Loan Specialist (General)

Summary The position is located in the Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center in Fort Worth, TX. The Loan Specialist is responsible for performing assignments associated with disaster loan eligibility and disbursement. The specialist analyzes, determines approval, and processes a variety of loans to include complex residential, business/corporations, joint venture/partnerships, non-profit organizations, sole proprietorships, condominiums, and homeowner associations. Learn more about this agency Duties As a Loan Specialist (General) at the GS-1165-09, some typical work assignments may include; Review and assess disaster loan applications for potential risk of fraud, identity theft, and eligibility issues. Review pertinent facts needed to make eligibility determinations. Process home loans and simple business loans. Investigate and evaluate credit history to determine creditworthiness. In addition to the duties listed above, As a Loan Specialist (General) at the GS-1165-11, some typical work assignments may include; Review loan applications and supporting documentation for compliance with SBA programs. Independently analyzes loan cases involving high degrees of uncertainty. Prepare formal correspondence for loan denials or modifications. Execute loan closings and disbursements for SBA disaster loans. IMPORTANT NOTES: This is a Term appointment, which is a Competitive service position. The Term Appointment does not confer competitive status, reinstatement rights, or eligibility for non-competitive conversion to a permanent job to the individual(s) selected. You may be promoted or reassigned to another term position within SBA's Office of Capital Access; however, you may not be non-competitively appointed to another Federal position. You will be given an initial Term Appointment lasting more than 1 year, but not more than 4 years. If all other conditions of employment are met, this appointment may be extended, up to a total of four (4) years in increments determined by SBA. If selected, employees work on an intermittent (on-call) work schedule. This means that employees are in a pay status only when activated to respond to workload needs, especially in response to heightened disaster activity. When no longer needed, employees return to a non-pay status until the next event necessitates additional staff. However, depending on the workload and/or level of disaster activity, your work schedule may be changed to full-time. Subsequently, if the workload decreases, your work schedule may be changed back to intermittent. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen You must successfully complete a background investigation. You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel credit card. This is not a bargaining unit position. Mandatory Overtime: In order to respond quickly and efficiently to disaster survivors, substantial compensated overtime hours may be required while on assignment (up to seven days a week and ten to fourteen hours a day). Qualifications Individual Occupation Requirements: Education Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other related fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology. OR Experience Specialized Experience: Experience that demonstrated competence in agricultural, commercial, realty, or other types of loans. Experience may have been gained in such work as reviewing and passing upon applications for agricultural, commercial, bank or mortgage loans; servicing a loan portfolio of a bank or other loan association; performing financial analysis of commercial concerns for investment purposes; appraising real estate to determine property valuation; or similar work. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement shown above, the following experience and/or education can be credited. Experience: to receive credit, you must indicate the month and year as well as the average hours worked per week for each employer. You must address the specific specialized experience required for each grade level of this position on your resume or application or you will be rated "Ineligible" for that grade level. GS-09: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector: Making recommendations or decisions to approve or decline home loans, and Evaluating credit histories to determine credit worthiness of individuals or businesses, and Analyzing financial statements such as federal tax returns, to determine repayment ability for loan applicants, and Processing loan applications using web-based financial/lending software to underwrite loans GS-11: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector: Making recommendations or decisions to approve or decline business loans, and Independently analyze financial statements such as federal tax returns, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and business plans, and Evaluating business loan applications to determine eligibility and determining appropriate conditions that should be applied to loans, and Advising applicants on loan policies and programs, ensuring informed decision-making, and Evaluating assets to determine best available collateral such as real estate and general security interest to secure a loan. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's Qualifications Website: Loan Specialist Series 1165 (opm.gov) 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. All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59pm (Eastern Time) 04/13/2026. Education If you do not meet the specialized experience requirements, you may also qualify with education. You MUST submit transcripts (official or unofficial) with this application if you wish to qualify based on education. GS-09: Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in a related field or 2 full years of related progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or LL.B or J.D., if related. GS-11: PH.D or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field or 3 full years of related progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PH.D or LL.M., if related. Relevant education: 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. Combination of Experience and Education: GS-09: Combination of education and experience as specified above.For example, an applicant who has 1.0 full year of Masters level education (i.e. 50% of education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position. GS-11: Combination of education and experience as specified above.For example, an applicant who has 1.5 full years of Ph.D. level education (i.e. 50% of education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position. APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. *** For further information, click on: Foreign Education. Additional information Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only). Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency). You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if: 1. You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF). 2. Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce. 3. The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced. 4. You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment). Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. For additional information visit www.sss.gov. Consistent with work requirements and current SBA Policy, and all applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreement with AFGE the SBA offers employees opportunities to perform work at an alternative location (e.g. home). Telework may be available. For information on Telework visit: http://www.telework.gov/ Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement if additional vacancies occur within 180 days of the date the certificates were issued. Expand Hide  additional information 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. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.