Senior Budget and Policy Analyst
Senior Budget and Policy Analyst
Work type: Permanent Full Time
Location: Bellingham, WA
Categories: Business and Financial Affairs
Position Title: Senior Budget and Policy Analyst
About the University: Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 83,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
About the Department: The Budget Office supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.
About the Position: This position reports to the Director of the Budget Office and is responsible for providing analyses and management reports related to planning, developing, implementing, and administrating Western's operating budget. This includes supporting development of WWU's budget proposals, acting as the Budget Office's lead staff during the State's legislative session for drafting responses to fiscal notes and other budgetary inquiries in coordination with internal and external stakeholders, performing analytical work in support of the university's fiscal responsibilities and strategic decision-making, and other key tasks for ongoing maintenance of WWU's operating budget.
State Operating Budget Support and Legislative Analysis
- Lead preparation of fiscal notes during legislative sessions; review and analyze pending legislative bills, assign and coordinate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) within WWU regarding potential monetary impacts of legislative bills, and write the University's fiscal impact statements for bills,
- In coordination with the Director and Assistant Director, review omnibus budget bills and related reports from the Governor, House, and Senate for impact to WWU and provide written analysis of the bill to the university community.
- Coordinate with WWU's Office of Legislative Affairs, budget officers at other four-year public institutions in the state, and State Office of Financial Management (OFM) and Legislative Analysts around fiscal notes, decision packages, and other legislative affairs,
- Support WWU's biennial and supplemental budget development and submittal to the State and responding to questions from legislative staff and OFM,
- Responsible for entering and verifying budgetary and institutional data into OFM systems,
- Serve as WWU's primary point of contact for legislative staff and OFM.
University Budget Analysis and Reporting
- Collect and analyze data from data warehouse, ERP systems and other sources to create reports for Director and Executive-level management in support of budget development and monitoring, collective bargaining and strategic decision-making; such as revenue and expenditure analyses, comparisons to peer institutions, and financial status and trends,
- Create, maintain, and update systems and reports for recognizing, evaluating, and presenting financial information and making recommendations based upon financial information that can be understood by a variety of audiences,
- Update the annual presentation for the Board of Trustees in consultation with the Director and Vice President,
- Responsible for drafting, development and ongoing updates of Quick Data Points/Budget Fact Book/KPIs,
- Conduct forensic accounting searches to provide historical information on budgeting and spending by division, college, or department as needed.
Support of Budget Development and Maintenance
- Support internal budget process, including review of internal budget proposals, vet proposals for accuracy, and publish proposals to Budget Office website to facilitate university feedback process,
- Conduct trainings and create online resources for campus staff to assist with both the internal and state budgeting process,
- Conduct budget transfers, review position requests, Budget Office website maintenance, and other ongoing budget maintenance duties as needed,
- Act as Budget Officer for university divisions on an as-needed basis,
- Serve as backup for several key Budget Office roles, assist Director, Vice President, and other senior leadership with ad hoc projects as requested, and fulfill other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree; 3-5 years of meaningful analytical experience in higher education, public budgeting, or financial administration,
- Proven ability to use high-level analytic skills and excellent written and verbal communication skills to provide effective summaries and presentations that can be understood by a wide variety of audiences including executive-level management,
- Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines,
- Proficient with computer applications such as Microsoft Excel, Tableau/Power BI, and other analytical or data visualization software.
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds as a member of an inclusive team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree,
- Prior experience as a financial/budget or legislative analyst in an academic or state government environment,
- Experience using Banner, Millennium, or similar ERP systems,
- Experience in developing systems for recognizing, evaluating, and presenting financial information,
- Understanding of data models and database design concepts including knowledge of data warehousing, data extraction, relational databases, data visualization,
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and with campus-wide offices,
- Track record of maintaining high levels of confidentiality and professionalism when working with internal and external stakeholders.
Salary
Commensurate with experience including an excellent benefits package.
Application Instructions
A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.
Please include the names and contact information of three professional references.
Closing Date Notes
Application review begins July 20, 2019; position is open until filled.
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity and Employment Diversity, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Equal Opportunity Office, Western Washington University, Old Main 345 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); eoo@wwu.edu
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3774 or 711 (Washington Relay).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires.