Public Service Coordinator I - Budget Analyst

State of Maine•Augusta, ME

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Maine Bureau of the Budget is seeking a Budget Analyst to provide budget, financial, and program analysis for assigned State departments and agencies. The analyst develops a working knowledge of assigned programs, funding sources, statutory requirements, operating plans, and fiscal trends and applies that knowledge throughout budget development and execution. The Budget Analyst independently completes routine and moderately complex assignments using established policies, procedures, and analytical methods. For complex, unusual, sensitive, or precedent-setting matters, the analyst gathers and validates the relevant information, identifies the key issues and options, prepares a preliminary analysis, and consults a Senior Budget Analyst or Bureau leadership.

Requirements

Understand budget processes and have knowledge of public finance, accounting, economics, program review, or public administration.
Comfortable working with numbers, checking information for accuracy, spotting trends or problems, and explaining how they reached a conclusion.
Able to handle routine and moderately complex work on their own and know when to ask for help with unusual, unclear, sensitive, or high-risk issues.
Clear speaking and writing skills.
Good organization.
Sound judgment.
Teamwork.
Ability to manage several assignments, meet deadlines, protect confidential information, and adjust to changing priorities.
Able to use Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to learn the State's budget, accounting, and data systems.
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field, and four (4) years of professional experience in budgeting, finance, economics, or business administration.
Equivalent related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.
A master's degree in the fields listed above may substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with governmental budgets, multiple funding sources.
An understanding of the legislative process and financial reporting is also desirable.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain an understanding of assigned programs, departmental plans, organizational structures, service-delivery methods, staffing, funding sources, and fiscal trends.
Analyze budget, accounting, payroll, position, revenue, expenditure, workload, and other program information from State systems and agency records.
Review agency assumptions and supporting documentation for reasonableness, consistency, and completeness and follow up on missing information, anomalies, and material variances.
Prepare baseline estimates, trend analyses, forecasts, variance explanations, and multiyear projections using established methods and document the supporting data, assumptions, calculations, and limitations.
Analyze one-time and ongoing costs, timing differences, available funding, position and payroll effects, cost allocation, indirect costs, lapses, transfers, and other impacts within assigned areas.
Support scenario and options analysis for complex programs or changing circumstances and prepare clear workpapers, issue summaries, tables, and briefing materials.
Participate in the review of department and agency budget requests and revenue forecasts and assist in developing proposals consistent with gubernatorial objectives, legislative intent, and statewide fiscal constraints.
Guide departments and agencies through annual work program distribution following enacted budget laws and review whether funding is properly allocated and sufficient to meet anticipated obligations.
Review requests to change annual work programs, including financial orders, budget orders, position actions, transfers, allotment changes, and related adjustments, and verify the calculations, documentation, authority, and available resources.
Monitor revenue, expenditures, encumbrances, payroll, positions, vacancies, and related activity; investigate significant variances and promptly identify potential shortfalls, overages, or control issues.
Monitor legislation that may affect the budgets for assigned departments and agencies.
Summarize findings and fiscal impacts clearly for Bureau staff, agency partners, and decision-makers.
Build effective working relationships with agency fiscal staff, program managers, and policy staff while maintaining objectivity and appropriate financial controls.

Benefits

13 paid holidays
12 days of sick leave
3+ weeks of vacation leave annually
Health Insurance Coverage (State pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums)
Health Insurance Premium Credit (Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%)
Dental Insurance (State pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums)
Retirement Plan (State contributes 18.86% of pay to MainePERS)
Gym Membership Reimbursement (up to $40 per month)
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness eligibility
Living Resources Program (employee assistance program)
Forty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave for all employees welcoming a child
Voluntary Deferred Compensation (MaineSaves 457(b) account)