Purchasing Assistant Jobs in Union, MO (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This position functions as a Purchasing Agent for Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) within the Prosthetic Service Line at the St. Louis VA Medical Center. The primary purpose of this position is to perform direct medical supply Purchasing support for administrative and clinical services 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.
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Duties
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The Purchasing Agent initiates procurement of all outpatient medical requirements to include direct individual purchases to the Veteran, medical surgical implants used during surgery, and/or rental requirements associated with continual outpatient medical equipment and supplies.
Major Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Consistently communicate and treats customer (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner
• Perform technical level purchasing to acquire Veteran specific medical equipment
• Supply and service based on a medical provider's clinical assessment and evaluation of the Veteran's medical condition
• Serve as the point of contact for external customer service needs and support
• Tailor the Veteran care/support services to meet the need(s) of the patient and service
• Provides necessary care coordination
• Responsible for various fund control points
• Complete a Veterans Record Transaction on the Veteran's medical record to ensure documentation of exactly what was purchased
• Maintain an awareness of products with possible recalls
• Determine, if feasible, to obligate and replace based on findings
• Initiate recall action of identified recall products
• Communicate actions taken within the Alerts and Recalls System
• Work closely with clinicians and suppliers to meet delivery deadlines
• Ensure emergent delivery and repairs are completed
• Clarify requirements and negotiate issues such as establishing adequate price reductions for deviations in product or delivery, modifying certain terms, or waiving penalties for returned items when contacting vendors
• Review medical records and specifications of devices being prescribed for specialty programs
• Work directly with clinical services and vendors to determine the appropriate devices
• Examine clinical health records and claims folders
• Determine eligibility and entitlement for items and services
• Ensure training is addressed before medical equipment is issued
• Identify priorities on pending requests to comply with VA Central Office mandated deadline
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Knowledge of prosthetic regulations and policies
• Knowledge of prosthetic and rehabilitative items and services
• Follow applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc.
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• Some physical effort - standing, sitting, walking, or bending

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm CST
Telework: Available:Ad-Hoc Only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PD10312A and PD10313A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 identification 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, 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, 08/17/2026.
GS-5 Applicants- Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-5 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest non-temporary competitive appointment.
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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 and/or education as described below:

• GS-05 Purchasing Agent Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-04) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working independently to complete purchase orders and reconcile charges, Conduct face-to-face and telephone conversations with patients, family members, and private medical staff, contractors, vendors, and co-workers, Researches the use of different solicitation methods, ordering or reporting procedures, and purchasing methods to distinguish between different purchasing strategies. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four academic years above High School, leading to a Bachelor's Degree. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond four years of education above High School, leading to a Bachelor's Degree.

• GS-06 Purchasing Agent Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-06) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working independently to complete purchase orders and reconcile charges. Quickly deduce from written prescriptions or oral requests what items or services are needed, selecting the most appropriate cost-effective source to deliver the items/service in the most reliable manner. Maintains an inventory of all purchased and consignment equipment with expiration date, imitate exchange and/or replacement of expired stock. Providing patient care and support services to an adult population and serves as the point of contact for external customer service inventory needs and support.

Preferred Experience:

• Government Purchase Card holder-someone who uses a Government Purchase Card to purchase
• Experience reviewing the electronic health record
• Can interpret clinical consults as it relates to medical terminology

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 the GS-06 level.
GS-05 Purchasing Agent : Education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
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/.
Additional information
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this va