Farm Service Agency

Summary
This position is located in the Farm Service Agency, Arizona State Office, Farm Loan Program Branch, Maricopa County, Phoenix, AZ.
About this position: Evaluates farm loan program activities carried out by Service Centers; provides technical advice and assistance to Service Center farm loan staff on the most complex loan cases; and reviews and recommends approved or disapproved of the more difficult loan cases channeled through the State office.
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Duties
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• Provide technical advice and assistance on subjects such as loan making and servicing methods, land use and development practices, farm organization, installation of facilities, and handling legal problem cases.
• Reviews and evaluates Farm Loan Program activity, including technical services activities, loan making, loan servicing, and the transfer of borrowers to private or cooperative credit.
• Develops and/or recommends guides, procedures, forms, information releases, and similar issuances for use by various offices.
• Develop information for the general public and special interest groups concerning available farm loan assistance.
• Reviews and/or recommends approval or disapproval of the more difficult loan cases channeled through the State office.
• Analyzes and recommends decisions in appeal cases submitted to the State Office. The incumbent may serve as an appellate authority for decisions denying loan.

Requirements
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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 may be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are unable to reimburse for any fees incurred.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and we may consider: your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• 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.gov.
• Required to submit Confidential Financial Disclosure Report Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter.
• This Position Requires "Agricultural Loan Approval Authority" for the GS-11 Grade Levels.

Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.
Individual Occupational RequirementsEducation
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociologyOR
Experience
General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience that required gathering and analyzing facts and figures and presenting the information or conclusions in clear oral and written language; or that provided a knowledge of the principles of financial analysis or of insurance laws, such as contract, property, life, casualty, or marine insurance.
Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated competence in agricultural, commercial, realty, or other types of loans. Experience may have been gained in such work as reviewing and passing upon applications for agricultural, commercial, bank or mortgage loans; servicing a loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association; performing financial analysis of commercial concerns for investment purposes; appraising real estate to determine property valuation; or similar work.
In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education listed below.
Specialized Experience Requirements
For the GS-11 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: experience working with agricultural loans by reviewing and passing upon applications for various kinds of agricultural operations representing all types of ownership (i.e., single owner, partnerships, and corporations, etc.); and servicing an agricultural loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association. In addition, my experience demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the technicalities of farm financing and credit; 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.
Education at the GS-11 grade level: Ph.D. degree or equivalent graduate degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a 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.
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience as listed above.
For the GS-12 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: working with agricultural loans by reviewing and passing upon applications for various kinds of agricultural operations representing all types of ownership (i.e., single owner, partnerships, and corporations, etc.); and servicing an agricultural loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association. In addition, my experience demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the technicalities of farm financing and credit; 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.
THE SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION IS NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL.
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
College Transcript: If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. 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 to ensure proper evaluation.
Your education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited toward qualifications. You may verify accreditation by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs website. We will verify your education accordingly.
Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. You must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript. 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 National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. Your transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
You may submit an unofficial copy of your 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 transcripts.
Additional information
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. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
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.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.
Telework: This position is eligible for telework as determined by agency policy.
Incentives: Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.
Bargaining Unit: This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Agricultural Loan Approval Authority: If selected, applicant will be required to provide proof of Agricultural Loan Approval Authority within 7 days of receipt of the Tentative Job Offer. Failure to provide required documentation will jeopardize further consideration.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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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.