DUA Budget & Strategic Planning Director

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

About The Position

The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), part of the Executive Office of Labor, administers Massachusetts’ unemployment insurance program. The Director of Budget and Strategic Planning is the agency’s principal advisor on budget strategy, financial planning, resource management, and federal funding, reporting directly to the DUA Director. The Director ensures financial resources are strategically planned and managed in alignment with DUA’s operational priorities, statutory responsibilities, and long-term objectives. Working with DUA executive and program leadership and the EOL Finance team, the Director provides financial analysis, strategic guidance, and recommendations for decisions involving staffing, programs, operations, and resource allocation. The role calls for financial expertise, strategic and analytical capabilities, collaborative leadership, independent judgment, and a proactive approach to maximizing state and federal resources while promoting fiscal accountability and operational effectiveness.

Requirements

At least five years of full-time or equivalent part-time professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in financial management, such as budgeting, accounting, auditing, management analysis, program evaluation, or financial reporting of program results.
At least one year of the required experience must be in a project management, supervisory, or managerial capacity, subject to the stated equivalent-combination and substitution provisions.

Responsibilities

Lead development and execution of DUA’s annual and multi-year budget strategies, financial plans, forecasts, and spending projections.
Oversee financial planning and resource allocation in alignment with agency priorities and available funding.
Monitor budget performance, analyze financial trends and variances, and recommend responses to risks and opportunities.
Evaluate the financial implications of staffing decisions, proposed programs, operational initiatives, and changing priorities.
Develop financial models and alternative funding scenarios for strategic planning and executive decisions.
Improve financial forecasting, reporting, and budget management processes to strengthen accuracy, transparency, and accountability.
Lead DUA’s federal funding strategy and Resource Justification Model (RJM) process.
Coordinate annual RJM development and submissions, accounting for staffing, workload trends, organizational needs, and program requirements.
Analyze staffing allocations, workload activity, and funding utilization against federal funding assumptions.
Review and reconcile SSTA exception reports to ensure employee time allocations support federal funding calculations.
Work with program leadership to identify staffing and workload variances, assess financial impacts, and recommend resource adjustments.
Interpret federal funding guidance and collaborate with EOL Finance to ensure compliance and optimize federal funding opportunities.
Identify and evaluate federal grants, supplemental funding opportunities, and other funding sources.
Assess funding opportunities for financial feasibility, program alignment, compliance requirements, and sustainability.
Partner with DUA program leadership and the EOL Director of Budget and Federal Grants on grant proposals and funding requests.
Develop and review grant budgets, staffing projections, cost estimates, and supporting financial analyses.
Monitor awarded funding to encourage effective utilization, fiscal accountability, and compliance.
Advise the DUA Director and executive leadership on budgets, staffing, resource allocation, and long-term financial planning.
Provide timely financial analyses, strategic recommendations, and alternative scenarios for operational and policy decisions.
Collaborate with agency leaders to assess financial performance, resource needs, funding constraints, and emerging priorities.
Evaluate staffing, workload demands, available funding, and long-term financial sustainability.
Translate complex financial and operational information into clear, actionable executive recommendations.
Integrate financial considerations into agency-wide strategic initiatives and decision-making.
Partner with DUA leadership, EOL Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and program stakeholders to strengthen financial management and operational planning.
Develop and improve financial planning standards, budget methodologies, reporting practices, governance processes, and internal controls.
Promote transparent, accountable, consistent, data-driven financial decision-making.
Lead and participate in cross-functional initiatives with significant financial, operational, or resource implications.
Collaborate to resolve complex financial challenges and establish consistent financial management practices.
Ensure financial planning and resource management comply with applicable Commonwealth and federal requirements.