P26/27 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF BUDGET

The posting

Job Description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Assists the Budget Director in the planning, development, administration, and monitoring of the Arlington Public Schools operating budget. Provides leadership and technical expertise in budget development, financial analysis, forecasting, resource allocation, and budget management. Supports the development of annual budgets and multi-year financial projections; analyzes financial and operational data; and provides recommendations regarding resource allocation and financial planning.

Provides guidance to schools, departments, and senior leadership regarding budget development, expenditures, staffing allocations, budget adjustments, and financial planning. Monitors budget performance, identifies variances and financial risks, and assists with ensuring compliance with School Board policies, applicable laws, regulations, and established financial controls.

Supervises and develops assigned budget staff and assists with the development and improvement of budget processes, procedures, systems, and reporting. Prepares financial reports and presentations and represents the Budget Office in meetings, committees, and special projects as assigned.

SUPERVISION

• Works under the general supervision of the Budget Director. Work is performed with considerable independence and requires the exercise of judgment in analyzing financial information, developing and monitoring budgets, providing guidance on budget matters, coordinating budget activities, and identifying matters requiring consultation with the Budget Director.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• The Assistant Director of Budget provides an additional leadership, management, analytical, and quality-control layer within the Budget Office. Working collaboratively with the Budget Director and Budget Analysts, the position strengthens the Office’s capacity to manage increasingly complex budget development, financial analysis, enterprise budget systems, data validation, reporting, and continuous improvement process. The Budget Director remains actively engaged in and accountable for the full operation of the Budget Office, including budget development, financial planning, staff leadership, Oracle EPM functional direction, executive support, and major analytical work.
• The position has substantial responsibility for coordinating major components of Budget Office operations; managing complex cross-functional assignments and special projects; conducting administrative, analytical, and technical review of budget work products; supporting staff development and accountability; and helping ensure that budget information is complete, accurate, timely, reconciled, and decision-ready prior to final review by the Budget Director.
• The Assistant Director of Budget works closely with the Budget Director on Oracle EPM Planning, Narrative Reporting, custom budget reports, budget-system enhancements, process automation, data governance, testing, and implementation. The Budget Director remains the functional lead and primary Budget Office owner for Oracle EPM; the Assistant Director of Budget serves as the principal management-level collaborator and helps translate functional priorities into coordinated staff work, testing, documentation, and sustainable operating processes.
• The position is expected to exercise independent judgment, initiative, discretion, and resourcefulness in resolving complex budget issues, coordinating work across schools and departments, and developing recommendations. The position complements, rather than substitutes for, the hands-on leadership of the Budget Director by expanding the Office’s capacity to perform simultaneous analytical, operational, systems, and budget-development responsibilities at a high level of quality. The Assistant Director of Budget may assume delegated responsibilities or provide leadership continuity when specifically designated, but this is a supporting function rather than the defining purpose of the position.

GUIDELINES

• Work is performed in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations; School Board policies and regulations; APS budget procedures and guidelines; applicable accounting and financial management standards; adopted budget requirements; and established internal controls and practices.
• Considerable judgment is required in applying established budget guidelines to individual circumstances, analyzing financial information, evaluating budget requests and projections, monitoring expenditures and variances, and providing guidance to schools and departments. The employee is expected to independently resolve routine budget matters and seek guidance from the Budget Director when matters involve significant financial implications, complex issues, policy interpretation, or circumstances outside established procedures.

CONTACTS

• Contacts are regularly made with school and central office administrators, principals, department leaders, Finance staff, Human Resources, Payroll, Procurement, Information Technology, and other APS departments, as well as external agencies, auditors, and other financial partners.
• Contacts are made to obtain and analyze financial information, coordinate budget development and monitoring activities, provide guidance regarding budget policies and procedures, address budget questions and issues, review financial projections and requests, and support compliance with applicable financial requirements.
• The position may communicate directly with administrators, staff, and external stakeholders regarding budget matters and must exercise tact, professionalism, and sound judgment when providing guidance, resolving financial questions, and addressing sensitive or complex budget issues.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists the Budget Director in the development, administration, monitoring, and evaluation of the APS operating budget and related financial activities.
• Assists in coordinating major budget development activities, including the budget calendar, planning factors, revenue and expenditure forecasting, baseline budget development, costing of new initiatives, compensation and staffing assumptions, reductions and efficiencies, and annual and multi-year financial projections. Supports operating and capital budget analysis and related financial planning as assigned.
• Supports the development and preparation of the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget and School Board Adopted Budget, including budget detail sheets, fund statements, narratives, presentations, work-session materials, executive summaries, and other budget-related documents and communications.
• Develops and reviews financial models, scenario analyses, trend analyses, fiscal impact estimates, cost-benefit analyses, utilization studies, and multi-year forecasts to support executive and School Board decision-making.
• Supports the development and review of staffing allocations, per-pupil funding levels, compensation models, salary and fringe-benefit projections, enrollment-driven adjustments, position costing, and other major budget cost drivers.
• Researches and analyzes budget, financial, program, and policy information; develops projections and identifies trends, financial risks, and opportunities; and prepares management and ad hoc reports and recommendations related to resource allocation, efficiencies, cost reductions, program spending, and the multi-year financial impact of proposed changes.
• Coordinates management-level review and quality control of major Budget Office work products, including financial models, budget requests, forecasts, reconciliations, reports, memoranda, presentations, narratives, and budget publications.
• Reviews work for accuracy, completeness, methodology, consistency, clarity, and usefulness for decision-making.
• Leads and coordinates Oracle EPM Planning and Narrative Reporting enhancements, including requirements development, testing, validation, implementation, documentation, training, and process improvement.
• Develops and coordinates budget reports, analytical tools, narratives, statistical information, charts, graphs, and other financial materials to support data validation, reconciliation, budget-to-actual monitoring, trend analysis, forecasting, management reporting, and public budget communications.
• Coordinates reconciliation and quality-control processes across Oracle EPM, the general ledger, Human Resources and position data, adopted and current budgets, and other source systems; identifies discrepancies and coordinates resolution with appropriate departments.
• Monitors budget performance throughout the fiscal year, including budget-to-actual analysis, transfers and realignments, adopted-to-current reconciliation, carryover, year-end activities, and emerging fiscal issues.
• Coordinates major Budget Office workflows and designated projects, monitoring deliverables, deadlines, dependencies, and quality-control requirements across analysts and assigned budget functions.
• Provides leadership, technical guidance, coaching, and review to Budget Analysts; coordinates assignments and project work as delegated by the Budget Director; and supports cross-training, workload management, and continuity of critical Budget Office functions.
• Provides training and technical guidance to Budget Analysts, department budget contacts, program managers, principals, and other APS staff regarding budget processes, systems, financial analysis, and reporting.
• May directly supervise designated Budget Office staff, temporary employees, interns, consultants, or project resources; supports performance management through establishing expectations, reviewing work, providing feedback and coaching, identifying training needs, and communicating performance or workload concerns to the Budget Director.
• Coordinates with Finance, Human Resources, Information Services, schools, departments, grant managers, and other stakeholders to resolve budget, staffing, revenue, system, and data issues and to support effective budget administration.
• Develops, standardizes, and documents Budget Office procedures, internal controls, reconciliation protocols, templates, analytical methods, and recurring workflows to improve accuracy, consistency, efficiency, and accountability.
• Supports responses to requests for budget and financial information from the Superintendent, Cabinet, School Board, County, Budget Advisory Council, public, media, FOIA requests, and other stakeholders as assigned.
• Represents the Budget Office in meetings, workgroups, implementation teams, and cross-departmental initiatives as delegated by the Budget Director.
• Assumes delegated leadership responsibilities, meetings, projects, and operational assignments as directed by the Budget Director to support continuity of Budget Office operations.
• Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Comprehensive knowledge of public-sector budgeting, financial planning, accounting principles, fund structures, forecasting, financial analysis, and budget administration.
• Advanced skills in compiling, reconciling, evaluating, and interpreting complex financial, staffing, enrollment, revenue, expenditure, and position data.
• Knowledge of budget controls, position costing, staffing analysis, general ledger reconciliation, grants and restricted funding concepts, and operating budget implementation.
• Ability to evaluate budget, accounting, audit, and financial information for accuracy and reasonableness; reconcile multi-funded budgets; identify discrepancies and trends; and determine areas requiring corrective action.
• Ability to independently research and analyze complex financial, operational, and policy questions; exercise sound judgment; and develop logical, well-supported recommendations consistent with School Board policies and administrative priorities.
• Ability to develop, evaluate, and explain multi-year financial models, scenarios, cost estimates, trend analyses, fiscal impact analyses, and policy alternatives.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and lead complex processes involving multiple departments, systems, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Ability to review the work of professional financial analysts; identify analytical, methodological, or data-quality issues; and provide clear technical guidance, feedback, and quality control.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-level memoranda, reports, presentations, recommendations, budget narratives, and public-facing financial materials.
• Ability to communicate complex financial and budgetary information clearly and effectively to senior leadership, School Board members, school and department leaders, employees, and the public.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and enterprise financial and budget systems; experience with Oracle EPM Planning, Narrative Reporting, Oracle Cloud ERP, or comparable enterprise platforms preferred.
• Knowledge of data validation, financial reporting, workflow design, system testing and user acceptance testing (UAT), process documentation, and opportunities for process improvement and automation.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, initiative, and confidentiality when handling personnel, compensation, collective bargaining, staffing reductions, and other sensitive or pre-decisional budget information.
• Ability to establish priorities, manage competing demands, and meet deadlines in a fluid environment characterized by changing priorities, peak workload periods, and occasional evening work during the budget cycle.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, public administration, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in budgeting, financial management, accounting, financial analysis, or a closely related field, preferably in a local government, school division, or other complex public-sector organization.
• Experience should include substantial responsibility for budget development and financial analysis, including experience with fund accounting concepts, capital project or capital budget analysis, financial forecasting, reconciliation of general ledger or other financial-system information, and preparation of management-level financial information.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex projects or processes, coordinating the work of professional staff, providing technical guidance or quality review, and managing competing deadlines and cross-functional assignments.
• Experience with integrated enterprise financial management or budgeting systems. An equivalent combination of education, training, and progressively responsible experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Preferred Education, Training and Experience

• Master’s degree in finance, business administration, public administration, economics, or a related field.
• Direct supervisory experience overseeing professional financial, budget, or analytical staff.
• Experience with K–12 school division budgeting, Virginia public school finance, enrollment and staffing formulas, grants, and public budget development and presentation.
• Experience with Oracle EPM Planning, Narrative Reporting, Oracle Cloud ERP, data integrations, custom reporting, or implementation of enterprise financial and budget systems.
• Experience presenting complex financial information, analyses, and recommendations to executive leadership, governing boards, advisory committees, or public audiences.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION

None Required.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

• Requires the ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods of time while performing financial analysis, reviewing documents, preparing reports, and communicating electronically.
• Requires the ability to use a computer, telephone, calculator, and other standard office equipment requiring repetitive hand and finger movements.
• Requires the ability to read, interpret, and review detailed financial, budgetary, and other written information, including information presented in electronic formats.
• Requires the ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communication.
• Requires the ability to attend meetings, presentations, work sessions, and other activities at various APS locations.
• Requires the ability to move throughout office, school, and meeting environments and occasionally transport or carry light materials, files, or equipment.
• Work may require extended periods of concentrated attention, particularly during budget development, fiscal year-end, and other peak workload periods.
• Physical requirements may be accommodated as appropriate in accordance with applicable law.

HAZARDS / UNUSUAL DEMANDS

• Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment with minimal exposure to hazardous conditions. The position may occasionally work in school or other APS facilities and may be required to travel between APS locations.
• The position may require extended work hours, including occasional evenings, during periods of intensive budget development, School Board budget work sessions, fiscal year-end activities, or other critical budget deadlines.
• The position is subject to periods of high workload, competing priorities, and tight deadlines and must maintain accuracy, confidentiality, and sound judgment when handling sensitive, confidential, and pre-decisional financial, personnel, compensation, staffing, and budget information.
• The position may be required to respond to urgent or time-sensitive requests from senior leadership, the School Board, schools, departments, and other stakeholders with limited advance notice.

GRADE: P-14

FLSA: Exempt

UNION: ASA

SALARY: Based on the 2026-2027 Pay Plan, $107,809 - $189,044

Please Note: Arlington Public Schools receives a high volume of applications for many positions. As a result, only candidates who are identified as meeting the qualifications and whose experience and skills best align with the needs of the school, department, or office may be contacted for an interview. We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, submission of an application does not guarantee an interview or individual contact regarding the status of an application

Arlington Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the Arlington School Board, as stated in Policy G-2.30, Employee Relations – Equal Employment Opportunity - that “Employment opportunities shall not be restricted, abridged or otherwise adversely affected on the basis of race, national origin, creed, color, religion, gender, age, economic status, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, genetic information, gender identity or expression, and/or disability.