Senior Budget Officer (ALA)

Role Responsibilities

Are you looking for an opportunity to put your financial planning and analytical skills to work? Do you thrive in a high-pace, innovative focused environment? The Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services is looking for a Senior Budget Officer to join their team!

The Senior Budget Officer (ALA) plays a critical role in advancing the methods and tools used to maximize the effectiveness of budget management and fiscal analysis provided by the Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) finance team. Assisted Living Alberta is a $4 billion+ provincial health agency in Alberta, launched on April 1, 2025, to improve and integrate continuing care, home care and community care systems for seniors, people with disabilities and vulnerable Albertans. This role centers on the development of processes that analyze, assess and investigate, solutions to financial challenges impacting ALA. Success in this position requires a deep understanding and expertise in accounting and financial functions, particularly around financial forecasting. The incumbent must consistently apply robust analytical practices, demonstrate the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and effectively communicate in an environment where objectives may be ambiguous and timelines are exceptionally tight.

This position is responsible to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of forecasting and interpreting quarterly and annual financial results. It requires a sound knowledge of varied and diverse programs and support functions, a thorough knowledge of all accounting functions and the assurance of compliance with legislation, regulations, administrative, accounting policies and procedures.

The Senior Budget Officer reports directly to the Director, Finance - ALA, who provides day-to-day guidance and strategic direction relating to specific projects and initiatives.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Compiling and reviewing ALA budget submissions to ensure accuracy, completeness, compliance with established guidelines and clear justification of funding requests.
• Assisting with the entity-wide compilation and consolidation of ALA's annual budget for consolidation into the ministry's budget submission.
• Maintaining databases to monitor ALA budget variances and ensuring that spending trends and exceptions are clearly communicated to the Director.
• Conducts investigative analysis and reconciliation techniques to ensure the accuracy around the consolidation of ALA's financial information into the ministry's budget and forecast submissions.
• Facilitating liaison efforts to ensure ALA’s budget requests, concerns and challenges are clearly communicated and considered by Ministry stakeholders.
• Interpreting and communicating Ministry expectations, ensuring ALA’s budget and forecast submissions align with overarching goals and guidelines.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

Agility – Identifies and manages required change and the associated risks: Identifies alternative approaches and supports others to do the same; Proactively explains impact of changes; Anticipates and mitigates emotions of others; Anticipates obstacles and stays focused on goals; Makes decisions and takes action in uncertain situations and creates a backup plan.

Creative Problem Solving – Engages the community and resources at hand to address issues: Engages perspective to seek root causes; Finds ways to improve complex systems; Employs resources from other areas to solve problems; Engages others and encourages debate and idea generation to solve problems while addressing risks.

Build Collaborative Environments – Collaborates across functional areas and proactively addresses conflict: Encourages broad thinking on projects, and works to eliminate barriers to progress; Facilitates communication and collaboration; Anticipates and reduces conflict at the outset; Credits others and gets talent recognized; Promotes collaboration and commitment.

Systems Thinking – Takes a long-term view towards organization’s objectives and how to achieve them: Takes holistic long-term view of challenges and opportunities; Anticipates outcomes and potential impacts, seeks stakeholder perspectives; Works towards actions and plans aligned with APS values; Works with others to identify areas for collaboration.

Develop Networks – Leverages relationships to build input and perspective: Looks broadly to engage stakeholders; Open to perspectives towards long-term goals; Actively seeks input into change initiatives; Maintains stakeholder relationships.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

Qualifications

Required:

• Four-year university degree in a related field such as Business, Finance, Accounting, Commerce or Management plus four years related experience. Equivalences may be considered.
• Professional accounting designation (CPA/CA/CMA/CGA).
• Knowledge of financial administration, monitoring, forecasting, costing and budgeting concepts.
• Experience in preparing and overseeing complex budget and forecast submissions within a large organization.
• Experience preparing briefing materials that translate financial data into meaningful information for decision makers.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience working with relevant financial information systems, reporting tools, and software (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) / System Analysis Program (SAP) and ability to manipulate data sets.
• Experience in data management software or language (Business Intelligence Tools, SQL, VBA, Python, Tableau, Power BI).

Assets:

• Experience working in financial planning area within public sector (Federal, Provincial, Municipal) in the last five years.
• Knowledge of government financial legislations, regulations and policies.
• Experience using Fiscal Amounts Tracking Sheet (FATS) and 1GX.

A cover letter must accompany your application and should indicate how your previous work experience aligns to the qualifications and competencies required. Please provide clear examples of how you meet the criteria and skills required in your cover letter. Failure to provide a cover letter will lead to the application being screened out. Cover letter will be one of the ways to assess communication skills of candidates.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

What we offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) – https://www.pspp.ca
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information – https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits
• Professional learning and development – https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement
• Leadership and mentorship programs