Budget and Program Analyst
The Office of Budget is seeking to fill one or more Budget Analyst II positions for the Budget Planning and Analysis team. The Budget Analyst II is an intermediate level professional within the City of Detroit Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Office of Budget, that performs a wide range of analytical, technical, and advisory functions relating to the formulation, presentation, enactment, and execution of the City’s Budget and Four-Year Financial Plan. Key responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: conducting analyses and making recommendations concerning City Government and other city Agency operating and capital budgets; analyzing agency budgets and preparing reports, memos and presentations; providing ongoing support to Department Heads and Managers to ensure accuracy and completeness of requests and analysis; assisting with departmental training; and making recommendations based on cost-benefit, program, and policy analyses to ensure efficient and optimal operations and use of funds. The incumbent will advise Office of Budget leadership on financial, policy and program issues that impact the City of Detroit’s operations and capital investments.
The Office of Budget is responsible for all aspects of the City’s annual budget and four-year financial plan, under the leadership of the CFO and in coordination with other OCFO divisions and City departments. This includes, but is not limited to, revenue forecasting and economic analysis, development of the Mayor’s budget recommendation, presentation of the budget to the City Council, negotiation of the adopted budget with the City Council, implementation of the budget after adoption, monitoring the budget to ensure continued fiscal balance, and ongoing budget and program analysis.
Examples of Duties
- Reviews and analyzes agency budgets and prepares reports, memos, presentations, and other budget documents to support the development of the annual Budget and Four-Year Financial Plan for the City of Detroit.
- Analyzes program, performance, policy and financial goals in the context of budget formulation, and makes recommendations to ensure efficient and effective use of City resources.
- Assists with the preparation of budgets using actual financial and operational results, historical data, and trend analysis; Verifies completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures, rules, and regulations.
- Develops productive working relationships with City agencies and departments, and with financial staff throughout the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.
- Uses ERP Cloud applications to help formulate the annual Budget. Training is provided on all specialized systems.
- Partners with City Agencies to oversee the development of multi-year operating and capital plans, reserve forecasts, and long-range financial strategies.
- Implements, monitors, and ensures compliance with financial and operational performance measures. Identifies and advises on budget overruns, revenue shortfalls, and other financial problems by agency.
- Performs financial and cost-benefit analyses to compare operating programs, review financial requests, or explore alternative financing methods.
- Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of principles, practices, and methods of the specific functional area(s) acquired through structured on-the-job and classroom training sufficient to do intermediate-level work such as:
- Analyze and evaluate changes in program plans and funding and their effect on performance, policy, and budget milestones
- Communicating analysis, options, and recommendations to leadership to support budget decision-making processes.
- Developing subject-matter expertise in agency operations, programs, revenue sources, and goals, and leveraging that understanding during budget formulation and execution.
Skill in:
- Applying knowledge of financial and budgetary concepts, policies, precedents, goals, objectives, regulations, principles, practices, laws, regulations, guidelines, and methods
- Public policy, program, cost-benefit, and/or performance analysis
- Superior use of Microsoft Excel (e.g. Formulas, Pivot Tables, Vlookup, Hlookup, other functions, charts, tables) and Microsoft PowerPoint
- Superior communication and presentation skills
- Interpersonal skills to interact effectively with personal contacts in a business-like, customer service oriented manner, and maintain favorable public relations
- Presenting concise financial and operational information (orally, written, and/or using PowerPoint or Word) to a variety of audiences
Ability to:
- Manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
- Develop relationships with staff level counterparts and facilitate effective conversations with senior leadership across City government.
- Provide guidance concerning the legal and regulatory aspects of the acquisition and use of funds for program and administrative purposes
- Advise City Agencies, Finance staff, and other officials on requirements for the preparation, documentation, and submission of budget requests
- Effectively analyze, quantify, research, and communicate financial and non-financial topics
- Analyze and interpret fiscal, accounting and other data and reports
- Perform confidential assignments
- Choose the right analytical methods and techniques to solve a problem quickly.
- Identify, synthesize and evaluate budget related issues and assignments, consolidate information from a variety of sources and select appropriate analytical approaches
- Collect, quickly interpret and analyze information from a variety of sources, apply criteria, draw conclusions and develop recommendation, guidelines and polices
- Routinely generate ideas for process innovation.
- Understand cost-benefit and business case analyses, and to synthesize and summarize the key elements of that analysis for senior leadership
- Learn and use new systems and tools for budget and financial management, communications, and workflow management
- Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
- Interact effectively with senior leadership, subordinates, department personnel, and others with tact and diplomacy
- Work as part of a team
Minimum Qualifications
Education
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with major course of work in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, public affairs, public policy, public management, public finance, statistics, economics, mathematics, political science, or a closely related field.
Experience
At least two (2) years of professional experience in reviewing, analyzing, developing and monitoring government operating and/or capital budgets, including analysis of and reporting on management and programmatic issues having budgetary implications.
OR
Applicants with a master’s degree in a discipline such as Public Policy, Public Administration, Public Affairs, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Political Science, Urban Planning, and any other appropriate and related courses of study meet the minimum experience required for Budget Analyst II.
Budget Analysts must demonstrate proficiency with integrated word processing and spreadsheet functions.
Equivalency
Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated on an individual basis.