Summary

This position is located in the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), Office of Examination, Staff Development Division.

Our ideal candidate for the Associate FCA Examiner position is a recent graduate with a Finance, Accounting, or Agricultural Business degree with at least six credit hours in Finance and Accounting and a GPA above 3.0. Candidates with a Master's or in process of obtaining a Master's by June 2026 are encouraged to apply for the VH-34 and VH-35.

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

To be eligible for this position, you must be a college graduate from a qualifying educational institution with an undergraduate or Master's degree within 2 years of your application. Students scheduled to receive their qualifying degree (see required fields of study noted in 2 below) no later than June 13, 2026 are also eligible.

Duties

As an Associate FCA Examiner, you will perform analytical assignments and receive on-the-job and extensive formal training designed to provide practical experience in evaluating an institution's financial and lending operations, management, information technology, and compliance with federal regulations. You will:

Work in a team environment to gather (research and investigate), organize, and analyze (draw conclusions and support the conclusions with facts) institution data (e.g., loan portfolio management, financial condition, policies and procedures).
Determine institution compliance with laws and regulations as well as sound business practices, prepare written reports, and recommend corrective action.
Conduct interviews with institution personnel to obtain relevant information.
Monitor and analyze the financial condition and performance of assigned institutions for emerging risks and issues that could impact operations, condition, and performance.
Use electronic and computer databases extensively.
Participate in an intensive, four-year, on-the-job and formal classroom training to learn oversight and examination procedures and practices as well as knowledge of the Farm Credit System.

If selected, you will travel (during the weekday) up to 50% of the time and undertake a rigorous 4-5 year training program consisting of proficiency exams during the first 2 years and culminating with a Commissioning Test. You will spend the majority of the time analyzing the financial condition and performance of the financial institutions FCA regulates as well as evaluating individual credit risk, board governance, and management effectiveness. You will document all analytical work with supporting facts and write external reports and present examination findings and conclusions to external parties.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. citizen at the time of application
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Resume and supporting documents (See How to Apply)
Must complete degree requirements by June 13, 2026
Must be available for employment on or about June 27, 2026
Serve a trial period for the duration of their excepted service appointment
Must possess or be able to obtain a valid Driver's License prior to employment , due to frequent travel to remote locations.
All selectees must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements, including completion of education, must be met by June 13, 2026.

1. ELIGIBILITY FOR PATHWAYS RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM
· To be eligible for this position, you must be a college graduate from a qualifying educational institution with an undergraduate and/or Master's degree (see required fields of study noted in 2 below), within 2 years of your application.
· Students scheduled to receive their qualifying degree (see required fields of study noted in 2 below) no later than spring 2026 are also eligible.
· Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as many as six years after degree completion to apply.

2. DEGREES REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - Accounting, Agricultural Business, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Economics, Animal/Diary Science, Banking, Business Administration, Commercial/Banking Law, Dairy Science, Economics, Finance, Marketing - or areas of major study directly related to the position.

3. QUALIFICATIONS

TO QUALIFY AT THE VH-35 BAND LEVEL (GS-09 equivalent), applicants must have ONE of the following:

A) One year of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-34 (GS-07) band level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position includes examining or auditing such financial institutions as savings and loan associations,savings or commercial banking institutions or trust companies, farm credit associations, or Federal or State credit unions.
OR
B) A master's or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the fields of study listed above; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.B. or J.D degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
C) A combination of education and experience as listed above.

Education

In addition, 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
Agricultural Business
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 position

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

Additional information

1. Base Salary: Recent graduates starting salary:
VH-34 Starting base salary $53,909
VH-35: Starting base salary $55,982
Locality pay is added to base salaries 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.

2. Recruitment Bonus: Selectees may be eligible for a $10,000 recruitment bonus.

3. Promotion Potential and Conversion: These positions are being filled at the VH-34 (GS-07 equivalent) and VH-35 (GS-09 equivalent) band levels with promotion potential to the VH-39 band level (equivalent to the GS-13). If converted from the Recent Graduate program, you may be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a term or permanent competitive service position.

4. Current students who have a planned graduation date not earlier than August, 2026 and no later than June, 2027 are encouraged to apply to our Pathways Internship announcement. Please see vacancy announcement VA-26-0112-INT-VD for requirements.

5. Trial Period: As a recent graduate, you will serve a two-year trial period, during which you will gain basic knowledge about the job, the Agency, and the Farm Credit System, and attend formal training and develop your knowledge and skills through on-the-job training. If your performance and conduct are satisfactory with competencies outlined at the start of employment, you may be eligible for permanent placement within the FCA. If not, your appointment may be terminated at any time during the trial period.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. FCA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

9. This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85.0 or above; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Review our benefits

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):

Conscientiousness/Work Motivation
Interest and Willingness
Learning
Oral Communication
Professionalism
Researching and Investigating

In addition to an online assessment battery (once successfully passed the questionnaire):

Accountability
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
Writing
Arithmetic
Mathematical Reasoning

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) Requests: 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. Please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the VH-35 or higher).

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

Your resume 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).
Other supporting documents:

Cover letter, optional
College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
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).
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.)
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

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

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 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.

Agency contact information

FCA HR Division

Email: Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov

Address: Office of Agency Services OAS-HRD
1501 Farm Credit Drive
McLean, VA 22102
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Division to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional locations

McLean, VA

Associate FCA Examiner Job