Program Assistant (Purchaser)

Program Assistant (Purchaser)

Our mission is to fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

This developmental position is located at the Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center (VAMC), Milwaukee, WI. It is organizationally aligned under the Facility Management Division in the Administrative Support Section. The Facility Management Division includes the following program areas : Projects Planning & Design, Energy Management and Engineering operations, and Maintenance and Operations - which includes Plumbing and Electrical, Preventative Maintenance and Repair, Utilities (Boiler, Air Conditioning and Graphics), Grounds and Transportation and Architectural.

Advancement through the developmental level to the full performance level will be recommended only after it has been determined that the incumbent meets all regulatory and statutory requirements, is satisfactorily progressing in the training, is successfully performing the currently assigned range of duties as outlined in the target position of Program Assistant, GS-0344-07, Position Number (03059O), and is capable of taking on expanded duties and responsibilities with greater independence.

The purpose of this position is to provide program support and system management services to the Facility Management Division as well as to purchase standard and complex supplies and services for Facility Management Division using various purchasing methods and to maintain the budgetary accounts within the established ceilings. The Facility Management Division Manager and Program Managers rely on the incumbent to ensure effective and accurate support to the Division. This position directly impacts the quality and timeliness of support the Division gives to its customers.

Work consists of different and unrelated processes and methods relative to Facility Management program requirements, purchasing accounting functions. The tasks include making decisions concerning analysis of procurement actions, complexity of the items, sources of supply, historical data and budgetary consideration and the chosen course of action may have to be selected from many alternatives. Decisions are based largely on the employee's experience, precedent actions and priority assigned for resolving a particular problem. Decisions on how to accomplish work are also based upon knowledge of inter-relationships of the objectives of the Facility Management Division, the procurement process and effective management of available funds.

The Facility Management Division provides support to the medical center, VA Regional Office, Great Lakes Acquisition Center (consisting of the Contract Service Center and the Small Purchase Center), Vets Center, and Vets Place Central and includes a consolidated laundry on the grounds. This support includes but is not limited to maintenance, operations, renovations, housekeeping and laundry services. The incumbent must have extensive knowledge of procurement and accounting methods to effectively render reliable decisions.

Work Schedule : Full-time, Monday-Friday, 7 AM-3 : 30 PM, this position is NOT eligible for telework, alternate work schedules, or remote work.

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.

Position Description / PD# : Program Assistant (Purchaser) / 03059O

Requirements Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959. 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.

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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01 / 28 / 2026. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 level & for a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6 level. 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 as described below :

Specialized Experience : You must have one full year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level (to be considered eligible for consideration at a GS-6) OR one full year at the GS-6 level (to be considered eligible for consideration at a GS-7). Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to :

Extensive knowledge of Facility Management Division programs, work functions, organizational data, supplies, materials, equipment needs in order to provide management officials with detailed analyses of purchasing needs, funding requirements, status of control points and purchasing projections collateral to availability of funds; Detailed knowledge of system management procedures in order to design, prepare and maintain extensive database files relating to Facility Management materials, supplies, purchase history, sources of supply, and specifications necessary to support mission requirements and to analyze, review and improve program activities through increased economy and efficiency of operations; Extensive knowledge of price / cost analysis and product search techniques to evaluate / finalize unpriced orders, approve prices or costs for requirement with inadequate price history, and / or approve allowable charges for requirement involving special cost feature for buys that include special handling and transportation rates for emergency orders, long lead times, customization of products; extensive knowledge of all acquisition regulations, methods, procedures, and business practices to make purchases, at times involving specialized requirements that are complex because of factors such as critical product characteristics, specialty items, unstable price, or hard to locate sources; Skill in analyzing vendor proposals to assist in identifying the highest quality product at the best price; Extensive knowledge needed in accounting procedures to balance budgetary accounts; maintains records accurately for seven fund control points ranging in annual budgets from $1,000 into the millions; ability to locate and correct discrepancies due to system errors; Thorough knowledge and understanding of established cost accounting procedures related to appropriation funding, allotments, obligation and disbursement, and the ability to analyze the interrelationship of accounts that are affected by varied transactions; Extensive knowledge of Fiscal cost centers and budget object codes related to Facility Management work items; Thorough knowledge of Federal (FAR) and VA acquisition regulations (VAAR) and accounting procedures; Extensive knowledge of IFCAP and IDCU is necessary to complete the work process. Extensive knowledge of the Federal Supply Classification Codes for classifying all supplies purchased into correct categories for federal reporting; knowledge and skill to review transactions, investigate data, and make independent decisions regarding outstanding transactions and discrepancies that may be present; and skill in using a calculator, computer, and the Internet.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position :

Administration and Management Communication Information Management Technology Application

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; 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.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. 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 a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements : The work is primarily sedentary at a desk and workstation area. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items like papers, reports, files, or possibly moving computer equipment. May stand to greet visitors and escort people to meeting areas. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

For more