BUDGET ANALYST I-IV

JOB STATUS: UNTIL FILLED POSTING DATE: 08/21/2024 POSTING NUMBER: E24/25.54.38.1 LOCATION: Finance Department POSITION TITLE: BUDGET ANALYST I-IV
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The Human Resources Department announces an opening for the position of Budget Analyst I in the Finance & Management Services office. This is a twelve-month position Grade E-05 (career ladder position).

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF WORK

The Budget Analyst performs a range of duties in the analysis, formulation, review, justification, presentation, enactment and execution of operating budgets, capital budgets, grant budgets, enterprise fund budgets and other specialized budgets. The Budget Analyst typically works across all phases of the cyclical budgeting process: (1) formulation/justification, (2) presentation/enactment and (3) execution.

The Budget Analyst typically reports to the Budget Director; however, may report to a higher grade employee in the Department of Finance and Management Services. At the higher grade levels, the Budget Analyst is expected to identify and recommend improvements to budgeting policies, processes and procedures, has considerable latitude for developing solutions to meet the budget needs of customers, and is expected to exercise experienced judgment and initiative or resourcefulness in assessing issues, coordinating budgeting solutions, and managing special projects. Work may also include supervision of hourly or temporary personnel assisting in budget work for a limited period.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK (May not include all duties performed - These are intended as an illustration of the various types of work performed.)
• Develops proposed and adopted budget documents, initial budget year estimates, and annual and multi-year budgets.
• Monitors both budgets and actuals for assigned departments, areas, expenditure/revenue classifications, and/or funds.
• Prepares budget review agenda items by compiling and analyzing requests and developing narrative responses.
• Develops and updates narratives and financial information for inclusion in budget documents, presentations, and communications.
• Prepares fund statements for assigned funds.
• Creates and/or analyzes data and written information created for presentations, budget documents and questions, written responses, for communication APS Executive Staff and/or the community.
• Analyzes and evaluates financial statements; prepares and interprets financial reports, charts, and fact sheets.
• Monitors department/fund budgets, and communicates modifications.
• Analyzes department/fund baseline budgets and new funding requests and makes recommendations for funding.
• Analyzes department/fund requests and makes recommendations on budget reviews; provides timely, accurate financial information and analysis for budget reviews.
• Develops school budgets by applying APS-approved planning factors and previously approved programs assigned on a school-by-school basis.
• Reviews and approves budget adjustments. Compiles, analyzes and summarizes budgetary and financial information related to assigned areas of the organization's budget/financial program.
• Monitors and tracks expenditures.
• Identifies trends in use of funds; recommends program spending adjustments; and assists in interpreting the impact of, and planning for, multi-year financial/budgetary and program changes.
• Researches and analyzes data related to educational organizations, public policy issues, funding, and budget control methodology. Identifies changes/trends in over time.
• Provides miscellaneous financial analysis of, and support to, assigned departments/funds.
• Provides historical revenue and expenditure data, prepares documents for, and responds to, questions by County agencies and community groups.
• Communicates and interacts effectively with business contacts.
• Stays abreast of regulatory and procedural developments in budgeting and changes in work programs and projects that may impact budgeting and budgets.
• Uses enterprise system (ORACLE) to enter and verify budget data.
• May recommend or draft changes to budget policies and procedures. May work on special projects, such as budget studies, 'cleansing' of conflicting program and financial data, or serving as a functional point of contact with information technology (IT) personnel to identify IT support solutions to, or improvements for, budgeting.
• Provides guidance and instructions to lower-grade Budget Analysts and others. May organize and direct special budgetary/financial projects; assigns and reviews work of project team.
• Uses a computer and modern office suite software to plan, schedule, communicate (email), word process, calculate/quantify, create presentations, research (Internet/intranet) and perform other functions, with strong emphasis on financial spreadsheets and databases. Uses enterprise system (ORACLE) and specialized budget and accounting software; this includes use of statistical models and methods.
• Performs related functions.
EXPERIENCE:
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Experience working with students, families, and staff from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

All Budget Analyst Levels: • Knowledge of the principles, standards, practices and methods of public sector budgeting, financial analysis principles, and miscellaneous requirements, standards and practices (including 'best practices') in budgeting and financial analysis. • Knowledge of Federal, Virginia and APS funding formulas and associated regulations, standards and processes; knowledge of APS-specific processes and procedures governing budgets. (Knowledge of these bodies of information may be acquired on-the-job; ability to rapidly acquire them, and then skillfully apply them, is required at the time of placement into the job.) • Knowledge of accounting to identify changes and trends in costs/expenditures for economic assumptions for budgeting, to track expenditures, to identify items that might impact future expenses and revenue, and to perform related functions. • Skill in problem solving, to include applying funding formulas and economic facts and assumptions; making or reviewing calculations and using statistical models; and analyzing cost-benefit ratios of alternative budget and program actions. • Skill in written communication. • Skill in oral communication. • Skill in using a computer and modern office suite software, and skill in using specialized software such as ERP modules (Oracle STARS), standalone legacy systems and statistical software pertinent to essential functions. • Interpersonal skills to interact with business contacts in a businesslike, customer service-oriented manner. • Ability and willingness to work under pressure of a 'fluid environment' that may include some after-hours work, changing priorities, tight deadlines, emergencies and peak periods.

Budget Analyst I: • Knowledge of a wide range of principles, standards, practices and methods of public sector budgeting, financial analysis and a wide range of standards, practices and methods (including 'best practices') of budgeting and financial analysis, altogether at the basic level, coupled with skill at the basic level, to perform assigned Budget Analyst I functions. Examples include obtaining, compiling and summarizing narrative information and quantitative data, verifying costs of line items in a budget and entering the costs into standard forms and schedules, and extracting budget and program data from various source documents for analysis.

Budget Analyst II: • Knowledge of a wide range of principles, standards, practices and methods of public sector budgeting, financial analysis and a wide range of standards, practices and methods (including 'best practices') of budgeting and financial analysis, altogether at the developmental level, coupled with skill at the developmental level, to perform assigned Budget Analyst II functions. Examples include translating organizational needs and objectives by line item and object class into budget dollars and funding actions required to accomplish them, and recommending approval or disapproval of requests for allotment of funds or actions involving the commitment of funds.

Budget Analyst III: • Thorough knowledge of, and fully developed skill in applying, the full range of principles, standards, practices and methods of public sector budgeting, financial analysis, and the full range of miscellaneous principles, standards, practices (including 'best practices') and methods of budgeting and financial analysis altogether to perform Budget Analyst III functions. Examples include using a wide range of financial analysis techniques, relating needs of functional entities to anticipated or actual dollar figures in a budget, working independently on routine or continuing assignments, and assessing the impact of new/modified funding formulas on existing or new work programs or the effects on formulation and execution of budgets.

Budget Analyst IV: • Comprehensive knowledge of, and highly developed skill in applying, the full range of principles, standards, practices and methods of public sector budgeting, financial analysis, and miscellaneous principles, standards, practices (including 'best practices') and methods of budgeting and financial analysis altogether to perform Budget Analyst IV functions. Examples include recommending/developing/revising budget formulation policies and procedures, examining the impact of budgetary actions on program viability and attainment of program objectives, and presenting and justifying proposed budgets.
QUALIFICATIONS:
MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Budget Analyst I: • Bachelor's degree in any field providing strong foundation for success in the essential functions of this class and this level of work; and • One year of progressively responsible experience in analysis of operating or capital budgets is required.

Budget Analyst II: • Bachelor's degree in any field providing strong foundation for success in the essential functions of this class and level of work; and • Two years of progressively responsible experience in analysis of operating or capital budgets are required.

Budget Analyst III: • Bachelor's degree in any field providing strong foundation for success in the essential functions of this class and level of work; and • Three years of progressively responsible experience in analysis of operating or capital budgets are required.

Budget Analyst IV: • Bachelor's degree in any field providing strong foundation for success in the essential functions of this class and level of work; and • Four years of progressively responsible experience in analysis of operating and capital budgets are required. • Master's degree, or other advanced degree, is strongly preferred.

All Budget Analyst Levels: • Experience must be in finance with a majority of work in the formulation, presentation/enactment and execution of operating budgets and/or capital budgets. • Master's degree providing strong foundation for success in the essential functions of this series of classes may be substituted for up to two years of required experience at any level of work: Budget Analyst I/II/III/IV. • Experience must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in use of spreadsheets for financial purposes, such as financial planning, budgeting, tracking expenditures, etc. • Substantive experience in (a) analysis of operating and capital improvement budgets in a K-12 public school environment, (b) use of Federal and State funding formulas in budgeting, (c) analysis of accounting reports and expenditures to ensure compliance and identify trends, and (d) analysis and projects of revenue is desired.
APPLY TO: SALARY:
Salary range of $63,873-$104,690 based on FY24-25 Pay Plan
DAYS: