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LOAN SPECIALIST (COMMERCIAL)

Department of Agriculture
Agriculture, Rural Development
OFFICE OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE DIRECTOR

Summary

This position is located in a State or Area Office in USDA/Rural Development (RD). The incumbent has responsibility for providing State-wide leadership, guidance and review in Community and/or Business Programs for the making and servicing of loans and grants for community facilities, public utilities, and/or businesses.

Two position will be fill from this vacancy, one in each location listed.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/29/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 29, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$62,033 - $107,620 per year

Locality pay will be determined based on the selectee's duty station location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
IMP-CA-12990217-2026-CV
Control number
873763200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent USDA/Rural Development employees with competitive status; and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.

Duties

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  • Reviews loan applications for completeness and conformance with RD statutory regulations, policies, procedures and practices; analyzes and inputs data into appropriate automated database systems.
  • Prepares written loan approval determinations or recommendations for loan approval and submits to approving official as appropriate.
  • Reviews file for completeness and compliance with all prescribed regulations and practices before loan closing; prepares draft loan closing documents for review as appropriate.
  • Develops, implements and coordinates a broad and aggressive outreach and marketing program for assigned loan portfolio(s).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to Next Steps section for more information.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Time in Grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet the time in grade requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

GS-09 level: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07; or its non-Federal equivalent that demonstrates: Basic knowledge in performing loan making and/or loan servicing duties such as regularly examining loan applications, supporting documents, credit reports, and maintaining servicing activities of somewhat complex loans and/or grants. Experience assisting higher level loan specialists by performing assigned portions of financial credit analysis in connection with more complex loans as a way of acquiring training and competency for more difficult loan examining and servicing assignments OR Masters or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LLB or JD if related. Equivalent combination of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

GS-11 level: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09; or its non-Federal equivalent that demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of complex mortgage, commercial loan making/servicing, and credit principles and practices in order to assess the fundamental soundness of business, corporate or municipal loans. Experience independently examining applications, reviewing corporate financial documents, and servicing activities on a variety of mortgage and commercial loans. Experience may have been gained in work equivalent to analyzing financial information provided by loan applicants; determining eligibility for loans, appraising real estate, repayment ability; reviewing, performing financial analysis of commercial concerns for investment purposes; servicing the loan portfolio of a bank and other loan association and approving applications for agricultural, commercial, and bank loans. . OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree if related OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related OR a combination of education as described and specialized experience.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL). : Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

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 position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

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.

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 based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:

  • Knowledge of Building Standards, Costs, Specifications and Contracts
  • Knowledge of Commercial and Community Program servicing requirements.
  • Knowledge of Commercial and Community Programs loan and/or grant making requirements.
  • Oral Communication
  • Program Administration/Project Management
  • Written Communication
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12990217

Agriculture, Rural Development

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Agency serves rural communities throughout the country by investing in their communities through housing and utility infrastructure, by increasing economic opportunity, and by improving the quality of life for all rural Americans. Rural Development provides over 40 loan and grant programs in the Rural Housing and Community Facilities Services, Rural Business and Cooperative Services, and Rural Utilities Service. Rural Development supports a positive work environment and promotes diversity and inclusion for nearly 5,000 employees.

Rural Development is a dynamic organization recruiting for employees who possess the energy, compassion, and commitment to serve those in rural communities and will enjoy working in a fast paced and results driven organization. Our commitment is to expand economic opportunity and quality of life in all of rural America by providing financial programs to support essential public facilities and services such as water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities and electric and telephone service. Rural Development offers a friendly and professional working environment and such excellent benefits as: a generous salary, alternative work schedules, 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.

Agency contact information

RD Human Resources
Email
rd.hiring@usda.gov
Address
Rural Development
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

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