Budget Officer III - Central Office

State of Nebraska • Lincoln, NE

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) is seeking a Budget Officer III to serve as a link between agency operations and fiscal compliance. In this role, you will act as a subject matter expert and strategic planner for the Central Office, Health Services, and other aspects of NDCS, ensuring that fiscal resources support public safety and inmate health. Your expertise will drive the biennial budget process, where you will justify funding requests and oversee complex annual allocations. Beyond routine oversight, you will spearhead long-term financial modeling for agency wide sustainability, audit high-stakes procurement requests, and translate data into actionable policy directives. If you are a data-driven leader capable of navigating state budgetary guidelines while providing executive-level consultation on the fiscal impact of legislative and operational changes, we would love to have you on our team!

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business or public administration or related field plus 3 years’ experience in developing public budgeting systems, modifying public budgeting systems, cost accounting, cost analysis and providing financial management consultation.
• Experience may substitute for education on a year for year basis.
• Transcripts required prior to appointment.
• Applicants accepting a job offer must pass the following pre-employment exams in this order: medical exam, and at a randomly announced time, pass a drug test.
• Once at the Staff Training Academy, must successfully complete the fully paid NE Corrections Training Program.

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of Nebraska laws, rules, and regulations
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 products
• Experience with long-term expenditure forecasting models
• Demonstrated ability to display financial information accurately and effectively to the administration

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Agency Budget Management Analysts to project costs, justify funding requests, and oversee the distribution of annual appropriations across the Central Office, Health Services, and Cornhusker State Industries (CSI) divisions.
• Review medical and clinical procurement requests, monitor expenditure data to recommend budgetary adjustments that balance inmate health needs with fiscal constraints.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to division leadership, providing interpretation of budget status reports and advising on the financial consequences of proposed operational or legislative changes.
• Research, draft, and implement internal fiscal policies and administrative directives to ensure the agency remains in alignment with state law, audit requirements, and budgetary guidelines.
• Conduct short- and long-term impact analyses on vendor contracts and proposed legislation while auditing procurement requests to ensure compliance with state procurement rules and agency priorities.

Benefits

• We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life.
• Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.
• Benefit eligibility may vary by position, agency and employment status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior