LOAN ASSISTANT/SPECIALIST (AGRICULTURAL)

Duties Conducts interviews with loan applicants, reviews loan applications and makes preliminary inquiries to develop factual information to assess the eligibility of applicants.
Provides technical advice, guidance and credit counseling to loan applicants and borrowers.
Has delegated loan approval authority to approve loans within a specific limit.
Makes recommendations on agency farm loan programs and eligibility requirements.
Applies technical knowledge of farm financing and credit, financial management concepts and practices, farm operations, land use and value, production and marketing of various crops and livestock, and prices and markets in the serviced farming areas.
Conducts interviews with loan applicants, reviews loan applications, and makes preliminary inquiries to develop factual information to assess the eligibility of applicants.
Recommends approval or disapproval of individual loans and guarantees above delegated amounts.
Assists the Farm Loan Manager in administering farm loan programs in a USDA Service Center serving one or more Counties.
Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a US Citizen or US National.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
If selected you will be sent instruction on obtaining fingerprints.
Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.
e-verify.
gov/ In addition, upon completion of training program, FLO's may be reassigned, at any time, to a different duty station if workload activity changes or vacancies occur.
This position works in a developmental capacity receiving on-the-job and classroom training in the administration of farm loan programs.
Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements including specialized experience and/or education, as defined.
For the GS-5 level: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree or a bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, statistics, or another field related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology from an accredited college or university; OR Applicants must have three (3) years of progressively responsible general experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4, that required (1) gathering and analyzing facts and figures, and presenting the information or conclusions in clear oral and written language; or (2) that provided a knowledge of the principles of financial analysis or of insurance laws, such as contract property, life, casualty, or marine insurance; OR A combination of education and experience as listed above.
For the GS-7 level: Superior Academic Achievement:A bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, statistics, or another field related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology from an accredited college or university with either: 1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.
0 based on a 4.
0 scale; 2) a 3.
5 GPA based on a 4.
0 scale for required courses completed in a major field of study during the last two years of undergraduate study; 3) class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision of the college; 4) membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies; OR Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-5 level in the Federal service or private sector equivalent that demonstrates basic knowledge of loan examining and/or servicing principles, procedures and techniques as they apply to investigation, analysis, and evaluation of financial factors and credit risks in relation to granting and servicing of agricultural loans.
Experience may have been gained in such work as assisting in reviewing and passing upon applications for agricultural loans; servicing an agricultural loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association; or similar work.
In addition, this experience must demonstrate basic knowledge of farm operations, land use and value, production of various crops and livestock, and prices and markets in the farming area where loans are made and serviced; OR One year of graduate education from an accredited college or university with a major in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, statistics, or another field related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology; OR A combination of graduate education and experience as listed above.
For the GS-9 level: Two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology; OR Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-7 level in the Federal service or private sector equivalent.
Experience that demonstrates competence in agricultural loans.
Experience may have been gained in such work as reviewing and passing upon applications for agricultural loans; servicing an agricultural loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association; or similar work.
Experience that demonstrates knowledge of credit principles and practices to assess the fundamental soundness of individual loans by independently examining applications, supporting documents, and credit reports, and maintaining servicing activities on small agricultural loans.
In addition, experience must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of farm operations, land use and value, production of various crops and livestock, and prices and markets in the farming area where loans are made and serviced; OR A combination of education and experience as listed above.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.
opm.
gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.
asp.
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 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 If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade.
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.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.
g.
special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.
), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated.
Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement.
Important: 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.
Click on this link for more information.
Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Additional information For more information on OPM's authorization of Direct Hire Authority, please visit https://www.
opm.
gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/ Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible.
To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.
CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section.
If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management.
However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements.
Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties.
Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.
Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management.
However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
Recruitment/Relocation incentives may be considered.
Benefits 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.
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official.
Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements.
A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.
Note: All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume.
If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible.
Please follow all instructions carefully.
Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.
e.
the online questionnaire.
The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process.
To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.
To view the application form, visit: https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12268882 Benefits 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.
Required Documents As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits.
Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.
You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.
Encrypted documents will not be accepted.
Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.
If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education as equivalent to U.
S.
education standards.
There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service.
For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website.
All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: 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.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically.
Applications will not be accepted after 11:59 p.
m.
Eastern Time (ET) by the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.
m.
- 4:00 p.
m.
, Monday - Friday).
If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method.
All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office.
If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document.
You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred.
However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents.
Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.
g.
SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application.
Each file must not exceed 3MB.
Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process.
Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Agency contact information Gary Abeyta Email gary.
abeyta@usda.
gov Address Farm Service Agency 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US Next steps Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position.
If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.
Encrypted documents will not be accepted.
Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.
If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education as equivalent to U.
S.
education standards.
There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service.
For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website.
All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: 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.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help This job is open to Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.
Clarification from the agency This vacancy will be filled using the Office of Personnel Management's Direct-Hire Authority.
Veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement.