Purchasing Agent

What you would do

• Review detailed purchase requests for specialized supplies, equipment, and commercial needs.
• Check customer specifications so performance periods, contractor duties, and products are clear.
• Contact requesters to resolve unclear, conflicting, or unusual requirements.
• Choose the right buying source and method for commercial, specialized, and urgent needs.
• Ask vendors for oral or written price quotes using open market procedures.
• Evaluate bids and quotes for fair price, competition rules, and the best value for the government.

Do you qualify for GS-6?

With experience: You need one year of specialized experience. This means detailed reviews of purchase requests and buying supplies or equipment. The announcement says this experience is typical of GS-5 level work, one grade below this job.

With education: A half year (9 semester hours) of graduate-level education in a field such as business or management can qualify you instead of experience. You can also combine education and experience so the total reaches 100%. Foreign education must be evaluated by an approved organization or receive full U.S. credit.

How to apply well

What to send:

• Resume of two pages or less showing employer, job title, start and end month and year, and hours per week
• Transcripts if you qualify through education
• Most recent performance appraisal, if you have one
• Optional cover letter
• Documents proving any preference eligibility, as listed in the Applicant Checklist
• Completed online questionnaire

How you will be rated: You are rated on how well your resume, questionnaire, and documents show you meet the qualifications. If the announcement finds you inflated your experience, you may lose consideration, and missing information may make your application incomplete or lower your rating.

Tips for this job:

• Your resume must be two pages or less and must list hours per week for each job, or it may be marked incomplete.
• If you want to use education to qualify, upload your transcript, or your education will not be counted.
• Use plain language and avoid acronyms on your resume, since the agency will not assume what you mean.

Good to know before you apply

Schedule: Full-time, permanent position. Up to 5% business travel required.

Conditions of employment:

• Background investigation for suitability or fitness
• Personnel Security Investigation required
• Immunization screening; Hepatitis B shots required for direct patient contact positions
• Consent to seasonal flu vaccination or a recognized exemption
• Public (OGE 278) or confidential (OGE 450) financial disclosure report on entry and yearly
• Selective Service registration for men born after December 31, 1959
• 1-year probationary period
• Direct deposit of pay required
• Selection may be limited by the DoD referral system for displaced employees
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moving costs are not paid

Job details

Salary

$53,512 – $69,565 per year

Pay scale and grade

GS-6 · General Schedule

Location

McGuire AFB, New Jersey

Appointment

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Openings

1

Security clearance

Not Required

Travel

Occasional travel

Drug test

Not required

Supervisory

No

Occupation

Purchasing (1105)

Announcement

HSJW-27-13104511-DHA