FARM LOAN OFFICER (AGRICULTURAL)

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.

Basic Requirement: GS-1165 Education 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 sociology.

OR Experience: 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 basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-09 grade level: 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. Specialized Experience is defined as: 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 Education at the GS-09 grade level: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: 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 Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience as listed above. Specialized experience for the GS-11 level: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.

Specialized experience is defined as: Sufficient knowledge of agricultural production, financial management and credit principles and practices to analyze the solvency, credit risk and future repayment capacity of moderate size agricultural operations having a limited number of enterprises; knowledge of laws, rules and regulations concerning agricultural trade and business practices and of income tax laws, bankruptcy laws and other statutes; demonstrated skill in working with smaller loans and less complicated business structures (sole proprietorships and partnerships); independently performing loan collection activities.

Education at the GS-11 grade 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 Combination of Education and Experience at the GS-11 Grade Level: A combination of education and experience as listed above.

MANDATORY SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR FOR GS-11: Must possess or have possessed Agricultural Loan Approval Authority 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. Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. You must meet this requirement by the closing date of this announcement.

Have the knowledge and skill with servicing farm loans;,Provides 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.