Materials Handler

About the role

This position serves as a Materials Handler located within the Receiving/Distribution area of the Logistics Service in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System performing work that involves receiving, storing, selecting, and shipping general and/or specialized bulk and bin materials and equipment.

Qualifications

Screen‑Out Element: Requires the ability to do the work of a Materials Handler without more than normal supervision. To receive credit, your resume must demonstrate experience that includes:

• performing warehouse work involving receiving, storing, selecting and shipping of general or specialized bulk materials and equipment
• loading and unloading materials
• routing materials and equipment to correct locations or storage areas
• preparing shipping and inventory documents

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications using the job element method. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the job elements needed for success. Qualifications are first evaluated against the prescribed screen‑out element (WG‑2 and higher; screen‑outs are not applicable to WG‑1). Applicants who meet the screen‑out are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible.

You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire:

• Dexterity and Safety
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Materials Technical Practices
• Without more than normal supervision
• Work Practices

A full year of work is considered to be 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 on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (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

Work involves considerable walking, pushing and pulling a variety of carts and materials handling equipment; offloading and loading trucks, lifting products on and off shelves, handling boxes frequently weighing over 40 pounds; handling equipment, furniture and materials of an awkward and heavier nature in excess of 100 pounds (typically using specialized equipment and/or assistance of co‑workers). Greater physical effort may be required on projects involving the movement of large quantities of products over an extended period including turn‑ins, large shipments and deliveries. While operating vehicles, may be required to exert a greater level of physical exertion while backing and turning trucks, operating forklifts, or hand trucks on uneven terrains and uncertain conditions.

Working conditions require working in storage buildings, pods, trailers, vehicles and warehouses that may be hot, cold, drafty and have poor lighting; work outdoors, on docks, making deliveries in all types of weather conditions during all seasons; hazardous materials may be encountered in daily work activities; will be subject to the possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury from the use of equipment; may be subject to conditions that could result in serious accidents; personal protective equipment may be required.

Responsibilities

• Receives, stores and ships bin and bulk supplies, materials and equipment
• Prepares shipping and inventory documents for manual or automated inventory systems
• Selects specific storage locations within framework of general warehousing plan
• Rotates stock, checks for outdated materials and maintains the appropriate safeguards and temperature controls
• Handles delivering and warehousing materials including hazardous, flammable and temperature sensitive products
• Participates in conducting inventory of stock on hand and communicates discrepancies
• Ensures products and shelving are marked with corresponding identification numbers
• Load and unload shipments from trucks and other material conveyances
• Makes off‑site deliveries in motor vehicles typically with a gross weight of less than 26,000 pounds
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Schedule

Work Schedule: 7:00 am – 3:30 pm