Lead Purchasing Agent

About the role

This position serves as a Lead Purchasing Agent for the Supply Chain Management Service in The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VA ECHCS) and supported catchment area. The Lead Purchasing Agent is responsible for issuing, reviewing, and/or procuring prescribed items to Veterans in compliance with VHA guidelines and directives and leading a team of Purchasing Agents. The work requires knowledge of policies and procedures for delivery orders and small purchases.

Qualifications

• Closing date: 10/02/2026.
• Time‑in‑Grade: For a GS‑07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑06 grade; submit an SF‑50 showing eligibility. If the most recent SF‑50 is within the past year, provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. This requirement applies to current Federal employees, former Federal employees seeking reinstatement, and VEOA applicants.
• Specialized Experience: One year of experience equivalent to at least the GS‑06 level, such as:
  • Advising approving officials and purchase card holders on purchase card program and procurement procedures.
  • Coaching and problem solving with team members.
  • Instructing purchasing agents in specific tasks and job techniques; providing written instructions and reference materials.
  • Ensuring timely purchasing under the micro‑purchase threshold.
  • Providing procurement support throughout the procurement cycle.
  • Examining incoming procurement requests for completeness.
  • Distributing and balancing workload among employees and assuring completion of assigned work.
  • Utilizing Microsoft Office to create, edit, and aggregate data for expense tracking and supply chain management reporting.
  • Planning and coordinating actions to prevent, correct, or resolve delays or misunderstandings in the purchasing process.
• Preferred Experience:
  • Leadership – influences, motivates, and challenges others.
  • Decision making – makes sound, well‑informed, and objective decisions.
  • Interpersonal skills – considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others.
  • Teaches others – helps others learn, identifies training needs, and provides constructive reinforcement.
  • Purchasing duties – knowledge of VA Government Purchase Card operations and the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

Duties

• Advise approving officials and purchase card holders on purchase card program, procurement procedures and responsibilities.
• Coach and problem solve with team members.
• Delegate follow‑up action on undelivered orders and aged purchase card transactions to close out purchase orders.
• Provide advice on work methods, practices and procedures.
• Instruct purchasing agents in specific tasks and job techniques; make written instructions and reference materials available.
• Ensure timely purchasing under the micro‑purchase threshold.
• Lead coordination for sources of supplies and acceptable substitutions.
• Provide procurement support throughout the procurement cycle.
• Initiate and provide training to acquisition and technical staff on the procurement process.
• Make purchases involving specialized or commercial requirements with unstable price/product characteristics, hard‑to‑locate sources, or similar complicating factors.
• Conduct open market research for routine equipment, supplies, and services.
• Examine incoming procurement requests for completeness.
• Review completed work to verify that instructions on work sequence, procedures, methods and deadlines have been met.
• Distribute and balance workload among employees and assure completion of assigned work.
• Maintain accountable procurement records and auditing information.
• Monitor purchase requests, active and delinquent invoices, and process receipts.
• Utilize Microsoft Office to create, edit and aggregate data for expense tracking and supply chain management reporting.
• Assess urgency of patient needs and recommend source adjustments to meet patient and medical center needs.
• Plan and coordinate actions to prevent, correct, or resolve delays or misunderstandings in the purchasing process.

Schedule

Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm. This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Lead Purchasing Agent/PD99879S. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.