Supply Jobs

This group includes positions which involve work concerned with finishing all types of supplies, equipment, material, property (except real estate), and certain services to components of the federal government, industrial, or other concerns under contract to the government, or receiving supplies from the federal government. Included are positions concerned with one or more aspects of activities from initial planning, including requirements analysis and determination, through acquisition, cataloging, storage, distribution, utilization to ultimate issue for consumption or disposal. The work requires a knowledge of one or more elements or parts of a system, and/or methods, policies, or procedures.

The following information is compiled from numerous federal documents including qualification standards, job announcements, career articles, occupation flysheets, FEDSCOPE, OPM, Agency websites, interviews with federal employees, The United States Government Manual, and from the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.

GS-2000 Supply Occupations Menu

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Job Listings by Occupation

Click the job title for job listings, the number employed, hiring agencies, and job series definitions.

General Series GS-2001 Program Management Series GS-2003 Clerical and Technician Series GS-2005 Sales Inventory Management Series GS-2010

Distribution /Storage Mgmt Series GS-2030 Packaging Series GS-2032 Store Clerical Series GS-2091

Review the job vacancy announcements and Qualification Standards for the job you are interested in.

Job Series Definitions

These position descriptions are excerpted from the qualification standards for select job titles in this group. In the General Schedule position classification system is established under chapter 51 of title 5, United States Code. The term “General Schedule” or “GS” denotes the major position classification system and pay structure for white collar work in the Federal government. Agencies that are no longer subject to chapter 51 have replaced the GS pay plan indicator with agency-unique pay plan indicators. For example, the Bureau of Prisons uses GL instead of the GS designation. For this reason, reference to General Schedule or GS is often omitted from the individual qualification standard sheets.

A brief introduction for major occupations within this group is provided below.

General Series GS-2001

This series includes positions involving (1) a combination of supply work covered by two or more two-grade interval series in the Supply Group when no other series is appropriate for the paramount knowledge and abilities required for the position; or (2) other analytical or administrative supply work not specifically covered by another series.

The federal government employs 3,376 general supply specialists of which 94 work overseas. The Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force employ 2,075 civilians followed by the Department of Defense with 836 and the VA with 94. All of the cabinet level agencies, except for the Department of Labor, and a few large independent agencies employ Operations Research Analysts.

In deciding whether any combination of work is classifiable in the GS-2001 series, it should be kept in mind that specialized supply and related activities have some threads of similarity. Specialized supply work includes line, staff, and analytical work in one of the fields of distribution facilities and storage management, inventory management, packaging, and cataloging. Related activities include such areas as supply program management, procurement, and data processing in support of supply operations. Thus, a position with primary duties in one series, but which occasionally includes work classifiable in another series, may require the incumbent to possess essentially only the body of knowledge or qualification requirements applicable to the primary duties. Such a position should not be classified in the GS-2001 series.

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series.)

• USAJOBS GS=2001 (General Supply Specialist Federal Job Lists)

Supply Program Management GS-2003

This series includes positions that involve: (1) management, direction, or administration of a supply program that includes a mixture of technical supply functions; or (2) staff managerial, or administrative work primarily concerned with analyzing, developing, evaluating, or promoting improvements in the policies, plans, methods, procedures, systems, or techniques of a supply program.

The federal government employs 4,084 general supply management specialists of which 152 work overseas. The Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force employ 2,374 civilians followed by the Department of Defense with 783 and HHS with 285. Most of the cabinet level agencies and a few large independent agencies such as the GSA employ supply management specialists or supply system analysts.

Positions in this series are concerned with the overall management, or staff work related to overall management, of a supply program encompassing two or more of the technical supply activities included in the GS-2000 Group. The technical supply areas are Inventory Management, Distribution Facilities and Storage Management, Packaging, and Cataloging. The paramount knowledge requirements relate to management of supply programs involving technical work in the GS-2000 Group.

Positions in this series deal with supply management in terms of broad, overall program responsibilities. Thus, incumbents must have a broad understanding of an interrelated chain of activities involving the process of supply, not as an assortment of individual and separate functions. Often, this understanding extends from the conception or acquisition of a new item through storage, distribution, property utilization, consumption, or disposal.

Some positions in this series, for which supply management knowledge is the paramount qualification requirement, are also concerned with management activities related to supply functions that are classifiable in other occupational groups (e.g., budget, data processing, procurement, property utilization, financial management). Employees in this series are typically concerned with a wide range of the specialized fields in the GS-2000 Group.

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series.)

• USAJOBS GS-2003 (Federal Job Lists)
  • Supply Management Officer
  • Supply Management Specialist
  • Supply Systems Analyst

Supply Clerical and Technician GS-2005

This series includes positions involved in supervising or performing clerical or technical supply support work necessary to ensure the effective operation of ongoing supply activities. It requires knowledge of supply operations and program requirements and the ability to apply established supply policies, day-to-day servicing techniques, regulations, or procedures.

The federal government employs 10,981general supply clerks and technicians of which 291 work overseas. The Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force employ 26,479 civilians followed by the Veterans Administration with 2,705 and the Department of Defense with 1,032. Most of the cabinet level agencies and a few large independent agencies such as the GSA employ supply clerks and technicians.

Supply clerks and technicians perform work in a wide range of systematized supply operations, such as performing records functions in inventory, storage, cataloging, and receipt and control processes. Employees typically do work associated with one of the supply management or operations processes. Some employees, however, do work at local installations involving elements of several supply programs.

Scope or size of the organization served does not itself influence the grade level of Supply Clerk or Technician positions. They operate in any kind of organizational entity, at any level. They may be found, for example, in an operating office serving the consumer, in an agency headquarters supply office, in the supply office of a local field establishment, or in a system-wide national inventory control point.

Virtually all supply systems are automated. Supply clerks and technicians must have sufficient knowledge of the automated systems to apply instructions for supply actions such as data entry, reports retrieval, error correction, and searching for specific records. The work is performed through terminal stations and/or personal computers. Employees maintain specified sets of records in general supply operations or in support of one of the specialized supply functions (i.e., inventory, cataloging, etc.) and are responsible for keeping them both accurate and current.

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series..)

• USAJOBS GS-2005 (Federal Job Lists)
  • Supply Clerk
  • Supply Technician

Inventory Management GS-2010

This series includes positions that involve analytical work in managing, regulating, coordinating, or otherwise exercising control over supplies, equipment, or other material. The work includes one or more phases of material management including initial planning, provisioning and requirements determination, acquisition and distribution, accountability, and ultimate issue for consumption, retention, or disposal. The work requires knowledge of acquisition processes, automated records and control systems, material substitution criteria, and storage, issue, and disposal processes.

The federal government employs 5,125 inventory management specialists and officers of which 82 work overseas. The Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force employ 2,848 civilians followed by the Department of Defense with 1,350 and the Veterans Administration with 904. Most of the cabinet level agencies and a few large independent agencies such as the GSA employ supply clerks and technicians.

Included in this series are positions the principal duties of which involve analytical work in managing and controlling material. Employees apply knowledge of systems, techniques, and underlying management concepts for determining, regulating, or controlling the level and flow of supplies from initial plan through acquisition, storage, issue, and utilization or disposal. In addition, knowledge of specific programs is used by some employees who specialize in providing the material support needs peculiar to assigned items of equipment, weapon systems, or special programs such as construction, maintenance, or modification.

The material management systems developed by the various Federal agencies differ since they are tailored to meet the needs of the agencies concerned. Consequently, differences are often found in policy, organization, delegations of responsibility, relative emphasis given to supply effectiveness and cost, and the extent to which automated data processing systems are used. Regardless of those differences, inventory management involves several common elements.

Coordination of material support requires knowledge of material, work sequences, and schedules in shops or other industrial operations, and the specialized needs of the programs or operational areas supported. Judgment and independence of action are required in applying supply management concepts, organizing inventory management assignments, and taking actions on the basis of delegations of responsibility. Similarly, material coordination assignments require considerable judgment in analyzing and determining the impact on material needs caused by changes in production or operational schedules, work sequences, and plans. (Decisions made strictly in accordance with written or oral instructions, directives, guides, established procedures, and formulas do not meet this criterion.)

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series.)

• USAJOBS GS=2010 (Federal Job Lists)
  • Inventory Management Officer
  • Inventory Management Specialist

Distribution/Storage Mgmt Series GS-2030

This series includes positions that involve analytical or managerial work concerned with receiving, handling, storing, maintaining while in storage, issuing, or physically controlling items within a storage and distribution system. Positions covered by this series require as their primary qualification, knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of managing the physical receipt, custody, care, and distribution of material, including the selection of appropriate storage sites, material handling equipment, and facilities.

The federal government employs 598 distribution facilities specialists and storage specialists of which 46 work overseas. The Departments of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Defense employ 463 civilians followed by Homeland Security with 40, and 29 work for the Veterans Administration. Additionally, 22 work for large independent agencies.

Employees in this series are concerned with a wide variety of storage space (i.e., any type of site, facility, or building used to store material) including both open and covered space. Open storage space is any improved or unimproved area not within a roofed structure that has been designated for storing material. Open storage space typically is used to store items not susceptible to damage by inclement weather.

Covered storage space is the area within a roofed structure used for storing material. It does not include areas used for other purposes, such as office space. In contrast to open space, covered storage is premium space because of the cost of construction and maintenance of the facility itself. Most types of material require at least some form of cover.

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series.)

• USAJOBS GS-2030 (Federal Job Lists)
  • Distribution Facilities Specialist
  • Storage Specialist

Packaging Series GS-2032

This series includes positions that involve planning, designing, and developing packaging methods and techniques, and directing the use of packages and packaging materials to protect supplies, materials, and equipment between the time of purchase and use. This occupation requires knowledge of packaging and preservation methods, material, regulations, specifications, and guidelines. It also requires knowledge of methods and techniques to prevent environmental and mechanical damage during handling, shipping, and storage.

The federal government employs 153 packaging specialists. The Departments of the Army, Air Force, and DOD employ all in this series.

The term “packaging” includes a variety of activities to ensure that supplies, materials, and equipment are protected against damage from mechanical force (weight, pressure, impact) and against deterioration from heat, cold, dampness, or other environmental conditions during handling, transit, or storage. Knowledge requirements for the packaging specialist are allied with supply and transportation management functions. Recommendations and decisions made by employees are carefully documented for use by others. Documentation most often includes coded packaging instructions, according to a coding system peculiar to the packaging business, and narrative reports with drawings so the specific methodology can be repeated as required.

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series. Click on “Private Sector Job Listings” to search for related occupations in the private sector.)

• USAJOBS GS-2032 (Packaging Specialist Federal Job Lists)

Sales Store Clerical GS-2091

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to supervise or perform check-out, salesclerk, customer assistance, or other clerical duties that are involved in the retail sale of merchandise or stock items and that require the application of clerical knowledge, procedures, and/or practices that are peculiar to sales store operations.

The federal government employs 3,514 sales store clerks and checkers of which 236 work overseas. The Department of Defense is the largest employer with 2,724 followed by the VA with 513 and the Department of the Army with 22. Only four of the cabinet level agencies employ supply clerks and technicians.

Clerical sales store work consists of the clerical duties that are involved in the sale of items in single-unit or small-lot quantities directly to consumers. Typically, commissary, self-service supply centers distributing supplies to and within agencies, and other retail sales stores are operated on a self-service basis, but a substantial number of sales store operations provide some customer services. Such duties as checking-out purchases, waiting on customers, preparing sales slips, and maintaining retail price lists are characteristic of work classifiable in this series. /p>

Job Series Titles: (The USAJOBS selection lists all federal job vacancies for this job series.)

• USAJOBS GS-2091 (Federal Job Lists)
  • Sales Store Checker
  • Sales Store Clerk