Summary This position is located in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL), National Acquisition Center (NAC), Denver Logistics Center (DLC), Logistics Section. OPAL's Department-wide and government-wide mission directly supports diverse and complex programs, which includes the largest healthcare delivery system in the United States, by providing innovative acquisition, logistics and financial solutions. Responsibilities This is a bargaining unit position. The initial application review cut-off for this job announcement is 50 applications. The first 50 applications received will be considered first. Applications received after the initial cut-off number (50 applications) may not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. If management requests additional certificates, applicants will continue to be reviewed in groups of 50 in the order they applied. Note: Submitting multiple applications will change the order in which your application is reviewed. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Total Rewards Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 6:00am - 2:30pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: May be available with supervisor approval Telework: Not available Duty Location Status: Will work from a VA owned or leased space Position Description Title/PD#: Quality Assurance Specialist/ PD20416A and PD20417A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Physical Demands: The work is primarily standing with walking, stooping, bending, reaching, and carrying loads weighing up to 45 pounds. Extended periods of intense concentration are required to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the work products. This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-09. At the GS-07 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-09. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied. Major Duties: Performs a variety of specialized quality management functions that involve analytical work in managing and controlling material at the Denver Logistics Center (DLC). Performs Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) on critical functions with the Distribution Management Section. Prepares and presents written analyses of the activities and problems and provides recommended solutions. Collects data through process audits for analyzing and investigating adverse quality trends to initiate corrective action in a warehousing environment. Identifies procured items that are complex, critical or have bad quality histories. Records discrepancies, provides definitive corrective recommendations, and reviews adequacy of corrective action taken. Recommends procedural changes to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of logistics operations. Implements advanced Total Quality Management and "5 S" (sort, straighten, sanitize, standardize, and sustain) methods, policies and procedures to minimize risk, reduce errors and maximize customer satisfaction. Supports the Logistics Section leadership by answering internal and external inquiries with regard to VA and DLC procedures for quality compliance, supply deliveries, product information, logistics policies, regulations, and procurement provisions. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/10/2024. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. 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. AND GS-07:Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that demonstrates a practical knowledge in monitoring, controlling, or maintaining the quality of products or services in quality assurance, procurement, inspection, production, or related areas. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: reviewing production activities and capabilities in light of contract quality requirements; reviewing written quality or inspection procedures for adequacy; collecting quality data to detect unsatisfactory trends or weaknesses in the quality/inspection system; verifying by test or inspection, using sampling inspection, that products comply with requirements prior to acceptance; identifying inadequacies; computing data, summarizing results, and preparing reports or charts depicting pertinent relationships; investigating customer complaints and deficiency reports, and providing identification of causes to appropriate authorities; and reviewing and evaluating supply systems operations and procedures through periodic audits and surveillance inspections. OR Education: One full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. The major field of study must be quality assurance, statistics, mathematics, production management, industrial management, computer science, engineering, engineering technology, physical sciences, textiles, or other fields related to the position. OR Combination: A combination of graduate level education in required field of study and specialized experience to qualify at this level to meet the total experience requirements. GS-09:Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that demonstrates a practical knowledge in monitoring, controlling, or maintaining the quality of products or services in quality assurance, procurement, inspection, production, or related areas. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: reviewing production activities and capabilities in light of contract quality requirements; reviewing written quality or inspection procedures for adequacy, and evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of quality/inspection systems, including sampling plans; collecting and analyzing quality data to detect unsatisfactory trends or weaknesses in the quality/inspection system; verifying by test or inspection, using sampling inspection or intensive product inspection techniques, that products comply with requirements prior to acceptance; identifying inadequacies and requesting corrective action; computing data, summarizing results, and preparing reports or charts depicting pertinent relationships using statistical methods; investigating customer complaints and deficiency reports, and providing identification of causes to appropriate authorities; reading, interpreting, and applying technical data such as blueprints, engineering drawings, product specifications, or technical manuals; and reviewing and evaluating supply systems operations and procedures through periodic audits and surveillance inspections. OR Education: A master's or equivalent graduate level degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. The major field of study must be quality assurance, statistics, mathematics, production management, industrial management, computer science, engineering, engineering technology, physical sciences, textiles, or other fields related to the position. OR Combination: A combination of graduate level education in required field of study (in excess of the first year) and specialized experience to qualify at this level. Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing your qualifications on education. Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation). The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties. To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp. Education A 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 Information Receiving Service Credit for 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 VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.