Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

As an Underwriter, you will:

•perform both the desk review of the property appraisal to determine the appropriate HUD estimate of value for proposed construction, existing construction, or substantial rehabilitation and, in certain circumstances, authorizes the issuance of the conditional commitment for home mortgage insurance; makes the determination of credit eligibility of the potential borrower; determines the acceptability of the mortgage for insurance and classification of risk inherent in the mortgage and authorizes the endorsement of the loan and the issuance of the mortgage insurance certificate binding the agency to the commitment through Mortgage Insurance Funds. Problem cases are referred to the field office for on-site review or technical assistance, as necessary.

•perform the desk review of the Direct Endorsement Underwriter's analysis to verify the consistency, accuracy and reliability of ratings on all elements of risk, relating to the underwriting of the appraisal and of the borrower's credit-worthiness; issues performance ratings of Direct Endorsement Underwriter's work; issues instructive and corrective commentary for the maintenance and improvement of the underwriting performance as a Direct Endorsement underwriter. Provides written evaluations and critique of the work of the Direct Endorsement Underwriters, approved inspectors, approved certified appraisers and contractors regarding the construction, repair proposals, compliance inspections, appraisals, conditional and firm commitments, and credit risk analysis, to ensure a fully supported final determination as to the acceptability of the completed work is in compliance with current statutory and regulatory requirements

•be responsible for analyzing the risk inherent in the issuance of mortgage insurance on mortgages for one-to-four family loans to determine if a property is an acceptable risk, and to determine the credit eligibility of the mortgagors and to assure compliance with statutory, regulatory and administrative requirements, the key area of responsibility is in evaluating the operation (s) of the Direct Endorsement and/or contractor performed underwriting program(s). This review is to determine problems with specific underwriters, appraisers, builders, or lenders so action can be taken to correct, or minimize the losses associated with the identified problems.

Conditions of employment

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• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

The Office of Housing provides vital public services through its nationally administered programs. It oversees the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the largest mortgage insurer in the world, and regulates important parts of the housing industry. The Office of Housing also helps ensure consumers can access housing counseling and provides affordable rental housing through its Multifamily housing program. The Office of Housing is committed to helping all Americans obtain safe, decent affordable housing.

The Office of Single Family Housing is responsible for the overall management of Single Family mortgage insurance programs for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The Office assists in the expansion of affordable and quality homeownership opportunities for individuals and families who are traditionally underserved by the private market. The Office also acts as a stabilizing force in the single family home financing market by increasing access to mortgage credit. Policies and programs administered by the Office-from becoming an FHA-approved mortgage lender or other stakeholder, to mortgage origination through post-closing and endorsement processes, servicing of FHA mortgages, and beyond-assist in the provision of these affordable mortgage programs while meeting the needs of borrowers. These functions are carried out by dedicated staff in our Washington, DC headquarters, four Homeownership Centers in Atlanta, GA, Denver, CO, Philadelphia, PA, and Santa Ana, CA, and through our National Servicing Center in Tulsa, OK.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

 Specialized experience:For the GS-12, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience for this position includes:
Reviewing and issuing a conditional commitment of single family property appraisals (1-4 units) as a Direct Endorsement (DE) Underwriter; AND
Making decisions as a Direct Endorsement Underwriter (DE) for manually underwritten loans and issuing a firm commitment with the approval or rejection of the credit analysis of a potential borrower's mortgage application; AND
Applying underwriting guidelines to make recommendations or decisions on single family mortgage insurance applications, including Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Technical, Communication, Systems and Technology. Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories: Best Qualified, Better Qualified, and Qualified (Good) depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. 

 Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category. 

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. 

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.