Budget Advisor - Reporting

Budget Analyst

Hybrid: Our physical office is in Olympia, WA. We offer flexible work schedules and locations. This is a hybrid position where most of the work allows teleworking. However, you must reside in the state of Washington and travel to in-person activities, meetings, and events as needed for business purposes. The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates' qualifications, within the $108,000- $134,016 annual range. There is career salary growth beyond this starting range for the successful candidate.

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) serves as the backbone of Washington state government. Our mission is to make our state a better place by connecting people, budgets, policies, data, and systems for state agencies and the Legislature. Our team includes budget advisors, researchers, and other experts, all dedicated public servants working towards an equitable future for every Washingtonian. If you want to play a key role in enhancing how state government serves its citizens, you've found the right place. Join us in making a meaningful difference for every Washingtonian!

The job opportunity: We are seeking a Budget Analyst to help shape how Washington State invests in its people, programs, and priorities. This is a high-impact role at the center of the state budget process, where your analysis directly informs decisions that affect communities across the state. In this role, you'll evaluate agency budget requests and develop clear, well-supported recommendations that align with the Governor's priorities. You'll bring expertise in your assigned portfolio areas and become a trusted resource for understanding how programs are funded, how they operate, and where improvements can be made. You'll also help build the Governor's proposed budget—work that is presented to OFM leadership, the Governor, executive teams, agencies, stakeholders, and the Legislature. Just as importantly, you'll stay closely connected to agencies throughout the year, monitoring program activity and maintaining ongoing communication to ensure resources are being used effectively and intended outcomes are being achieved. This is a highly collaborative role that requires working across the executive and legislative branches, partnering with policy staff, agencies, and stakeholders to keep the budget process grounded, transparent, and informed. If you enjoy solving complex problems, working with data to tell a story, and seeing your work influence statewide decisions, this is a role where you can make a real difference.

What you'll work on:

• Develop and implement models related to revenue, expenditures, and other data.
• Perform independent research and analysis of policies and proposals, including expected outcomes, state and local costs, implementation strategies, and stakeholder positions.
• Analyze legislative bills and budget proposals and communicate impacts to decision makers and senior-level staff.
• Assist with the preparation of analysis and recommend gubernatorial action on enrolled bills.
• Serve as OFM's subject matter expert and point of contact for federal direct pay and elective pay tax credits that are available under the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act, including comprehensive implementation requirements and providing other assistance to agencies as needed.
• Complete Washington's annual calculation for revenue loss and tax offset, including maintaining relevant records, ensuring accurate and timely submittal to the US Treasury, and tracking any related federal guidance and law changes.
• Serve as OFM's subject matter expert on the Caseload Costing Sheet, including working with the Caseload Forecast Council to update caseload data three times per year, maintaining the model for other budget analysts to use, assisting with the tracking of data for budget development purposes, and providing critical review of forecast data to ensure OFM is able to understand and develop accurate costs for funding the state's various entitlement programs.
• Act as OFM's point of contact for National Association of State Budget Officer's (NASBO) survey requests to states, including completing the three annual NASBO surveys for Washington State each year as well as other one-off data requests.
• Assist the Senior Budget Advisor for Revenue with preparation of OFM's portion of the state's financial disclosure information and other data reporting to the Office of the State Treasurer ahead of each planned bond sale.
• Serve as the back-up analyst for the 4-year Budget Outlook, including assisting the Senior Budget Advisor for Revenue with various tasks related to maintaining, updating, and data tracking for the Budget Outlook.
• Provide support to the Budget Operations team and the Senior Budget Advisor for Budget Operations during peak workload times on an as-needed basis. This may include assisting with assigning fiscal notes, I-960, enrolled bills, allotments, EA schedules, etc.
• Evaluate patterns and trends in data and identify other factors affecting budget drivers.
• Monitor and support state agencies in budget development, budget implementation, program performance, and other fiscal matters.
• Represent OFM on internal and external workgroups and participate in study committees and work groups as needed.

What we need you to bring Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated knowledge of state budget processes, fiscal policy, and financial management principles.
• Demonstrated skill in preparing clear, concise written materials, presentations, and other documentation that convey complex information to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate program performance data, identify trends, and provide actionable recommendations for resource allocation and efficiency improvements.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, including the ability to engage respectfully with diverse communities and incorporate equity considerations into budget analysis and recommendations.
• Proficiency in developing models and tools to analyze fiscal impacts and policy options.
• Ability to perform complex fiscal analyses, including forecasting and maintaining complex spreadsheet-based models.
• Ability to understand and learn how to work within and maintain existing budget systems.
• Ability to interpret, analyze, and communicate legislative proposals, fiscal notes, and policy impacts to executive leadership, legislators, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, state agencies, legislative counterparts, legal counsel, and other stakeholders on sensitive and complex fiscal issues.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and competing demands in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle politically sensitive issues with professionalism.
• Ability to take action to learn and grow.
• Ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in finance, economics, public administration, political science, or a similar field.
• Experience working on budgets, government policy, and with complex spreadsheet-based models.
• Strong research, analytical, and communication skills.

We are committed to finding the candidate whose skills and experience align best with this role. We recognize that strong candidates may come from a variety of professional backgrounds and experiences. If your qualifications align with the role and you excel in collaborative environments, can manage competing priorities, and are committed to equitable and inclusive practices, we encourage you to apply.