Purchasing Agent

Summary

This position serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Logistics Service within the VA Health Care System in Fargo, ND, performing work to acquire supplies, services, and construction by purchase, rental, or lease through delivery orders and/or small purchase procedures.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements.
Specialized

Experience:

Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, typically in or related to the work of this position. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS‑5 level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes performing clerical or assistant duties in support of purchasing and procurement;

procuring supplies and services to meet the purchase‑rental‑or‑lease needs of an organization; working with staff to determine procurement needs and priorities; resolving a variety of shipment‑payment‑or‑other discrepancies; purchasing various equipment, supplies, and services using a purchase card. You will be rated on the following competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire:
Customer Service (Clerical/Technical), Decision Making, Manages and Organizes Information, Manages Resources, Reasoning (Clerical/Technical), Technical Competence. IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered 35‑40 hours per week. All experience listed on your resume must include month and year start/end dates. Part‑time experience will be credited based on time actually spent. 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 per week spent in such employment.

Experience may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, 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.

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.

For more information on these qualification standards, please refer to the United States Office of Personnel Management website: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

• *** THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION - YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***
• This position utilizes knowledge of policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases and knowledge of commercial supply sources and common business practices related to sales, prices, discounts, units of measurement, deliveries, stocks, and shipments.
• The Purchasing Agent maintains responsibility for work leading to the purchase of a wide variety of complex and highly specialized services, supplies, equipment, and systems that support the full range of programs and activities.
• Purchasing Support – Conducts purchasing under the micro purchase threshold;
• Reviews and edits purchase requests;
• Resolves issues to ensure requests and bills are processed accurately and in a timely manner;
• Identifies needs or problems and determines corrective action;
• Utilizes federal and agency acquisition regulations to identify possible sources and other pertinent information related to purchases;
• Tracks obligations/commitments and monitors expenditures to support recurring budget forecasts and identify potential fraud, waste, and abuse based on procurement history and purchase trends;
• Procurement Support – Procures supplies and services to meet the purchase‑rental‑or‑lease needs of…