Budget Analysts

Finance

Level 4479 of 1200 points

Job description

Budget Analysts

Job purpose

To examine budget estimates and funding requests for completeness, accuracy and conformance with procedures and regulations, to analyse budgeting and accounting reports, and to advise managers on cost analysis, fiscal allocation and budget preparation, so that expenditure remains under control and funds are allocated to defensible priorities.

Skills

Applied knowledge of economics and accounting — the analysis and reporting of financial data, budgetary procedure and the regulations and directives governing appropriations — together with mathematics and statistics, business and management principles including resource allocation, and the office and computer systems used to hold and model financial records. Bachelor's degree is the norm for incumbents, with smaller numbers entering from school-level education or holding a master's, alongside several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Provides advice and technical assistance to managers on cost analysis, fiscal allocation and budget preparation, and consults with them so that budget adjustments follow changes to the programmes concerned. Explains what financial figures mean to people who are not finance specialists, works closely with a finance team, deals with external parties, and may testify before examining and fund-granting authorities to clarify and support the proposed budgets.
Determines the financial resources a programme requires from accounting records and other data; performs cost-benefit analyses to compare operating programmes, review financial requests and explore alternative methods of financing; tests estimates against procedure and regulation; and identifies trends in operating budgets that will affect future budget needs. Interprets budget directives where the intention must be established and translated into workable rules, and looks for ways to improve efficiency.
Works to a budget calendar with recurring monthly reporting and review points, and directs the preparation of regular and special budget reports. Sets own tasks, priorities and goals within that calendar, but the timing of funding rounds, requests and programme changes is set externally.
Work is carried out at a desk, using computers and financial systems for extended periods. No manual handling or dexterity demands beyond keyboard and document work.

Responsibilities

No line management is recorded. Directs the preparation of budget reports and coordinates the contribution of others to that work, and carries influence over colleagues' plans through the recommendations made on their funding requests.
Maintains expenditure controls across departmental budgets, matches appropriations for specific programmes against broader appropriations including emergency funds, summarises budgets and submits recommendations for the approval or disapproval of funds requests. Advises, reviews and recommends; the authority to approve or release funds rests above the role.
Ordinary care of a workstation and of the accounting and budgeting systems used.
Owns the budget record: monthly departmental budgeting and accounting reports, cost and allocation analyses, and the regular and special reports prepared for management and for fund-granting authorities. Accuracy is central, since these figures set expenditure limits and inform decisions affecting colleagues and organisational results.

Effort required

Sustained analytical concentration on detailed financial data, where exactness matters and much of the work repeats in a set monthly and annual cycle. Judgement is exercised frequently, often on estimates that are incomplete or optimistic, and conclusions must be reasoned from the figures rather than taken from precedent.
Decisions carry consequences for colleagues' plans and for organisational results, and recommending that a funding request be refused, or holding a position on figures before a fund-granting authority, calls for composure and the ability to justify a conclusion. Occasional conflict situations arise.
Predominantly seated work with frequent repetitive keyboard and handling motions. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor office work in controlled conditions, without physical hazard. A high volume of contact by e-mail, telephone and face-to-face discussion with colleagues, work groups and external parties. The psychological demand comes from working to exact figures under time pressure and from occasional conflict over funding.
Almost all incumbents work a regular established schedule, most a standard working week and a substantial minority longer than that, with a small seasonal element reflecting the budget cycle. Good freedom to determine tasks, priorities and goals, exercised inside budget directives, procedures and regulations set elsewhere.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 145 points▾

PeopleLevel 1 of 5
29 of 144 points
Very limited. Not required to supervise or perform a caregiving role. The job may involve providing basic guidance to or orientation for others, such as helping new colleagues settle in.
Goods and equipmentLevel 0 of 5
0 of 84 points
Not applicable. The job does not involve any responsibility for goods or equipment.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for financial resources. The job requires handling significant financial resources, including managing budgets, overseeing expenditures, being accountable for spending and participating in financial decision-making.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.