Duties

As a Paralegal Specialist at the GS-0950-9/11, some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Performing legal reviews of residential and business loan documents for compliance with applicable agency policies and practices, regulations, and laws.
• Responding to loan related inquiries from, and preparing correspondence for, a wide range of customers such as Attorneys, borrowers, managers/supervisors, other internal and external partners and the general public.
• Managing a portfolio of loans and performing all loan closing duties for any assigned loans while complying with portfolio management directives.
• Making recommendations for the disbursement of funds within the agency guidelines.
• Using of Microsoft Office software or other computer applications such as mainframe database software to perform a wide variety of functions.

• The salary range above reflects the employee's base salary. Locality Pay will be added based on the location of the employee's residence.
• Your primary residence is considered your official duty station.
• Employee's residing within commuting distance of the PDC may be required to physically report to the PDC two days per pay period or more often as determined by Department Management.
• 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 Disaster Assistance; 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 and duty 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.
• 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).
• A valid driver's license may be required.
• This position is not included in a bargaining unit.
• By applying for this position with SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance, you can enjoy challenging but satisfying work and join a highly motivated and diverse team that helps families and businesses rebuild their lives after a disaster.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel credit card.
• Credit Score must be at least 500.
• You may be required to complete a one-year trial period.
• Favorable background investigation and credit check are required.
• This position is not included in a bargaining unit.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• 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.

  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.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  Required Documents
  To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  1. Your Resume showing hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
  2. Completed Questionnaire

  • Preview at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11985511

  3. Other supporting documents, such as:

  • College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
    • Unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application process; however, official transcripts will be required if selected.
  • Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 or other DD-214 copy showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
  • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

  4. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.(https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire)
  DO NOT SEND YOUR RESUME OR ANY APPLICATION DOCUMENTS TO THE AGENCY CONTACT.
  Your latest resume submitted for this position will be used to determine qualification determinations and supersedes previous submissions.
  
  ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
  1. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (which must show at least a "fully successful" rating or equivalent), and proof of eligibility, i.e., a RIF separation notice or Certification of Expected Separation, and SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. In addition to meeting all qualification requirements and selective placement factors (if applicable), CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the Well-Qualified criteria for the position in order to be given priority consideration. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is also on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: CTAP/ICTAP.
  2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.
  3. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

  Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
  The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  • To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.

  • Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

  • Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.

  • After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.

  • If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)

  • Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

  To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
  To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page.
  The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.
  Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

  Agency contact information

  Brandon Pimpleton

  Email

  brandon.pimpleton@sba.gov

  Address

  Processing and Disbursement Center - PDC
  14925 Kingsport Road
  Fort Worth, TX 76155
  US

  Next steps

  Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens