Summary

This position is located within USDA Rural Development (RD) and serves as a Pathways Recent Graduate assisting higher graded technicians in performing a variety of technical and clerical support functions involving loan and/or grant programs. This position leads to a Loan Specialist, GS-1165-12 level.

This is NOT a remote/virtual position. Incumbent will be expected to report to the office.

This position may be eligible for hiring incentives.

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Overview

*. Open & closing dates

05/22/2024 to 05/29/2024

Salary

$49,025 - $63,733 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 7

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Locations

1 vacancy in the following locations

Bozeman, MT
Kalispell, MT
Remote job

Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Recent Graduates

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

1165 Loan Specialist

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Other

Drug test

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

Announcement number

PATH-MT-12420494-2024-SR

Control number

792399500

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This job is open to

Recent graduates

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Clarification from the agency

Recent graduate who has, within the previous two years, completed a qualifying Associate's, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, professional, vocational or technical degree or certificate program. Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation have up to six years after degree completion to apply.

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Duties

Incumbent performs loan making and loan servicing activities within the RD loan and grant programs.
Regularly examines loan applications, supporting documents and credit reports to ensure creditworthiness, eligibility, feasibility, completeness and conformance with all RD requirements.
Performs servicing activities and conducts field visits as determined by the Centralized Servicing Center (CSC).
Prepares loan closing documents and reviews with applicant at the time of loan approval; reviews executed loan closing documents for completeness, accuracy and adherence to all program loan making requirements.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US Citizen.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check
Participants will serve a trial period for the duration of the excepted service appointment
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
A signed participant agreement is required for employment under the Pathways Program.

Qualifications

To be eligible, applicants must meet one of the following requirements;

Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two (2) years; or

Individuals who, due to military service obligation, were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period described above shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty. This eligibility period cannot extend more than 6 years from the date on which the requirements for the academic course of study were met.

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements above, applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

GS-07 level: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05; or its non-Federal equivalent 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 the granting and servicing of mortgage loans. Experience may have been gained in work equivalent to furnishing general information concerning loan programs, loan eligibility requirements, or financial and credit requirements; reviewing loan applications for eligibility and financial soundness; and analyzing information provided by loan applicants and making recommendations to a higher-level loan specialist about loan eligibility OR completion of one full year of graduate level education OR Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) in a related field (see below). Equivalent combination of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.1. Class standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on completed courses.2. Grade-point average - Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed bases on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 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.3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society.

NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-1165 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at:

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (eg, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (eg, 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

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other field related to the position, such as agriculture, agriculture economics, farm livestock and ranch management, or rural sociology.

Additional information

Recent Graduate appointments are intended to last for 1 year. Recent Graduates who satisfactorily complete all the USDA Recent Graduates Program requirements may be non-competitively converted to a Term or Permanent appointment in the competitive service.

Conversion is not guaranteed. Recent Graduates converted to Term appointments may later be non-competitively converted to a Permanent competitive service position.

Upon successful completion of the Recent Graduate Program requirements in accordance with 5 CFR 362.204 (qualifications, one year continuous work experience, satisfactory performance, mandatory training completion, etc.) you may be non-competitively converted to a term, career conditional or career appointment within 120 days to a: Loan Specialist, GS-1165-7/9/11/12 career ladder position. The full performance level (FPL) of the position to which converted may be up to the GS-12 level.

NOTE: An agency is not required to convert any individual in a Pathways position, to a position in the competitive service, whether upon completion of degree requirements or otherwise. Conversion to a competitive service position is not an entitlement.

One of the following incentives may be offered

Student Loan Repayment incentive.
Relocation incentive.
Recruitment incentive.
Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual incentive

This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements and/or telework as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; ie the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit:

Benefits

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Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year); title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here.
Transcript(s): unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however, if selected, official transcripts will be required. If your official or unofficial transcripts do not provide the information listed below, include additional official academic documentation that meets the requirements. Official or unofficial Transcripts MUST include:
Student's Name
Name of the School
Specific Degree or Certificate Program
Current and Cumulative GPA/academic standing
Past and current coursework
Degree Conferment Date (For Recent Graduates only) - if your transcript does not reflect your degree conferment date, you must provide official educational supporting documentation that includes your degree conferment/graduation date.
Evidence of meeting the "qualifications" through substitution of education if not by specialized experience as outlined in the announcement.

Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. 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 NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS .

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.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (eg SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

Agency contact information

Stacy Randle

Phone

406-585-2505

(see below)

Address

Rural Development

1400 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20250

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (eg If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to (see below), subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Fair and Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Criminal history inquiries
Reasonable accommodation policy
Financial suitability
Selective Service
New employee probationary period
Signature and false statements
Privacy Act
Social security number request

Help

Required Documents

Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year); title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here.
Transcript(s): unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however, if selected, official transcripts will be required. If your official or unofficial transcripts do not provide the information listed below, include additional official academic documentation that meets the requirements. Official or unofficial Transcripts MUST include:
Student's Name
Name of the School
Specific Degree or Certificate Program
Current and Cumulative GPA/academic standing
Past and current coursework
Degree Conferment Date (For Recent Graduates only) - if your transcript does not reflect your degree conferment date, you must provide official educational supporting documentation that includes your degree conferment/graduation date.
Evidence of meeting the "qualifications" through substitution of education if not by specialized experience as outlined in the announcement.

If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements

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.

Help

How to Apply

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

Agency contact information

Stacy Randle

Phone

406-585-2505

(see below)

Address

Rural Development

1400 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20250

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Reasonable accommodation policy
Criminal history inquiries
Financial suitability
Selective Service
New employee probationary period
Signature and false statements
Privacy Act
Social security number request

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Twitter

Help

Overview

*. Open & closing dates

05/22/2024 to 05/29/2024

Salary

$49,025 - $63,733 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 7

Locations

1 vacancy in the following locations

Bozeman, MT
Kalispell, MT
Remote job

Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Recent Graduates

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

1165 Loan Specialist

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Other

Drug test

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

Announcement number

PATH-MT-12420494-2024-SR

Control number

792399500

This job originated on For the full announcement and to apply, visit Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at will be considered.