Budget and Policy Analyst

Budget And Policy Analyst

Join our team. This announcement is not governed by the selection processes of the classified personnel system. This posting is open to both current and non-current residents of the State of Colorado at the time of application. However, please note that upon hire, you will be required to establish residence within the State of Colorado.

Under general supervision, the budget and policy analyst is responsible for all areas of state budget and finance in support of Colorado's public colleges and universities, as well as the internal department budget and finance functions, including tracking of budgets to actuals, assisting programs with developing budgets, evaluating expenditures, forecasting revenues, and maintaining collaboration across teams.

This position does not supervise any employees.

Scope of Responsibilities:
This intermediate level position is responsible for independently performing specialized budget duties for the Department of Higher Education. Positions at this level exercise judgment and initiative in their assigned tasks, receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise, and are fully aware of the operating procedures, practices and policies of the work unit.

Job Duties:

The duties listed below reflect the different types of work that may be performed. The omission of any specific duty will not prevent the assignment of work that is appropriately related to this position.

Internal Budgeting:

• For assigned portfolios, regularly track budget to actuals including collaborating with accounting and program staff and advise on expenditure adjustments needed to stay within budget
• Problem solves through changes needed to avoid over or under expenditure, and escalate issues when needed
• Advise and assist assigned portfolio teams in creating future budgets and budget requests
• Develop and maintain complex financial models to project multi-year revenue and expenditure trends for higher education portfolios. This includes expenditures, budgets, and revenues for assigned portfolio areas to ensure proper appropriations and revenue to cover costs and then advice leadership on changes needed to ensure adequate funding
• As needed within the analyst's portfolio, maintain, administer, and run allocation formulas for programs that allocate funding across institutions
• Serve as a subject matter expert in CORE and info Advantage reporting to ensure real-time accuracy of appropriations and budgets tracking.
• Establish and maintain long range budget plans
• Ensure proper payments and distributions to partners, subrecipients, and institutions for programs under the assigned portfolio to ensure proper fiscal controls and funds available
• Ensure expenditures and fiscal operations are in alignment with state laws and applicable policies.
• Maintain proper coding structures for assigned portfolio programs to ensure proper inputs into CORE and tracking of budgets to actuals

Budget Development:

• Maintain a robust knowledge of the budget cycle, how appropriations change, and where spending authority comes from
• Assist in the development of decision items and fiscal notes through budget analysis including modeling, caseload forecasting, and data collection
• Assist in defending budget proposals to the Governor's Office, Joint Budget Committee, legislative staff, and other groups
• Analyze state government and federal actions to advise Department staff on budget implications
• Recommend when state laws or applicable policies should be updated related to the fiscal management of programs and advice on the fiscal impact of those changes
• Analyze financial and staffing patterns, organizational structure, and management practices in order to recommend budgetary, organizational, and programmatic changes from a fiscal perspective that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department.

Budget Decision Tracking:

• Assist in tracking Governor Office decisions on budget requests and legislative requests with fiscal impact and advice on how decisions will impact Department appropriations, spending authority, revenue, and fiscal operations.
• Assist in tracking decisions by the Joint Budget Committee, Appropriations Committees and the legislature for the impact the Department's appropriations, spending authority, and revenue

Data and Reports:

• Maintain and develop necessary financial data such as historical expenditures, awards, or recipients on assigned portfolio
• Create necessary financial reports or budget related reports that fall within the assigned portfolio

Engagement

Activities:

• As necessary, collaborate with stakeholders, subrecipients, and/or institutions to ensure proper payments, fiscal procedures, and budgets
• As necessary, prepare and present materials to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and its subcommittees

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the…