Budget Analyst I

SALARY

$83,000 - $90,000

POSITION SUMMARY

Under general supervision, develops and manages organizational budgets for large public transit agency. Serves as the primary finance point of contact to departments in establishing, managing, and monitoring their operating budgets. Analyzes monthly financial results and assists in developing annual budget. Evaluates operational performance and analyzes business unit costs.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assists in the development, implementation, and administration of CTA's operating budget.
• Analyzes financial results on a monthly basis for business units.
• Researches operational information for analysis and financial impact and provides reports to management for use in decision making.
• Performs 'what if' analysis of direct and indirect project costs.
• Performs budget analysis for long term forecasting.
• Creates presentations, status reports, and analyses as appropriate.
• Gathers information from various sources and prepares detailed operating expense reports throughout the year to ensure proper recording of transactions, cost/benefits analyses, and adherence to budgets.
• Develops detailed knowledge of assigned departments, the CTA and job related CTA financial systems.
• Assists operating departments with Return on Investment analyses for proposed operating expenditures.
• Assists CTA business units in accomplishing objectives and major projects through the modeling and analysis of department initiatives and potential process improvements. Monitors progress on performance agreements.
• Provides financial data to departments in support of their business development and strategic planning efforts.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to this position may include the following jobs:

Job Title

None

CHALLENGES

• Balancing financial and operational issues simultaneously.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field plus two (2) years of experience in financial analysis and analytical research, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Prior public sector finance preferred
• Experience with PowerBI or other visualization software applications preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Requires remaining in a stationary position for extended periods of time and constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• Service Area Requirement: Exempt (Non-Union) employees must live within the boundaries of the CTA Statutory Service Area either at the time of employment or within 6 months of beginning employment at CTA.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Detailed knowledge of finance, budgets, and cyclical processes.
• Intermediate skill using budgeting and spreadsheet software, such as Hyperion and Microsoft Excel and related software.
• Detailed knowledge of spreadsheet development, charts, and financial and accounting models.
• Strong analytical, organization, and research skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Good project management skills.
• Ability to analyze trends affecting budgets.
• Ability to interpret data analytics for forecasting and scenario planning.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• General office environment.
• May be required to work various extended or irregular hours in order to meet project deadlines.

EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, AND MATERIALS UTILIZED

• Standard office equipment.