This position is in the Farm Service Agency, Arkansas State Office, located in Helena, Arkansas. This position is neither remote nor virtual. The employee will be expected to report in person to the assigned duty location. About the position: Assists the Farm Loan Manager in administering farm loan programs in a USDA Service Center serving one or more Counties making, servicing, and supervising loans and providing guidance and credit counseling to loan applicants and borrowers.

Duties

Making, servicing, and supervising loans. Providing technical advice, guidance, and credit counseling to loan applicants and borrowers. Has delegated loan approval authority to approve loans within a specific limit. Has knowledge of agency farm loan programs and eligibility requirements. Has knowledge of the technicalities of farm financing and credit, financial management concepts and practices, and farm operations. Has knowledge of land use and value, production and marketing of various crops and livestock, and prices and markets in the serviced farming areas.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/59 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 a one-year probationary or trial period.
• 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• This Position Requires "Agricultural Loan Approval Authority" for the GS-11 Grade Level.
• CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: If selected for this position you will be required to submit an Annual Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement 07/24/2024 including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined. Specialized experience for the GS-9 level: Two full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's 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. Time in grade for the GS-9 level: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the GS-7 level. Specialized experience for the GS-11 level: Applicants must have three full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral 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-9 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 a limited number and variety of agricultural operations (i.e., single owner, single enterprise operation, farm equipment and machinery, etc.), or servicing an agricultural loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association. In addition, experience must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the technicalities of farm financing and credit, and a general working 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- A combination of education and experience as listed above. Time in grade for the GS-11 level: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the GS-9 level. In addition to the above requirements, GS-11 applicants must meet the below Selective Placement Factor Requirement: MANDATORY SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR FOR GS-11: Must possess or have possessed Agricultural Loan Approval Authority. NOTE: Your resume must specifically address the experiences and Selective Placement Factor needed to be considered. Failure to document may result in an ineligible rating. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Loan Specialist Series 1165 (opm.gov) 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:

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit with your application package evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution was appropriately accredited by an accredited body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. Education standards. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process; however, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for instructions on submitting the transcript.

Contacts

• Address Farm Service Agency 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Jennifer Falkner
• Email: [email protected]