PROGRAM TECHNICIAN OA - Farm Service Agency - Rockville, IN

FSA’s diverse culture and benefits allow for a healthy balance between your career and home life. In addition to a generous salary, FSA offers a friendly and professional working environment with a diverse workforce, flexible hours/work schedules, and other family-friendly benefits such as: paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement and supplemental savings plan, a wide array of health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, flexible spending accounts, and long-term care insurance.

PLEASE READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS UNDER “HOW TO APPLY” BEFORE YOU BEGIN.

We are concurrently announcing this position under Merit Promotion (applicants with status as current or former federal employees or applicants eligible under special hiring authorities) Vacancy Announcement Number: FSA-15-0557-IN-MJ at the GS-5/6/7 grade levels. Applicants wishing to be considered for all announcements must submit separate and complete application packages for each vacancy announcement. TRAVEL REQUIRED
Occasional Travel
Occational travel may be required. RELOCATION AUTHORIZED
No KEY REQUIREMENTS
You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply.
Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
Registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
Successful completion of a one year probationary period.
Meet education and/or experience requirements.
Complete the Occupational Questionnaire/submit resume/supporting documents.
Must type at least 40 words per minute. DUTIES: Back to top

This position is assigned to the Farm Service Agency within the state of Indiana, Farm Program Team, District 3, Service Center 3A, located in Rockville, Parke County, Indiana.

The selectee:
Performs a wide range of technical and administrative duties related to loan processing, loan servicing, and office management in support of FSA Agricultural Loan programs at the field office level.

Requires the skills of a qualified typist to perform word processing and other office automation duties.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Back to top

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by 11:59 p.m. EST on the closing date, as defined below.

You may start at the GS-5 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

Four years of education above high school in an accredited business, secretarial or technical, junior college, college or university in any field in which high school graduation or the equivalent is a prerequisite; OR

One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-4 level in the Federal service applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to any program; OR

A combination of post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester hours) and the specialized experience described above.

You may start at the GS-6 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

One full academic year of graduate education or masters or higher level graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology; OR

One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-5 level in the Federal service applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to process and service loans or agricultural programs.

You may start at the GS-7 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

One full academic year of graduate education or masters or higher level graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology; OR

One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-6 level in the Federal service applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to independently perform a full range of farm loan program processes.

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.

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit with your application package evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution was appropriately accredited by an accredited body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. Education standards. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process; however, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the “How to Apply” section for instructions on submitting the transcript.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent upon a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified . Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran’s preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants’ quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (or competencies):

Knowledge of agricultural program policies, regulations and procedures.

Ability to research, interpret and apply farm program provisions and regulations.

Ability to communicate orally.

Ability to communicate in writing.

Ability to gather data and skill in analysis and problem solving.

Knowledge of agricultural production practices.

Skills in customer service.

Ability to adapt, respond to new and changing situations.

Ability to be innovative and creative.

Ability to facilitate a team.

We will review your application, including the online Occupational Questionnaire, to ensure you meet the job requirements and assess your ability to perform this job. Before any certificate can be issued to the selecting official, the resume and supporting documents are reviewed by an HR Specialist to ensure that (a) minimum qualification requirements are met and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your rating in this occupational questionnaire is subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit. Be sure your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your description of experience and/or education OR that your application is incomplete it may result in receipt of a lower or ineligible rating. Errors, omissions, or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may affect your eligibility. If selected, providing inaccurate information could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please follow all instructions carefully.

To view the application form, visit: https://fsa.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=a89d729b-1312-413f-b6b8-a44f00ca0814
BENEFITS: Back to top The Federal service offers a comprehensive benefits package. To explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees click here . Permanent employees are eligible to elect life and health insurance coverage and will be covered by a Retirement System. Employees will earn annual and sick leave.

OTHER INFORMATION:
Reemployment Priority List (RPL), Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): If you are claiming RPL/CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (at least “fully successful” or equivalent), and proof of eligibility, i.e., a RIF separation notice or Certification of Expected Separation, and SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. RPL/CTAP/ICTAP eligibles will be considered well-qualified if achieving a rating of 85 or above excluding veterans points.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law. See www.sss.gov .

Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

E-Verify: Federal law requires agencies to use E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS “E-Verify” system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies.