Requirements
Conditions of employment
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- You may be required to serve a probationary or trial period.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents.
- Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/22/2026.
The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) group qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found: Here
Specialized Experience:
GS-09: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the federal, state, local, public, or private sector. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: (a) analyzing and/or reviewing residential real estate appraisals completed for mortgage loans, (b) experience gained through real estate sales and/or experience in the residential mortgage lending industry.
OR
Applicants may substitute education for experience to qualify at the GS-09 grade level:Applicants must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. This graduate degree or education must demonstrate the KSAs to do the work of this position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information.
OR
Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 grade level: Applicants may combine specialized experience and education beyond one full year of graduate level education. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-09. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first year of study as a percentage of a total of two years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying. For example, an applicant who has 27 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required beyond the first 18 credit hours earned) and who has 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the one year of specialized experience required) would meet 100% and thus be qualified for the position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information.
GS-11: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the federal, state, local, public, or private sector. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: (a) performing quality-control reviews and/or post audit reviews of appraisals prepared by lenders and appraisers; (b) applying federal, state, and local laws, policies and regulations associated with underwriting home and/or commercial loans, AND (c) utilizing real property requirements and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) guidelines for the origination and liquidation of government guaranteed home loans.
OR
Applicants may substitute education for experience at grade GS-11: Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years (54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. This graduate degree or education must demonstrate the KSAs to do the work of this position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information.
OR
Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify for grade GS-11: Applicants may combine specialized experience and education beyond two full years of graduate level education. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first two years of study as a percentage of a total of three years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying. For example, an applicant who has 45 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required beyond the first two years) and who has 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the one year of specialized experience required) would meet 100% and thus be qualified for the position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information.
Note: 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; religions; 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 you document, to include volunteer experience.
Education
An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications
Additional information
Applicants can may apply to two (2) locations.
This is not a virtual or remote position. Relocation expenses are not approved for this vacancy. Applicants who apply and are selected for locations outside of their local commuting area are responsible for all costs associated with a move to the new official worksite.
Work Schedule: Regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
VA supports the use of ad-hoc telework to attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Ad-hoc telework is subject to approval by individual supervisors and managers, is considered a privilege not a right, is subject to approval based on performance and other varying factors, and is not guaranteed.
Physical Requirements: Field work is also required and involves regular travel, including overnight travel. Fieldwork involves visits to subject and comparable property locations which expose incumbent to conditions and noise typical to construction sites, county offices, private homes and corporate or other commercial offices.
Promotion Potential: GS-11. The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The full performance level of this position is grade GS-11.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
"Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act," the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf."
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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.
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.
Review our 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.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Applicants who do not fully address in their resumes the experience needed for the position (as described in the job opportunity announcement), or who do not possess the education to substitute for it, will not be referred for further consideration. After you have met the minimum qualifications, if you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following the USA Hire competencies (KSAs) based on your application for this position:
- Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
- Attention to Detail
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Self-Management
- Teamwork
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include, but is not limited to responses to the KSAs; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview. You will also be rated on the following
agency-specific competencies (KSAs):
- Customer Service
- Decisiveness
- Real Estate
- Self-Direction
Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or your further consideration for employment.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the job opportunity announcement closes, we review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your resume and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly.
Your application will be evaluated using the category rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions and the documents you submit. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:
- Best Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a high level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
- Well Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
- Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements.
Note:
Candidates eligible for Veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the minimum qualification requirements will automatically be placed in the best qualified category.