Budgets & Financial Analyst-19325

FINANCE OPERATIONS

Budgets & Financial Analyst

Budget and Financial Analysis Career Opportunity

Pay	$66,957 - $78,529	Classification	Non-Bargaining
Department	Budgets & Grants	Division	Finance Operations
Grade	13	Job code	19325

Help Turn Financial Information Into Informed Decisions

HART is seeking a Budgets & Financial Analyst to support the development, monitoring and reporting of operating and capital budgets. You will partner with departments to evaluate proposals, explain financial results and identify practical options that support informed decisions about transit services and agency resources.

Working under the general direction of the Director of Budgets & Grants or designee, you will support the Senior Budgets & Financial Analyst with agencywide budget development, reconciliations and public budget reporting. You will also monitor grant-funded project budgets and serve as HART’s National Transit Database Administrator.

Why Choose HART

• Connect your budgeting and financial analysis experience to public transportation and community service.
• Work with operating, capital and grant-funded programs while partnering with departments across the agency.
• Contribute clear analysis, reliable reporting and practical improvements to financial decision-making.

What You Will Do

• Support the Senior Budgets & Financial Analyst in preparing, consolidating and maintaining annual operating and capital budgets, including revenue and expenditure estimates. Review departmental requests, staffing assumptions and supporting schedules for missing or inconsistent information.
• Prepare draft budget calendars, budget book schedules, executive summaries, presentations, public hearing materials, Board scripts and resolutions for senior review.
• Update and reconcile budget records, spreadsheets, payroll data and financial system information; maintain accurate supporting documentation.
• Review significant budget-to-actual variances with departments, identify root causes, distinguish timing, structural and one-time factors, and recommend corrective actions.
• Evaluate the costs, funding implications and likely outcomes of proposed initiatives, staffing and service changes, procurements and capital projects. Prepare financial estimates, multi-year projections and best-case, worst-case and most-likely scenarios with clearly documented assumptions.
• Compare departmental projections with historical performance, identify potentially unrealistic estimates and raise concerns through appropriate channels. Present findings, trade-offs and alternatives clearly and objectively to non-finance audiences.
• Prepare calculations and documentation for budget revisions, transfers, projections and amendments, following established review and approval processes.
• Monitor operating and capital budgets and Board-approved commitments. Track actual costs and outcomes of major initiatives and capital projects, and report significant deviations to management and senior finance leadership.
• Track grant-funded project budgets, expenditures, encumbrances, fund balances and available appropriations. Prepare project-level budget and funding balance reports for project managers and Grants Administration; identify adjustments requiring senior review.
• Perform monthly and quarterly account analyses, journal-support schedules, reconciliations and financial data validation; investigate and resolve discrepancies within assigned authority.
• Compile supporting information for TRIM notices, budget advertisements, impact fee materials, the Program of Projects and other public notices under senior staff direction. Participate in departmental budget meetings and support Board and committee presentations as assigned.
• Serve as HART’s National Transit Database (NTD) Administrator, coordinating annual reporting, data collection, analysis and team training for accurate, timely submissions.
• Review overbudget requisitions and general ledger coding for accuracy and budget availability; refer exceptions and approvals to authorized personnel.
• Compile operating data and calculations for the annual Cost Allocation Plan covering bus, paratransit and streetcar services. Support senior-level review and improve the accuracy, consistency and timeliness of budget information.

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate budgets. Requests, financial records and supporting schedules are complete and reconciled.
• Useful analysis. Forecasts and variance reports explain assumptions, root causes and practical options.
• Timely reporting. Budget materials, grant budget reports and NTD submissions meet established deadlines.
• Effective partnerships. Departments receive clear financial guidance and issues reach the appropriate reviewers.

What You Bring

Required Education and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a related field.
• Five years of professional experience in budgeting, financial analysis, accounting or a related field.

Driver License

A valid Florida Driver’s License, if required for assigned duties, or the ability to obtain one in accordance with HART policy.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of governmental accounting principles, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), governmental accounting standards, and operating, capital and grant fund structures and constraints.
• Knowledge of operating and capital budget preparation, monitoring and amendment processes; grant budget funding sources, expenditure tracking, budget availability and financial reporting.
• Ability to work with enterprise resource planning (ERP) or financial systems, general ledgers, charts of accounts and account reconciliations. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel skills in pivot tables and financial modeling.
• Ability to build multi-year revenue and expenditure projections, perform scenario and root-cause variance analysis, research discrepancies, identify trends and maintain financial data integrity.
• Ability to prepare complete, accurate financial reports; distinguish verified results from assumptions; document conclusions; and explain complex financial information to department managers, Board members and other audiences.
• Sound judgment, strict confidentiality and discretion with sensitive financial information. Ability to manage competing deadlines, prioritize work and sustain accuracy under time pressure.
• Effective verbal and written communication and collaborative working relationships. Ability to obtain budget information, explain requirements, elevate issues appropriately and serve as a trusted departmental financial resource.
• Interest in the policy and funding environment shaping transit finance, including how federal, state and local funding interact, and the ability to recommend practical improvements to budget processes, reports and data quality.

Preferred Experience

• Governmental or public-sector budgeting experience, particularly in a transit agency, municipality or special district with fund-level budgets and multiple capital funding sources.
• Familiarity with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) funding structures and financial reporting for grant-funded operating and capital projects.
• Familiarity with TRIM compliance, the Program of Projects, public budget transparency requirements, governmental auditing standards and audit schedule preparation.
• Familiarity with financial data visualization or business intelligence tools.

Tools and Equipment

Use computers, Microsoft Office and other administrative or financial software, copiers, multiline telephone systems and other small office equipment.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

Work primarily in a standard office, with occasional work in confined spaces or warehouse environments. Duties involve standing, walking, bending, reaching, stooping and lifting objects up to 25 pounds, and require hearing, vision, speaking and perception of color, depth and texture.

Safety and Security Responsibilities

All HART employees help maintain a safe, secure environment for customers, contractors, visitors and coworkers. Follow health, safety, security and quality-management procedures; recognize and report accidents and hazards; support departmental safety procedures; and properly use and care for equipment and materials. HART provides appropriate safety and equipment training as required.

Apply to Join HART

Bring your budgeting, financial analysis and reporting skills to HART. Apply for Budgets & Financial Analyst to support informed decisions about the resources behind public transportation.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accommodations

HART is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or other status protected by federal or state law. Reasonable accommodations are available during the application and interview process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This description outlines the general nature and level of work and is not an exhaustive list of duties, qualifications or working conditions. Other duties may be assigned.