Associate SME, Guaranteed Loan Division (GLD)

SME, Associate – Guaranteed Loan Division (GLD)

Project: USDA Rural Development (RD) Loan Servicing

Division: Guaranteed Loan Division (GLD)

Location: Remote, occasional travel to St. Louis or DC offices may be required.

Schedule: Monday – Friday, core Agency hours between 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM CST (8-hour workdays expected)

Overview:

USDA Rural Development (RD) is the federal government’s investment arm for rural America — providing loans, grants, and loan guarantees to expand access to housing, utilities, broadband, healthcare, and business opportunity in the communities that private markets too often overlook. The Servicing Office (SO) provides loan servicing performance and efficiency for Rural Development (RD) programs through exemplary customer service and fiscal stewardship while cultivating a highly productive workforce. The Servicing Office manages those loans from the day they close to the day they’re paid off — ensuring families stay in their homes, rural businesses keep their doors open, and communities hold on to the infrastructure investments that keep them running.

USDA RD Servicing Office is embarking on a transformational effort to increase efficiency, elevate performance, and build operational excellence across its divisions and directorates — all in service of better outcomes for its borrowers. This SME reporting to the Head of Guaranteed Loan Division (GLD) will be responsible for the recommendation and implementation of data-driven industry best practices, process creation, KPI design, data reporting, workflow optimization, and transformation.

Guaranteed Loan Division (GLD)

The GLD supports customers and stakeholders by planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating loan servicing, lender oversight, and management reporting activities related to the development, maintenance, and operation of RD nationwide Guaranteed loan programs.

Experience & Expertise:

• Strong proficiency in loss claims servicing, including claim review, documentation, and resolution processes.

• Understanding of the secondary market is critical in improving the servicing of the 1 million loans in the Guaranteed Loan Division (GLD).

• Expertise in loss mitigation strategies and procedures for both individual and portfolio-level cases.

• Ability to analyze complex data sets related to claims and mitigation to identify trends and root causes.

• Advanced skills in Excel and the Microsoft Office suite, including pivot tables, formulas, and data visualization tools.

• Experience in developing and interpreting reports and graphical analyses for performance and workflow metrics.

• Familiarity with reporting platforms such as Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik to create dynamic dashboards and automated reports.

• Knowledge of workflow design and process optimization within claims servicing and mitigation environments.

• Strong communication skills for translating analytical findings into actionable recommendations for leadership and stakeholders.

• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including:

• Experience supporting a Director with the preparation and presentation of data-driven reports and visualizations.

• High attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy in all reporting and analysis activities.

• Ability to perform statistical analysis and utilize tools for identifying patterns, anomalies, and opportunities for process improvement.

• Understanding of key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to loss claims, mitigation, and workflow efficiency.

• Proactive problem-solving skills and a continuous improvement mindset in servicing operations.

 

Operational & Analytical Skills:

· Ability to evaluate process gaps, recommend operational improvements, and ensure adherence to federal servicing standards.

· Skilled in analyzing pipeline reporting, timelines, opportunities for improvement, and identifying systemic issues.

· Experience developing or reviewing operating procedures and training materials for accuracy and completeness.

· Strong understanding of data integrity requirements, audit readiness, and documentation standards for federal program oversight.

 

Communication & Leadership:

· Strong written and verbal communication skills, capable of drafting guidance, job aids, policy clarifications, and training.

· Ability to collaborate with USDA leadership, quality teams, and cross-functional groups.

· Skilled at representing the program area as the technical expert during internal meetings, audits, and external reviews.

· Ability to support development of branch- level strategies, prioritize initiatives, and align operations with agency-wide goals.

· Skilled in assessing workload, identifying staffing gaps, and recommending resource distribution to maintain efficient, proactive operations.

· Capable of evaluating long-term risks, anticipating bottlenecks, and proposing improvements that move the organization from a reactive to a proactive posture.

 

Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency:

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, data validation, and the ability to analyze and reconcile servicing or foreclosure pipeline data.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Access or other database tools for reviewing loan-level data, building servicing reports, or supporting QC/QA processes (as referenced in resource needs for servicing-related action plans).

• Strong skills in Microsoft Word for drafting procedural guidance, contractor instructions, training materials, and workflow documentation.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook for communication, collaboration, and record management within the Servicing Office.

• Ability to use the Office Suite to support data accuracy, documentation standards, and reporting requirements across foreclosure, bankruptcy, and default workflows.

• Proficiency with Power BI, including navigating dashboards, interpreting visualizations, filtering and drilling down into portfolio and task-level data, and validating data accuracy. Capable of collaborating on report modifications and understanding how report updates (e.g., weekly/EOM refresh cycles) affect servicing workflows.