Department of Public Safety Division Budget Director

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

20h•Hybrid

About The Position

This position reports to the Deputy Budget Director and is responsible for researching issues related to budget line items, communicating with and guiding program staff throughout the Department on correct processes, making written assumptions, calculating estimates and projections, narrating public policy impacts, and drafting budget documents as assigned. The position regularly analyzes trends and budget needs and establishes, measures, and maintains long-range budget plans to support the divisions within the Department of Public Safety. This includes forecasting needs, requesting additional funding, ongoing financial reporting and analysis, strategic planning, and additional duties as requested. The position acts as a liaison between the Budget and Accounting Sections to assist the assigned division’s budget and reporting. This includes verifying that expenditure requests are allocated to the correct line item, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on expenditure levels, and monitoring expenses. This position is also responsible for other budget deliverables within the Department, such as writing change requests, fiscal note impact analysis, and completing schedules and narratives for the Department’s annual Budget Request. This position works with program staff to respond to the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB)/Joint Budget Committee (JBC) questions on budget requests and to determine the fiscal impact of proposed legislation. This position assists program staff with the preparation of the fiscal analysis for proposed legislation. The position tracks Budget vs. Actual expenses and works with the division on discrepancies in the budget and changes to spending plans.

Requirements

Eight years professional experience in budget and fiscal policy analysis, development and implementation.
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of full time experience in budget analysis, budget development and implementation, policy development and implementation.
Must be a Colorado resident at the time of application.
Requires successful completion of a background investigation that includes a polygraph exam, a fingerprint based criminal history search, reference checking.

Nice To Haves

Excellent knowledge of general accounting principles, state statutes, state fiscal rules and state purchasing requirements
Experience acting in senior level finance or accounting position
Experience working with Joint Budget Committee / Office of State Planning & Budgeting
Thorough knowledge of state budget processes
Experience with existing state accounting system, namely the Colorado Operations Resource Engine (CORE)
Experience with strategic financial management and cost benefit analysis principles and practices
Expert proficiency in Excel
Experience working with Federal grants
Supervisory experience

Responsibilities

Developing budget change requests and fiscal impact analysis, including but not limited to decision items, supplemental requests, capital construction requests, and budget amendments.
Maintaining a comprehensive understanding of program financing, dynamics, and policies.
Analyzing budget and policy trends and assessing and projecting budget needs for programs/line items assigned to the position.
Analyzing federal and state government legislation, regulations, and statutes to advise program managers on making budget recommendations.
Analyzing the assigned division(s) and Department program goals and priorities, financial and staffing patterns, organizational structure, and management practices to recommend budgetary, organizational, and programmatic changes from a fiscal perspective that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs within CDPS.
Evaluating the relevance and importance of public administration theories, concepts, and principles.
Using analytic techniques to identify policy and budget issues and recommend changes to resolve issues in conformance with the Department's mission and objectives.
Working closely with program staff and ensuring that policy initiatives are always compatible with budget specifications and timelines.
Developing an extensive and comprehensive narrative to support all information, assumptions, budget actions, and legislative actions.
Providing timely communication to the department Budget Director, as well as department management and program staff, regarding actions taken on budget items by department leadership, Executive Committees, OSPB, and/or JBC.
Producing budget documents and schedules for the Department’s annual budget submission, including budget change requests, Schedules 9s, and 14.
Researching and compiling responses to proposed legislation and all budget requests based on OSPB instructions.
Ensuring that the division complies with footnotes and headnotes contained in the Long Bill.
Coordinating legislative responses.
Defending annual budget requests to the Chief Administrative Officer, Department Budget Director, Executive Director, and Deputy Director with the support of the Division Director.
Oversight of line item assignments, including monitoring, tracking, analyzing, and reporting.
Using accounting and program data to develop suitable monitoring and tracking mechanisms for assigned line items.
Working with the Accounting Section staff to identify and reconcile CORE coding issues, create a coding structure to organize expenditure data, and verify coding and statutory compliance of Department expenditures.
Ensuring that reports are accurate and complete by the designated deadlines for the reporting period.
Verifying data integrity, incorporating CORE information, and researching any anomalous patterns.
Detecting potential matters of concern and advising necessary parties to ensure quick and effective resolutions.
Ensuring that the applicable fields for each line item are updated, and that all numbers provided make basic sense about the line item and overall appropriation.
Performing variance analysis to properly ascertain the source of variations in expenditure, revenue, or other relevant factors.
Frequent periodic reporting to track the status of all assigned lines and to alert the supervisor and applicable program staff of potential problems.
Working effectively with program staff in resolving expenditure variances and keeping them informed of low or high expenditures.
Connecting with program staff to stay up-to-date on major events in a given program regularly.
Budget analysis and approval of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), contracts, and other budget impact requests related to assigned line item areas.
Responding promptly to requests for response from the Budget Director on essential items related to assigned line items.
Identifying problems and proactively resolving them.
Developing spending plans and providing reports for Department staff and managers.
Preparing expenditure updates for OSPB, JBC, Legislative Council, Legislative Audit Committee, and others as needed or requested.
Interpreting and complying with federal and state reporting requirements, including but not limited to producing and developing ad-hoc financial reports needed by Department staff.

Benefits

Medical and dental options are available for permanent employees and their dependents.
Short and long-term disability coverage
Life insurance that includes legal resources and discounts.
Basic Life and AD&D insurance equal to their annual earnings subject to a minimum benefit of $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000.
Basic Life and AD&D are provided by the State of Colorado at no cost to employees.
The State of Colorado's Wellness Program, State of Health, is a no-cost, year-long program that supports an employee’s health and wellness goals.
Participants can earn a $20 per month health insurance premium discount.
Through BenefitHub, State of Colorado employees have access to discounts, promotions and special programs from hundreds of retailers, restaurants, travel and entertainment venues throughout Colorado and across the country.
State contribution into a Health Savings Account when enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan.
Eligible employees have access to medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the State of Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI).
Eligibility for hybrid or other flexible work arrangements based on the nature of the role.
Excellent retirement benefits including mandatory PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans.
Generous time off including 11 paid holidays annually and accrued annual and sick leave and four annual wellness days.
The Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP) is available in every region of the state.
Tuition reimbursement and reduced college tuition at CSU Global and DeVry University.
Credit Union of Colorado membership eligibility.