What are the responsibilities and job description for the Materials Handler position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
This position serves as a Warehouse Worker located within the Receiving/Distribution area of the Logistics Service in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Des Moines, Iowa, performing work that involves receiving, storing, selecting, and shipping general and/or specialized bulk and bin materials and equipment.
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Duties
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
PHYSICAL EFFORT: Work involves considerable walking, pushing, and pulling a variety of carts and materials handling equipment. Works offloading and loading trucks, lifting products on and off-shelves, handling boxes frequently weighing over 40 pounds. Will frequently handle equipment, furniture, and materials of an awkward and heavier nature in excess of 100 pounds. These items are typically handled using specialized equipment and/or assistance of co-workers. Greater physical effort may be required on projects involving the movement of large quantities of product over an extended period of time including, but not limited to, 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.
WORK CONDITIONS: Required to work in storage buildings, pods, trailers, vehicles and warehouses that may be hot, cold, drafty, and poorly lighted. Employees work outdoors, on docks, making deliveries in all types of weather conditions during all seasons. Hazardous materials may be encountered in daily work activities. Duties will be subject to the possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury from the use of equipment. All types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be required. May be subject to conditions that could result in serious accidents; precautions will be taken. Must possess a valid, state driver's license or commercial driver's license (CDL), as applicable, if required to operate a motor vehicle or commercial vehicle.
Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.
You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.
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; 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.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
This position serves as a Warehouse Worker located within the Receiving/Distribution area of the Logistics Service in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Des Moines, Iowa, performing work that involves receiving, storing, selecting, and shipping general and/or specialized bulk and bin materials and equipment.
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Duties
- 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, check 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 4500 pounds;
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Help
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
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Pre-employment physical required
- 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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)
PHYSICAL EFFORT: Work involves considerable walking, pushing, and pulling a variety of carts and materials handling equipment. Works offloading and loading trucks, lifting products on and off-shelves, handling boxes frequently weighing over 40 pounds. Will frequently handle equipment, furniture, and materials of an awkward and heavier nature in excess of 100 pounds. These items are typically handled using specialized equipment and/or assistance of co-workers. Greater physical effort may be required on projects involving the movement of large quantities of product over an extended period of time including, but not limited to, 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.
WORK CONDITIONS: Required to work in storage buildings, pods, trailers, vehicles and warehouses that may be hot, cold, drafty, and poorly lighted. Employees work outdoors, on docks, making deliveries in all types of weather conditions during all seasons. Hazardous materials may be encountered in daily work activities. Duties will be subject to the possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury from the use of equipment. All types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be required. May be subject to conditions that could result in serious accidents; precautions will be taken. Must possess a valid, state driver's license or commercial driver's license (CDL), as applicable, if required to operate a motor vehicle or commercial vehicle.
Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.
You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
- Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision (Screen Out)
- Driver's License (Screen Out)*
- Work practices
- Technical practices
- Ability to interpret instructions, specifications, etc. (other than blueprints)
- Knowledge of materials
- Dexterity and safety
IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.
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; 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.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Read more
- Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Salary : $21 - $25
