Financial Institution Specialist (Compliance), CG-0570-7 Job

Vacancy No. 2024-DCP-FIS--DB0029 Department Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Salary $67,756.00 to $88,015.00 Grade 07 to 07
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/29/2024 Close Date 11/1/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Montgomery, ALLittle Rock, ARPasadena, CADenver, CO


Summary

Candidates selected for the Financial Institution Specialist (FIS) position will be assigned to an FDIC Field Office in the Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection (DCP) and participate in formal classroom training, self-study, and work assignments located in and outside of the employee's official duty station in the area of bank examination.

Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill identical vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens. Applicants with status should apply under 2024-DCP-FIS-MP0027. However, if you desire consideration also under this announcement, you must apply to both. Successful applicants will start their FIS position beginning May 2025 or after.

Duties

Financial Institution Specialists receive on-the-job and formal classroom training designed to provide practical experience in the compliance function of the FDIC. 

Financial Institution Specialists participate in the assessment of financial institutions to ensure consumers and depositors are treated fairly and operate in compliance with federal consumer protection, anti-discrimination, and community reinvestment laws; and promoting economic inclusion by helping to build and strengthen positive connections between insured financial institutions and consumers, depositors, small businesses, and communities. Financial Institution Specialists also:

  • Evaluate compliance with applicable consumer protection, fair lending and civil rights laws and regulations, Community Reinvestment Act, and related enforcement responsibilities, through targeted compliance examination reviews.
  • Research, compile, manipulate, and/or evaluate data to prepare a variety of documents, management reports and presentations.
  • Identify and report unusual transactions, irregularities, weaknesses or deficiencies to a higher-graded specialist/examiner and/or supervisor.
  • Utilize computer software programs to perform analysis and generate applicable reports and documents.
  • Attend meetings with FDIC officials, attorneys, representatives of financial institutions or other private sector representatives, and/or other federal and state regulatory agency officials to discuss issues of mutual concern when applicable, and under the guidance of higher-graded specialists/examiners and/or supervisors.
  • Meet with and conduct interviews of institution personnel of various levels to determine their awareness of current laws and regulations, obtain information and documents, and provide feedback regarding examination activities.
  • Prepare examination reports and related documents (examination scope memoranda, work papers, compliance examination reports, CRA performance evaluations, visitation reports, and consultation memoranda when applicable).
  • Participate as members of the compliance examination team by ensuring that their portion of an examination is completed timely; communication with co-workers regarding work performed on an examination; and, sharing information with co-workers.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship
  • Examiners are subject to credit limitations - see "How to Apply."
  • Overnight travel required (varies by location)
  • MUST be available for a virtual interview on February 12th, 2025.
  • Must pass an automated writing assessment see Qualifications Sections
  • Subject to relocation to any duty location to meet management needs.
  • Registration with the Selective Service http://www.sss.gov

Must complete all training benchmarks and obtain a commission in Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection in order to be promoted to the CG-11 level.  Those who do not complete these requirements within 3 and a half years (42 months) will be separated from employment.

Moderate Risk Position-Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) Required.

Qualifications

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Applicants may qualify based on education, work experience, or a combination of both, as defined below: 

CG-7 Education-Based Qualifications Requirements: (Note: Applicants may substitute quarter or other credit hour equivalents for the semester hour requirements indicated.) 

To qualify based on education, candidates must meet one of the following two requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 

1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university that included the following: (a) completion of a major course of study in accounting, banking, business administration, commercial or banking law, economics, finance, marketing or other related fields; (b) completion of at least 24 semester hours of combined coursework in business administration, accounting, finance, marketing, mathematics, statistics, or economics that included at least 6 semester hours in accounting; and (c) fulfillment of one or more of the requirements listed below for Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). 

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): 

To qualify for SAA, applicants must have met one of the following: 

a. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. 
b. A grade-point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. 
c. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, University or major subdivision. 
d. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

OR

2. Completion of one academic year of graduate study at an accredited college or university in accounting, banking, business administration, commercial or banking law, economics, finance, marketing or other related fields. In addition, completion of at least 24 semester hours of combined undergraduate and graduate coursework at accredited colleges or universities in business administration, accounting, finance, marketing, mathematics, statistics, or economics that included at least 6 semester hours in accounting. 
 
OR

CG-7 Experience-Based Qualification Requirements: To qualify, applicants must have completed at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the 05 grade level or above in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as skill in gathering and analyzing financial data and interpreting balance sheets and income statements. 

OR

Combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the full qualification requirements for the CG-7, as long as the education and experience demonstrates skill in gathering and analyzing financial data and interpreting balance sheets and income statements. 

The competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) you will be assessed on are listed below:

  1. Knowledge of banking theory, banking operations, banking and commercial law, economics, business administration, accounting, and the functions, procedures and practices of financial institutions sufficient to permit independent performance of recurring assignments.
  2. Skill in fact-finding, analysis, and problem solving.
  3. Ability to communicate orally.
  4. Ability to communicate in writing to prepare a variety of reports.
  5. Ability to effectively deal with institution representatives, co-workers, and the general public.

You do not need to respond separately to these KSAs.  Your answers to the online questionnaire and resume will serve as responses to the KSAs.

AND

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR:  In addition to meeting the qualification requirements as described above, this position has the following Selective Placement Factor:

Ability to effectively communicate in writing as evidenced by using proper grammar to compose written documents which are clear, concise, thorough, and free of spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors.  

Automated Writing Assessment:  Candidates must demonstrate that they meet the Selective Placement Factor by passing an automated writing assessment. Candidates who self-assess at 85 or above on the vacancy announcement assessment questionnaire will receive notification with a link via e-mail within two weeks from the closing date of the announcement to take the automated writing assessment. Candidates will be allotted twenty-five (25) minutes to complete the assessment after clicking on the “Begin Assessment” button.  Candidates will have three days to complete the assessment.  The completion deadline will be indicated in the notification e-mail. Candidates must complete and pass the automated writing assessment in order to receive further consideration for this position. Candidates who fail will be deemed not qualified for failure to meet the Selective Placement Factor and will receive no further consideration for this position.

If you PASS the writing assessment, your score is valid for twelve (12) months for the entry-level FIS position within the FDIC only.  If you FAIL the writing assessment, your score is valid for (6) months for the entry-level FIS position within the FDIC only. You will not be able to retake the assessment for a period of 6 months if you FAIL the assessment or 12 months if you PASS the assessment from the date you complete the assessment. You will be notified of your assessment results and your assessment retake eligibility date.  Your assessment results will be used for this entry-level FIS placement opportunity and reused for future entry-level FIS job opportunities for 6 or 12 months, depending on the outcome of your assessment as previously explained.  Disclaimer:This does not restrict your ability to apply to other FDIC entry-level FIS job opportunity announcements within this 6 or 12 month window; however, if you previously failed the assessment you will be found ineligible during your 6-month retake period. 

PASS/FAIL outcomes on the current assessment expire in the event that the FDIC implements a change to the selection process/writing assessment.

For this job opportunity announcement:  If you previously completed the automated writing assessment see "Other Information". 

 
Tablet/phone mobile devices do not support all features for the assessment; therefore, it is recommended that you use a desktop/laptop to complete the assessment.  If you have questions about the computer requirements please contact PFhelpdesk@PDRI.com.  If you wish to request a reasonable accommodation for the automated writing assessment, you must email us at FISProgram@FDIC.gov by the closing date of this announcement.  If your reasonable accommodation request is submitted after the closing date of the announcement, it will be considered on a case-by-case basis as there may not be adequate time to process your request.

Reference checks are required for the Financial Institution Specialist position.  Any information gathered will be considered during the hiring process in order to make selections.

Additional information

Pay

The range of pay shown includes base pay plus supplemental locality adjustments for the duty locations listed. The locality rates for these duty locations range from a low of 16.82% to a high of 51.75%. Pay will vary by grade level and the locality rate for the geographic location where the position is located.  Click HERE to view the locality rates.

Click HERE to see the average percentage of travel days by field office location. Please note that these averages are on approximation, and actual travel requirements will vary based on a variety of factors. However, only the highest-ranked candidates for each location will be considered. 

TELEWORK OPTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. For more information on telework at the FDIC, please reference the available telework options for this position here. 

Reference Checks

Reference checks are required for the Financial Institution Specialist position.  Any information gathered will be considered during the hiring process in order to make selections.  Reference contact information should be an official or business email address rather than a personal email address.  Your reference does not have to be your current supervisor.  Please be sure that all reference contact information submitted is updated and current.  

Reference check process:

  1. References are expected to rate job-related abilities.
  2. Results of the reference check will be used in the hiring process.
  3. Must have at least (1) completed reference check in order to be eligible for selection.
  4. If your reference is unable to rate you for at least the majority of the competencies (KSA's), your reference will be considered incomplete.
  5. Your reference will only be contacted if you accept an interview invitation.
  6. If you do not provide any references or if none of your references respond to the survey, you will not be considered for selection.

The Fair Chance Act prohibits inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal history information unless the hiring agency has made a conditional (tentative) offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Human Resources Staffing Policy and Accountability team at HRPolicyTeam@fdic.gov

Please note this announcement has been updated and amended to include the average percentage of travel days by field office location information. 

Benefits

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.

The starting base salary for candidates selected under this announcement is set at $58,000, plus the locality rates for their assigned locations. The CG-7 FIS is considered an entry-level trainee position and the intention is for candidates to receive starting base salaries. In rare circumstances, the FDIC may offer a higher base salary to candidates who supply documented proof that they have earned a higher salary in a related position; however, determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. Current FDIC employees will have their pay set in accordance with the FDIC’s internal pay setting policy.

In addition to the regular benefits offered by Federal agencies, the FDIC offers additional benefits to its employees on a full-time work schedule. These benefits, some at minimal cost, are some of the best and most competitive in both the private and public sectors. To find out more, click here.

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.

You must demonstrate that you meet the Selective Placement Factor by completing and passing an automated writing assessment in order to receive further consideration for this position.  If you self-assess at 85 or above on the vacancy announcement assessment questionnaire, you will receive notification with a link to the automated writing assessment.  (Refer to Qualifications Section - Selective Placement Factor).

If you pass the automated writing assessment, your resume will be reviewed, including the vacancy announcement assessment questionnaire, to determine whether you meet the remaining qualification requirements outlined in this announcement. Therefore, it is imperative that your resume contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make the qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, duties performed, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, the position series and grade level. If you rate yourself higher on the questionnaire than what is supported by your resume, your overall qualifications assessment may be adversely affected. This could mean that you pass the automated writing assessment, thereby demonstrating that you meet the Selective Placement Factor, but are later deemed to be "not qualified" for failure to meet the remaining qualification requirements. 

If you are found qualified, you will be placed in one of several categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Minimally Qualified, based upon the degree to which your background and responses to the assessment questions match the qualification requirements of the position. Within these categories, candidates eligible for veterans' preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

The highest-ranked candidates for each location may be invited to a virtual hiring event to participate in a virtual interview on February 12th, 2025. You may select up to 2 locations listed for which you would like to be considered. Click HERE to see the average percentage of travel days by field office location. Please note that these averages are on approximation, and actual travel requirements will vary based on a variety of factors. However, only the highest-ranked candidates for each location will be considered.  Therefore, although you may qualify for an interview, you may not have qualified for all locations you applied to.

FDIC provides reasonable accommodations to candidates with disabilities. If invited to interview and you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify us within three days of receiving the invitation to allow us adequate time to consider the request; however, you can make a reasonable accommodation request at any time once invited. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis. 

Applicants who are invited to participate in the virtual hiring event will receive a Microsoft Teams interview invitation no later than the Friday before the scheduled interview day.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Please review the following to determine what documents are required to be submitted as part of your application.  

Failure to provide all of the required documentation as stated in this vacancy announcement, may result in an ineligible determination or may affect your consideration status.  Please review the following to determine your eligibility and which document(s) is required to complete your application.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTS:   If you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, submit a copy of your college transcript (an unofficial transcript is acceptable). Education must be from accredited institutions. Education must be from accredited institutions.  For a listing of accredited educational institutions, click here.  An official transcript will be required if you are selected.  If you attended more than one university and need to send multiple transcripts, please upload/fax all transcripts as one document.

Foreign Education:  If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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. For more information, click here.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE:  If you are claiming veterans’ preference, click here.  (Note: Veterans must submit the Member 4 copy of the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty – or other copy showing the type of discharge/character of service [e.g., Honorable, Under Honorable Conditions, etc.] along with any other required documents (e.g., DD-214, VA Letter, SF-15, etc.) to demonstrate veterans’ preference eligibility.)

INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for consideration under the ICTAP, you must submit proof of eligibility. For more information, click here.

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 begin, click the "Apply" button and follow the prompts. If you haven't already, register and establish a USAJOBS account. After you register online, click the "Apply" button to complete the online assessment questionnaire, and submit all required documents. Please be sure to click "Submit Application" to complete the application process.

You must apply online. Applicants requesting an exception from the online process must contact the Human Resources Specialist or point of contact listed in this announcement prior to 12:00 p.m. ET on the closing date.

To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account and click on "Applications" tab. Click on the "Position Title," and then select "Update Application" or "Additional Application Information" to continue.

You have until 11:59 p.m. ET (Eastern Time) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. 

Please ensure you have completed the application process by verifying the status of your application on-line to reflect: "Received". Failure to complete the application process will result in an incomplete application and you will not be considered for the position. 

For this job opportunity announcement:  If you previously completed the automated writing assessment and your retake eligibility date is on or before the closing date of this announcement, you are eligible to retake the assessment and must do so as your current result (whether Pass or Fail) will not be valid on the closing date of this job opportunity announcement.  If your retake eligibility date is after the closing date of this announcement, you are not eligible to retake the assessment at this time, and your current result (whether Pass or Fail) will be used for this job opportunity announcement.

Selectees are expected to spend up to three and a half years (42 months) working in the duty location offered until the requirements are met to be commissioned as a bank examiner. Reassignment or transfer to a different duty location is highly unusual and will be made only in exceptional circumstances at the FDIC's complete discretion.

To read about your rights and responsibilities as an applicant for Federal employment, click here.

If selected, you will be required to serve a one year probationary period.

Subject to Credit Limitations:  Financial Institution Specialists must maintain the highest personal ethical standards as provided in Part 336 of the FDIC’s Rules and Regulations (Employee Responsibilities and Conduct). Financial Institution Specialists must comply with Section 3201.102 of Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for FDIC Employees (5 CFR Part 3201), which, in part, prohibits them and their immediate families from accepting certain credit from State nonmember banks. All Financial Institution Specialists are prohibited from the following:  1. Obtaining a loan or a line of credit from any FDIC-insured state nonmember bank or its subsidiaries (either within or outside of the jurisdiction of the employee’s assigned field office) except a loan or line of credit secured by a primary residence issued under the same terms and conditions available to the public from an FDIC-insured state nonmember bank. Any extensions of credit held by the Specialist, the Specialist’s spouse, or any dependent children are extensions of credit to the Specialist. The Specialist must not participate in any examination of that institution which holds the primary residence loan, and a "cooling off" period may be required before negotiating a loan for a primary residence from any institution the Specialist has examined.  Financial Institution Specialists may obtain and hold a credit card account established under an open end consumer credit plan and issued by an FDIC-insured State non-member bank or its subsidiaries.  2. Participating in any examination, or other matter, involving an insured depository institution or any person with whom the Specialist has an outstanding loan or line of credit.  3. Performing any service for compensation with any bank, or for any officer, director, or employee thereof, or for any person connected therewith.  4. Disclosing any confidential information from a bank examination report except as authorized by law.  5. Soliciting or accepting any gift from a prohibited source or because of the Specialist’s official position.

Agency contact information

Jasmine Moore
Phone
571-624-9407
TDD
1-800-925-4618
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
FISProgram@fdic.gov
Address
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Human Resources Service Center
3501 Farifax Drive
HRB (PA-1730-5007)
Arlington, Virginia 22226
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check the status of your application on-line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through USAJOBS by signing in and selecting "Application Status."  Thank you for your interest in working for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

You will be notified of the status of your application via e-mail at various points in the process.  Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.  Also, note that if you provide an inaccurate e-mail address or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive the automated assessment link which will affect your consideration for this position. Please consider adding FDIC's domain name @FDIC.gov to your safe senders list.

Additional Locations


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