA mission and adapt to the ever-changing world of health care.
The incumbent must quickly deduce from written prescriptions or oral requests what items or services are needed and/or conduct follow up information requests to the initiator to clarify the medical need or device specifications, based on the Veterans medical evaluation. These medical needs are indicated on Prosthetic Service Requests/Consults. These consults are entered by VA clinicians in the electronic medical record.
Prosthetics Purchasing Agents are responsible for triaging consults in VISTA or APAT. Based on the urgency of the need, the incumbent will select the most appropriate cost-effective source to deliver the items/service in the most reliable manner.
Purchasing staff in PSAS conduct work utilizing independent problem-solving skills in a STAT and routine manner, taking appropriate action based on the request from the clinical provider prescribing the device based on the interpreted instructions on the clinical prescription. Timelines for procurement will be established by local or national guidance via Business Practice Guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures.
Adherence to these timelines is extremely important, as a delay from PSAS could prevent discharge from input to output status, delay scheduled surgeries, and/or impact other care coordination efforts to Veterans awaiting care. They obligate purchase orders for equipment and/or supplies, or the rental of services within 30 working days. Action taken must be annotated on the consult as notification to the requestor and all other necessary parties.
Monitors to ensure the completion of requests in less than a 90-days period. Action taken must explain why actions could not be completed within the established timeframe. All updates regarding the acquisition process must be indicated on the consults. These updates work as two-way communication between the purchasing staff and the VA clinical staff.
PSAS purchasing staff will change the status of consults based on local processes and guidelines and in accordance with all Business Practice Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures. The incumbent will be responsible for using discernment in managing consults and changing statuses accordingly using purchase orders, inventory issues, forwarding consults, and administratively completing them using NR codes.
The incumbent will be responsible for managing and monitoring their List Open Purchase Card Transactions By Initiator report / unreconciled orders on a regular basis and in accordance The incumbent will be responsible for managing and monitoring their List Open Purchase Card Transactions By Initiator (LPCI) report / unreconciled orders on a regular basis and in accordance.
The incumbent has multiple levels of micro purchase threshold authority, and these micro purchase thresholds uniquely influence the major duties and responsibilities in this position, particularly the complex purchasing major duty. Purchase authority is established or changed when the incumbents VA Form 0242 is submitted and signed by VHA procurement authority based on the items purchased and their contract status.
For non-national contract items the incumbent has a general micro purchase authority of $10,000 (this threshold is subject to change). For national contract-based purchases when 38 U.S.C 8123 authority is delegated, by the Secretary for the Department of Veteran's Affairs, the incumbent has a micro purchase threshold of $100,000 (this threshold is subject to change). This includes surgical implants and additional commodities which may be included as the authority is expanded.
The 8123 authority was first authorized by the Secretary of the VA on October 5th, 2017, and the authority specifically authorizes the incumbent the following provisions: 1) approval of non warranted individuals to establish purchase orders and use purchase cards to pay for such orders without regard to micro-purchase threshold limitations; and 2) approval of establishing written obligated purchase card orders and payments to vendors after the product has been used.
NOTE: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am- 4:30pm Telework: This position is not authorized for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD# 03188-A
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
solagne.leonard@va.gov · 925-356-5887
This position is with Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.
The posted pay range is $45155 – $73796/yr.
Applications close on 2026-10-22.
There are 5 openings for this position.
This position is open under the 'Fed Transition' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government · Retrieved 2026-10-14 · Not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM or USAJOBS.gov
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