Budget and Policy Analyst

Summary

Budget and Policy Analyst

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Budget and Policy Analyst. The ideal candidate will collaborate with agency staff to develop the Department's annual budget, conduct fiscal and policy analyses, forecast expenditures, and monitor and report on assigned budget line items and other cost areas.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all-inclusive): Prepare budget requests by projecting resource needs through the analysis of expenditure, caseload, and other available cost information. Prepare required documentation for incorporation into the Department's current-year spending plan, maintenance funding estimate, and next year budget request. Analyze and report on the estimated cost impact of policy and regulatory changes and the effectiveness of existing programs. Using a problem-solving approach, prepare fiscal and policy impact analyses of proposed critical management, legislative, and regulatory changes. Use clear, defensible methodologies and outline specific assumptions in the notes of the analysis. Collaborate with senior-level staff in developing new programs and policies and in pursuing other agency goals. Present in a professional manner written and/or verbal fiscal and policy analysis to key decision makers in the Department, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Executive Office of Administration and Finance, and the legislative branch. Update and report on spending projections on a monthly basis. Manage resources supporting the Department's programs through tracking, analyzing, and reporting on program expenditures and savings, with an eye toward early identification of potential funding issues. Review contracts, RFRs, and other procurement documents for budgetary implications. Ensure that funding is aligned in the state accounting system (Mosaic) with projected expenditures. Work to make the Budget Unit collaborative and effective by taking a team approach, communicating well, sharing information, and assisting others with technical skills and analysis.

Required Qualifications Strong analytical, mathematical, and statistical skills. Ability to communicate and write effectively. Ability to collect, extract, and manage complex data sets while maintaining data integrity. Ability to synthesize complex data sets into non-technical collaterals. Experience working with large databases, forecasting, and analyzing data sets using Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and other data analysis software. Knowledge of the health and human services industry. Graduate degree with a public policy, statistics, research, or business focus preferred.

Preferred Qualifications Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines governing budget unit activities. Knowledge of the organizational structure and functions of DTA. Familiarity with the Massachusetts state budget process. In-depth knowledge of BEACON, Mosaic, HRCMS, and other back-end databases. Advanced Structured Query Language (SQL). Oracle databases and tools, including the development, automation, and scheduling of data extraction reports. Knowledge of data warehousing, database version control, data extraction, and business intelligence theories.

Job Description

Budget and Policy Analyst

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Budget and Policy Analyst. The ideal candidate will collaborate with agency staff to develop the Department's annual budget, conduct fiscal and policy analyses, forecast expenditures, and monitor and report on assigned budget line items and other cost areas.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all-inclusive): Prepare budget requests by projecting resource needs through the analysis of expenditure, caseload, and other available cost information. Prepare required documentation for incorporation into the Department's current-year spending plan, maintenance funding estimate, and next year budget request. Analyze and report on the estimated cost impact of policy and regulatory changes and the effectiveness of existing programs. Using a problem-solving approach, prepare fiscal and policy impact analyses of proposed critical management, legislative, and regulatory changes. Use clear, defensible methodologies and outline specific assumptions in the notes of the analysis. Collaborate with senior-level staff in developing new programs and policies and in pursuing other agency goals. Present in a professional manner written and/or verbal fiscal and policy analysis to key decision makers in the Department, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Executive Office of Administration and Finance, and the legislative branch. Update and report on spending projections on a monthly basis. Manage resources supporting the Department's programs through tracking, analyzing, and reporting on program expenditures and savings, with an eye toward early identification of potential funding issues. Review contracts, RFRs, and other procurement documents for budgetary implications. Ensure that funding is aligned in the state accounting system (Mosaic) with projected expenditures. Work to make the Budget Unit collaborative and effective by taking a team approach, communicating well, sharing information, and assisting others with technical skills and analysis.

Required Qualifications Strong analytical, mathematical, and statistical skills. Ability to communicate and write effectively. Ability to collect, extract, and manage complex data sets while maintaining data integrity. Ability to synthesize complex data sets into non-technical collaterals. Experience working with large databases, forecasting, and analyzing data sets using Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and other data analysis software. Knowledge of the health and human services industry. Graduate degree with a public policy, statistics, research, or business focus preferred.

Preferred Qualifications Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines governing budget unit activities. Knowledge of the organizational structure and functions of DTA. Familiarity with the Massachusetts state budget process. In-depth knowledge of BEACON, Mosaic, HRCMS, and other back-end databases. Advanced Structured Query Language (SQL). Oracle databases and tools, including the development, automation, and scheduling of data extraction reports. Knowledge of data warehousing, database version control, data extraction, and business intelligence theories.