Inventory Management Specialist

SummaryThis position serves as an Inventory Manager in the Material Management Division of the Supply Chain Management Service in a Veteran Affairs Health Care System (VA HCS) and supported catchment area, with responsibility for the inventory and lifecycle management of all expendable (EX) supplies and durable medical equipment (DME) in the assigned area(s).ResponsibilitiesManages and controls an assigned class of expendable material for a VA Health Care System and supported catchment area. Acts as a central point of contact for the coordination of commodity support and the resolution· of logistics problems across organizational lines. Researches opportunities for and conducts analysis of potential cost savings, efficiencies, and process improvements using quantitative analysis and historical usage patterns. Conducts short, mid and long-term advanced planning for expendable items and Durable Medical Equipment, utilizing enterprise-wide computerized planning tools. Performs analytical work to manage, regulate, coordinate, or otherwise exercise control over expendable supplies. Forecasts short and long range inventory needs considering changes in medical and surgical technologies, clinical scheduling changes and program requirements. Develops acquisition strategies to acquire and purchase DME, Manages inventory, independently sets initial stock and par levels and reorder points and resolves issues for a complete medical or service category. Utilizes automated inventory management system, such as General Inventory Package (GIP} or other equivalent system, to maintain current inventory data. Administers the expendable (EX) inventory management program by planning and reviewing of all inventory processes, functions, and related systems Reviews and reports back to Fiscal on listings of delinquent payments and receipts of purchase orders. Conducts wall-to-wall and periodic inventories on own initiative to identify potential shrinkage issues or other supply chain discrepancies. Analyzes inventory management reports including due-in reports, pending backorder reports, outdated inventory reports, inventory balance reports and 90-day inactive reports. Expedites delivery of urgent requirements through correspondence and telephone calls to vendors, manufacturers or other organizations. Carefully handles highly specialized items which may require any or all of the following: sub-zero temperature control; delicate care instructions; sterile processing; and refrigeration. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pmCompressed/Flexible: Not AvailableTelework: Not AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual position.Position Description/PD#: 5048-ARelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not AuthorizedFinancial Disclosure Report: Not requiredRequirementsConditions of EmploymentQualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/28/2020. 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-7 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 grade 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. 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. To qualify for the GS-7 level, you must have the following: A. One year of specialized experience conducting progressively responsible assignments equivalent to the GS-5 level which has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience includes the following: conducting data/information analysis for acquisition planning associated with materials and/or capital equipment; computing requirements for equipment inventory items; analyzing and advises the customer on equipment purchase recommendations utilizing the "best value" approach; conducting market research on product pricing and performance; and monitoring listings of delinquent payments and receipts of equipment purchase orders and corresponding with procurement officials.ORB. Have successfully completed a 1 full year of graduate level education OR I meet the requirements for superior academic achievement based upon my bachelors degree. NOTE: Superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Class standing Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade-point average of: A) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or B)3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (http://www.achsnatl.org/).ORC. Combination of both education and experience (example: some specialized experience as described in A but less than one year, and I have more than a semester of graduate level work but less than a full year of graduate education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:Contracting and ProcurementPlanning and EvaluatingTechnical CompetenceCustomer ServiceProblem Solving 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: Involves a mix of working in an office environment to working in a warehouse to assist in processing new equipment receipts and entering into the EIL. A great amount of time walking and climbing stairs is required to conduct on-site inventories of EIL equipment. Lifting of up to 40 pounds is required when receiving new equipment at the facility and preparing for the sale of excess property. Work conditions are often indoors, but could occasionally be dirty, hot, humid or unusually cold when involved in property inventories, disposal of equipment, transferring of equipment between serviced locations and recycling centers.EducationA transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.Additional InformationVA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Receiving Service Credit or 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.