Senior Policy Analyst

Farm Credit Administration

Office of Regulatory Policy, Credit and Mission Team

Summary

Our ideal candidate is a person with prior experience making and servicing loans to farmers and ranchers. As a Senior Policy Analyst, you will be responsible for providing technical expertise and policy solutions for complex credit and mission related issues facing the Farm Credit System (System or FCS). This position is located in the Credit and Mission Team of the Office of Regulatory Policy.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Duties

Specific duties include:

Participating and/or leading the development of regulations and policy positions, particularly in the areas of credit and mission, in support of statutory requirements that have safety and soundness impacts or present policy implications.
Developing policy-related directives or correspondence such as position papers, policy statements, and memos.
Providing technical information and advice on credit and mission issues to facilitate the development, revisions, or interpretation of regulatory and policy positions.
Monitoring, researching and analyzing credit issues to determine impact on the FCS, eligible borrowers, U.S. agriculture and rural America.
Leading the evaluation of proposed FCS actions that require prior approval in accordance with current regulations.
Delivering presentations on policy requirements and guidance to senior agency officials and stakeholders in a variety of settings, including conferences.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. citizen.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Resume and supporting documents (See How to Apply)
Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
May be required to successfully complete a probationary or trial period.
Submission of a financial disclosure report may be required.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the VH-40 (GS-14) band level if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-39 (GS-13) band level in the Federal service which includes providing technical analyses and research on credit and mission issues for review of an organization's regulatory or policy positions while participating on projects or work groups for developing, updating or implementing financial regulations related to agricultural lending, and analyzing developments in regulatory and policy issues that affect financial institutions to develop position papers and deliver presentations at meetings and conferences.

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.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Current and former Federal employees (including VEOA eligibles) must have served one-year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade in the Federal service to meet time-in-grade restrictions per 5 CFR 300, Subpart F, by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Education may not be substituted for experience to qualify at the VH-40 band level.

Additional information

Salary (Base) Ranges
VH-40: $102,757 to $169,548
Locality rate for your specific duty location will be added to your base salary. Locality rates: McLean, VA 33.94%; Bloomington, MN 28.12%; Greenwood Village, CO 31.02%; Irving, TX 27.76%; Sacramento, CA 30.26%.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies.
Applicants are encouraged to apply to all band/grade levels for which believe they are qualified for and wish to receive consideration.
To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet the CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For more information visit: https://www.sss.gov/verify/. 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.
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.

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.

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

Once the application process is complete, your two-page resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: Occupational Experts (OEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. OEs will review ONLY your two (2) page resume. OEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

The competencies you will be assessed on are listed below.

Knowledge of agricultural lending.
Knowledge of FCS credit and mission programs and activities.
Knowledge of federal or state regulations.
Knowledge of the operations of financial institutions.
Oral Communication
Skill in applying analytical methods and techniques.
Skill in collaborative practices
Skill in written communication.

If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phase(s) of the review process.

All qualified Non Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Required Documents

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

Your resume (no more than two pages in a Times Roman 10pt font) 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
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that is most recent that shows you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. A cash award SF-50 should not be provided.
Career Transition Assistance Program/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.)
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.)
Certain Family Members Eligible under E.O. 12721. Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible. Documentation eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.

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 or 703-883-4135 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

Phone: 703-883-4135
Email: Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov

Address: Office of Agency Services, Human Resources Division
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. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Your resume may be evaluated by a subject matter expert or may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview as part of the assessment process. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional locations

McLean, VA

Senior Policy Analyst Job