Senior Budget Officer

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 Public Safety and Emergency Services is looking for a Senior Budget Analyst to join their team!

Reporting to the Manager, Financial Planning, this position plays a key role in a comprehensive range of budget management and fiscal analysis. The position provides professional, technical, analytical and consultative services on financial matters to Ministry staff, senior management and external clients. 

The position is responsible for the Ministry's monthly and quarterly forecast process to evaluate the ministry's financial progress by programs and divisions relative to the budget and is also responsible to provide support to Correctional Services Division and Alberta Emergency Management Agency.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
•    Prepare financial information and variance analyses for Ministry Executive Committee, including identification of major cost pressures, funding options and overall opportunities and risks facing the Ministry.
•    Compile and consolidate Ministry's annual expense and revenue budgets and three-year fiscal targets, including briefing materials and presentations for use by the Minister and Deputy Minister at Cabinet, Standing Policy Committee, Treasury Board and Committee of Supply.
•    Communicate Treasury Board instructions to divisions on the Quarterly Fiscal Plan update requirements and revisions, including timelines for submissions and to facilitate ability of Budget Analysts to provide guidance and consultation to clients for program and administration funding requirements.
•    Review forecast submissions compiled by Budget Analysts for accuracy and completeness, conformance with guidelines and justification of requests.
•    Liaise with Ministry representatives to ensure appropriate understanding and application of planning and financial reporting processes and procedures, including impacts of results-based budgeting processes.
•    Analyze financial information for major program initiatives and projects from a corporate perspective, identifying risks, developing appropriate options and providing input into development of business cases to ensure Ministry financial interests are incorporated into analytical and decision-making process.
•    Assess current processes in collaboration with business areas and develops and implements program and service enhancements to address client requirements and support continuous improvement.
•    Oversee provision of training to business areas to ensure expenditure officer responsibilities for budget preparation, monitoring and reporting are properly carried out.

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.

Systems Thinking – Ability to consider the whole system and recognize links between everything from the complex network of global to departmental priorities. Set goals within the context of long-term outcomes and broad perspectives.

Creative Problem Solving – You are able to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.

Drive for Results – You are able to determine what outcomes are important and maximize the use of resources to achieve results that are aligned with the goals of the organization, while maintaining accountability to each other and all stakeholders. 

Agility – You are able to anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.

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

Four-year university degree in a related field such as Business, Finance, Accounting, Commerce or Management plus four years related experience.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience which includes as a minimum, completion of a recognized applied accounting degree or diploma program.

Required:
•    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:
•    Canadian professional accounting designation (CPA or legacy designation) or equivalent.
•    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