About this role
Job SummaryThis position is located in the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), Office of Examination, Staff Development Division. Our ideal candidate for the Associate FCA Examiner position is a recent graduate with a Finance, Accounting, or Agricultural Business degree with at least six credit hours in Finance and Accounting and a GPA above 3.0. Candidates with a Master's or in process of obtaining a Master's by June 2027 are encouraged to apply for the VH-34 and VH-35.
QualificationsAll qualification requirements, including completion of education, must be met by June 12, 2027. 1. ELIGIBILITY FOR PATHWAYS RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM · To be eligible for this position, you must be a college graduate from a qualifying educational institution with an undergraduate and/or Master's degree (see required fields of study noted in 2 below), within 2 years of your application. · Students scheduled to receive their qualifying degree (see required fields of study noted in 2 below) no later than spring 2027 are also eligible. · Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as many as six years after degree completion to apply. 2. DEGREES REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Your Undergraduate major field of study must be one of the following: Accounting, Agribusiness, Agricultural Business, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Economics, Animal/Diary Science, Analytical Finance, Banking, Business Administration, Commercial or Banking Law, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Mathematics, - or areas of major study directly related to the position such as agricultural sciences, statistics, data analytics, management information systems, public policy. If pursing a Master's degree, either your undergraduate or graduate major field of study must be one of the following noted above. 3. QUALIFICATIONS TO QUALIFY AT THE VH-34 BAND LEVEL (GS-07 equivalent), applicants must have ONE of the following: A) One (1) full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level study education AND an undergraduate degree by June 12, 2027. Either your Undergraduate degree or Master's must be one of the following fields: Accounting, Agribusiness, Agricultural Business, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Economics, Animal/Dairy Science, Banking, Business Administration, Commercial or Banking Law, Economics, Finance, Marketing, or Mathematics - or areas of major study directly related to the position such as agricultural sciences, statistics, data analytics, management information systems, public policy. (Must submit transcripts with application). OR B) A bachelor's degree in Accounting, Agribusiness, Agricultural Business, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Economics, Animal/Dairy Science, Analytical Finance, Banking, Business Administration, Commercial or Banking Law, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Mathematics - or areas of major study directly related to the position such as agricultural sciences, statistics, data analytics, management information systems, public policy AND have superior academic achievement (SAA) by June 12, 2027. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have met one of the following: i. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study at the time of application. ii. A grade-point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study at the time of application. iii. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, University or major subdivision. iv. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. TO QUALIFY AT THE VH-35 BAND LEVEL (GS-09 equivalent), applicants must have ONE of the following: A) One year of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-34 (GS-07) band level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position includes examining or auditing such financial institutions as savings and loan associations, savings or commercial banking institutions or trust companies, farm credit associations, or Federal or State credit unions. OR B) A master's or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the fields of study listed above; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.B. or J.D degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. OR C) A combination of education and experience as listed above.
Major DutiesAs an Associate FCA Examiner, you will perform analytical assignments and receive on-the-job and extensive formal training designed to provide practical experience in evaluating an institution's financial and lending operations, management, information technology, and compliance with federal regulations. You will: Work in a team environment to gather (research and investigate), organize, and analyze (draw conclusions and support the conclusions with facts) institution data (e.g., loan portfolio management, financial condition, policies and procedures). Determine institution compliance with laws and regulations as well as sound business practices, prepare written reports, and recommend corrective action. Conduct interviews with institution personnel to obtain relevant information. Monitor and analyze the financial condition and performance of assigned institutions for emerging risks and issues that could impact operations, condition, and performance. Use electronic and computer databases extensively. Participate in an intensive, four-year, on-the-job and formal classroom training to learn oversight and examination procedures and practices as well as knowledge of the Farm Credit System. If selected, you will travel (during the weekday) up to 50% of the time and undertake a rigorous 4-5-year training program consisting of proficiency exams during the first 2 years and culminating with a Commissioning Test. You will spend the majority of the time analyzing the financial condition and performance of the financial institutions FCA regulates as well as evaluating individual credit risk, board governance, and management effectiveness. You will document all analytical work with supporting facts and write external reports and present examination findings and conclusions to external parties.