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

As a Pathways Intern, you must meet and comply with PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: Maintain your enrollment on at least a half-time basis at qualifying educational institution. Half-time is typically 6 semester hours for undergraduate and 3 semester hours for graduate students but may be defined differently by your educational institution; Provide course registration information at the start of each school term and verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term; Meet and maintain the required GPA; Sign a Pathways Internship agreement that sets forth the expectations for the internship upon entry on duty; Have the ability to work a full-time schedule (40 hours/week) during your summer break from school; and Be available for occasional weekday travel away from your duty location. Failure to meet or maintain qualifications or program requirements or failure to provide required documentation will result in termination of your appointment. In addition, you must meet STUDENT STATUS REQUIREMENTS to be eligible for this internship opportunity. You must: Be enrolled as a student in an accredited 4-year college/university Bachelor's or Master's degree program on at least a half-time basis; Have substantially completed 3 academic years of progressive, higher-level education, i.e., be a current college junior or higher. Three full academic years of undergraduate or graduate education is the number of credit hours determined by your college/university to represent three years of full-time study; Provide proof that you have completed your third academic year of higher-level education by submitting an official transcript at the end of your school's 2027 spring term; Have and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.95 on a 4-point scale. If your school uses an alternate grading system, you must submit proof and explanation of the grading system with your application or you will not be considered for this position; Have a planned graduation date not earlier than August 2027 and no later than June 2028; and Be in good academic standing (e.g., not on academic probation). If you graduate before August 2027 you are not eligible for this Pathways Internship unless you are pursuing further education and provide proof of enrollment or acceptance into a degree or certificate seeking program with your application. If you aren't planning to pursue further education at this time, you may qualify for a permanent position under the Pathways Recent Graduates program. Please see vacancy announcement https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/884010300 for requirements. 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.

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 Business Agricultural Finance Agricultural Economics Animal/Dairy Science Banking Business Administration Commercial or Banking Law Economics Finance Marketing Analytical Finance Mathematics 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. 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 How You Will Be Evaluated

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." Other 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.