Summary Location Specific pay information can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages The primary purpose of the position is to perform a variety of administrative and technical duties in support of Loan Production (LP). The incumbent is responsible for developmental and routine assignments in the administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs Home Loan program. The Organizational Location of the position is the LP section within the Regional Loan Center. Responsibilities The primary purpose of the position is to perform a wide variety of administrative and technical duties in support of Loan Production (LP). The incumbent is responsible for developmental and other routine assignments in the administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan program. The Organizational Location of the position is the LP section within the Regional Loan Center (RLC). RLC's jurisdiction encompasses the entire United States and its territories; involving wide and varied geographical, economic, social, political conditions, and influences, which have significant effects on the real estate and mortgage lending industries. Specific duties include: Reviews submitted documentation including VA forms, makes eligibility determinations, and issues Certificates of Eligibility (COE). Reviews the underwriting of loan applications submitted to VA for guaranty in-order to ensure lender compliance with VA underwriting guidelines and regulations such as fees and charges. Communicates with lenders to resolve data discrepancies in-order to issue COEs. Recommends approval or disapproval of restoration of entitlement, release of liability and substitution of entitlement applications; and audits releases processed and approved by lenders. Resolves problems; prepares reports and quality control reviews, lender monitoring, lender and underwriter approvals, lender file maintenance; and makes recommendations as to the most effective and efficient means of managing the workload with allocated resources. Underwrite complex loan applications; by analyzing the financial capacity of joint mortgagors, marginal loan applicants, Veterans who receive pensions, income based on operations of business firms, multi-family housing rentals, or unstable incomes. Collects, researches, analyzes, interprets, retrieves, and inputs data for/from a variety of computer systems utilized in LP. Conducts training and outreach with individual lenders throughout assigned areas to survey operations and meet with underwriters, processors, loan originators, and loan closer/shippers to ensure they are complying with laws, regulations and all VA Home Loan program directives. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is GS-07/09/11. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday (hours to be determined by hiring office) Compressed/Flexible: Available as determined by the hiring office Telework: Available as determined by the hiring office Virtual: Yes this a Virtual position - Employee is expected to report to one of the VBA Loan Guaranty office locations listed. Employee will be expected to report to duty to the location selected within the application questionnaire per telework agreement as determined by hiring office. Position Description/PD#: Loan Specialist (Realty); 37715A, 37729A, 37730A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:01/29/2024. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements (unless eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as Schedule A, VRA, or 30% or more disabled Veterans). For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. These requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and those applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. If you are a current VBA employee requesting a reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-7 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-11. Individual Occupational Requirement: This position does have an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met in addition to the Time-in-Grade and Specialized Experience qualifications. In order to qualify for this position, you must have the education or experience listed below: 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. OR 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 (transcripts must be provided). MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-07 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: In addition to the IOR, applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05). Specialized experience is defined as experience conducting mortgage loan servicing tasks, OR residential mortgage loan processing, OR experience with residential real estate sale transactions. Education Substitution: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one (1) full year of graduate level education or a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (3.0 GPA or higher). Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) is based on: 1) class standing, 2) grade point average or 3) honor society membership. To be creditable, coursework must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of the announcement. Graduate transcripts are required. GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience underwriting loan applications and making eligibility determinations on a variety of loans. Education Substitution: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the competencies (see "Competencies" below) necessary to do the work. GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the normal line of progression for this position. Specialized experience is defined as experience auditing and performing quality review of mortgage loans, analyzing data from various programs to underwrite a variety of mortgage loans, and making eligibility determinations on a variety of loan types or grants. Education Substitution: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with a Major in 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; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such as degree. Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. Volunteer Experience: 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; religions; 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: The work performed is usually sedentary, but does involve standing, walking, bending, lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds, and the operation of a motor vehicle. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit. Additional Information VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Click here for more information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This is a bargaining unit position. Per AFGE Master Agreement, first consideration will go to qualified, current permanent employees of the Veteran's Benefits Administration in Houston, TX (most recent SF50 required). Second consideration will go to employees of the Department of Veteran's Affairs (most recent SF50 required). Third consideration will go to "All other" status candidates. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.