Loan Assistant/Specialist (Agricultural)

US-Farm-Service-Agenc; Jonesville (MI); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Farm Service Agency in Michigan's State Office, District 5, Jonesville, MI, seeks a Farm Loan Officer trainee to assist in administering farm loan programs. You will participate in the Farm Loan Training Program and gain hands-on experience in loan examination, servicing and market knowledge.

Applicants must meet the basic GS-5/7/9 requirements with appropriate education or experience and be prepared to submit transcripts as required.

Qualifications

• Experience with gathering and analyzing facts and figures and presenting conclusions in oral and written form.
• Knowledge of financial analysis or insurance laws (contract, property, life, casualty, or marine).
• Experience in reviewing or servicing agricultural, commercial, or real estate loans.

Responsibilities

• Assist Farm Loan Manager in administering farm loan programs.
• Support qualification requirements and training program completion.
• Process loan applications and contribute to loan decisions.
• Communicate eligibility requirements to applicants.

Skills

Financial analysis

Loan analysis

Oral and written communication

Attention to detail

Education

Finance

Business Administration

Economics

Accounting

Agriculture

Job description

This position is located in the Farm Service Agency, Michigan State Office, District 5, located in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Michigan.

This position assists the Farm Loan Manager in administering farm loan programs in a USDA Service Center serving one or more Counties. Farm Loan Officers are required to successfully complete all of the requirements of the Farm Loan Training Program. FLOs may be reassigned to another training office during their training program.. 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- 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 Basic Requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education listed below

General Experience Requirement at the GS-5 grade level

You must have three years of general experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4 grade level. General experience is defined as: gathering and analyzing facts and figures and presenting information or conclusions in clear oral and written language; OR that provided a knowledge of the principles of financial analysis or insurance laws, such as contract, property, life casualty, or marine insurance. OR

Education at the GS-5 grade 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

Combination of Education and Experience

A combination of education and experience as listed above.

Specialized Experience Requirement at the GS-7 grade level

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience 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

Education at the GS-7 grade level

One full year of graduate level education 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 another field related to the position such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock, farm management, ranch management, rural sociology, dairy science, domestic agricultural development or agronomy. OR

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA)

Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. SAA is based on:

1. Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR
2. Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR
3. Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). OR

Combination of Education and Experience

A combination of education and experience as listed above.

Specialized Experience at GS-9 grade level

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. 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-9 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

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.