Associate FCA Examiner

Summary

This position is part of FCA's Pathways Program. This paid summer internship is located in the Office of Examination's Staff Development Division that develops and prepares Associate FCA Bank Examiners to successfully evaluate an institution's financial and lending operations, management, information technology, and compliance with federal regulations to determine safety and soundness as well as compliance with laws and regulations as outlined in the agency's mission.

Duties

As a Student Trainee (Associate FCA Bank Examiner), you will be responsible for gaining hands-on experience in financial institution examination work. Candidates selected to participate as an Associate FCA Examiner (Intern) will receive on-the-job exposure to credit and compliance examination of a financial institution, participate in a comprehensive group project related to the Farm Credit System, and interact with co-workers and Farm Credit System personnel. Interns will: Learn about the Farm Credit System institutions and the Farm Credit Administration through various opportunities which may include credit examinations, compliance reviews, and a group analytical project; Gain knowledge of the five credit factors (character, capital, capacity, collateral, and condition), their interrelationships and relative importance through formal training and on-the-job review of loan files; Learn effective verbal and written communication skills and practice active listening and reading comprehension by interacting with System personnel and agency staff; Expand their exposure to working professionally in a team environment; and Learn time management skills and how to organize tasks to ensure timely and accurate completion of work products.

Qualifications and evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Your qualifications will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Decision-Making Ability Math Skills Analytical Skills Reading Comprehension Reasoning Skills Soft Skills Interpersonal Skills Stress Tolerance Accountability The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Request: 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.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information "This announcement uses the Rule of Many method under 5 CFR § 332.402. If set number/percentage: All applicants tied at the cut line will be referred.] We will provide the selecting official a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least three candidates per vacancy. If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we will expand the group in accordance with our pre-announced supplement strategy and OPM policy." Simultaneous Listing: "Candidates may be referred simultaneously on multiple certificates for which they are interested, eligible, and within reach."

Education

You must meet EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS to qualify for this internship. Your undergraduate or graduate-level education must be in one of the following major fields of study: Accounting Agribusiness Agricultural Finance Agricultural Economics Animal/Dairy Science Banking Business Administration Commercial or Banking Law Economics Finance Marketing Other areas of major study directly related to the work of the internship position such as agricultural sciences, statistics, data analytics, management information systems, public policy. You MUST submit copies of your transcript(s) that include: your name, the name of the educational institution, course titles, number of semester/quarter hours, cumulative GPA, grade(s) earned and degree(s) awarded. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. Educational institutions must be accredited by one of the accrediting agencies or associations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation BAND/GRADE LEVEL: In addition to meeting the Student Status and Educational Requirements you qualify at the VH-32 (GS-5 equivalent) band level if you have completed 1) at least 2 full academic years of post-high school study or 2) an associate's degree.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Division. Please contact FCA HR Division at Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov or 703-883-4135 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement to obtain an alternative application.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes: Your resume (no more than two pages in a Times Roman 10pt font) showing (1) paid and non-paid work experience including your position title, start and end dates (month/year) of employment, hours worked per week, and duties performed (separated by position series and grade for each federal position, if applicable). Undergraduate students: You must submit college transcripts (official or unofficial transcript) showing your name, the name of your university(s), all courses completed, and cumulative GPA. Your undergraduate degree must be in one of the fields of study listed in the Qualifications Tab of this announcement. Graduate students: If you are pursuing a Master's degree, either your Master's degree or Undergraduate degree must be in one of the fields of study listed in the Qualifications tab of this announcement. In this case, you must submit all college transcripts (undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate) that document the educational requirements for this position (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). If You Are Not a Current Student: You must submit proof of enrollment (letter from the registrar's office or acceptance letter from an accredited educational institution) showing intended enrollment on not less than a half time basis as defined by the academic institution. Other supporting documents: Cover letter, optional Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) If you are a current or former federal employee it is recommended that you submit a copy of your SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) to support your experience. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases, separations, and accessions. If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee, submit a copy of your initial and termination SF-50s. 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.

Additional information

Starting salaries (base): $38,143 per year. Locality pay is added to base salary using on the following locality rates: Bloomington, MN, 27.62%; Irving, TX, 27.26%; McLean, VA, 33.74%; Greenwood Village, CO, 30.52%; Sacramento, CA, 29.76%. Locality rates are subject to change. Candidates selected for the Internship may elect to receive a one-time $2,000-$2,500 stipend (in addition to bi-weekly salary) at the beginning of the program. Certain stipulations apply. In addition, selectees may be eligible for a $10,000 recruitment bonus upon conversion. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. All FCA employees are subject to the conflict-of-interest laws and Standards of Ethical Conduct imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. FCA's supplemental ethics regulations restrict certain FCA employees concerning their direct or indirect interests in, or connections with, Farm Credit System institutions. These rules also require all employees to obtain approval for outside employment or business activities. Please contact the HR Division for additional information on these rules. FCA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies. Program Completion and Conversion Eligibility: You may be non-competitively converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment, within 120 days following successful completion of all of your educational and work experience requirements (480 hours of which 320 hours may be waived for interns who demonstrate high potential as demonstrated by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance) in accordance with 5 CFR 362.204, at the discretion of the Agency. Conversion is not automatic nor guaranteed. If you meet program requirements and are approved for conversion, you will be appointed at the grade level for which you are qualified to a FCA Examiner position, which has promotion potential to the VH-39 (GS-13) band level. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019, with some exceptions, prohibits the Farm Credit Administration from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, visit our website at (Careers at FCA | Farm Credit Administration) for information on filing a complaint.