Budget Administrator

City-of-Oakland,-Ca; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Oakland is seeking a Budget Administrator to lead the Finance Department's centralized budget and fiscal analytics, directing citywide budget development, monitoring, and financial systems modernization. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on technical depth to inform executive decisions and public accountability.

The successful candidate will advise senior leadership, shape long‑range financial plans, manage the Budget Bureau staff, and champion modernization efforts while

Qualifications

• Deep technical command of public-sector budgeting and financial analysis.
• Ability to translate complex financial information into strategic choices.
• Experience working with executive leadership and elected officials is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and implementation of financial management policies, systems, procedures, and standards.
• Prepare long-range financial plans and communicate city financial strategies to executive leadership and council.
• Direct major fiscal studies and analyses and mentor Budget Bureau staff.

Skills

Public finance leadership

Executive communication

Strategic advisory

Organizational leadership

Staff development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public/business administration, economics, accounting, or finance

Master’s degree desirable

Job description

The Budget Administrator is a senior management position within the Finance Department responsible for leading Oakland’s centralized budget and fiscal analytical services. The position plans, organizes, manages, and directs the activities of the Budget Bureau, including citywide budget development and monitoring, financial planning, fiscal analysis, revenue forecasting, expenditure control, performance measurement, and financial systems development.

More than a traditional budget management role, the Budget Administrator has evolved into a highly strategic leadership position. The successful candidate will serve as a key financial advisor, helping executive leadership anticipate emerging issues, evaluate alternatives, navigate complex financial decisions, and advance the City’s long‑term fiscal and organizational priorities.

Reporting to the Finance Director, the Budget Administrator will lead the development and implementation of financial management policies, systems, procedures, and standards; prepare and recommend long‑range financial plans; direct major fiscal studies and analyses; and communicate City financial strategies and budgetary information to executive leadership, City Council, departments, public agencies, and community stakeholders. The position also plays an important organizational leadership role through the selection, supervision, mentoring, and development of Budget Bureau staff.

A defining expectation of this role is the ability to operate effectively at both the executive and technical levels.

The Budget Administrator must possess the executive presence to advise senior leadership and elected officials while also maintaining the technical depth and intellectual curiosity to engage directly with complex financial models, forecasts, assumptions, variances, and underlying data. The successful candidate will be comfortable digging into the details necessary to understand what is driving the numbers, challenge assumptions, identify risks, evaluate alternatives, and develop sound solutions.

Strategic Priorities

• SERVE AS A TRUSTED STRATEGIC ADVISOR: Partner closely with the Finance Director and executive leadership to provide thoughtful financial counsel, anticipate emerging issues, navigate complexity, and help shape decisions that advance Oakland’s long‑term fiscal and organizational priorities.
• ADVANCE LONG‑TERM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY: Help strengthen Oakland’s financial foundation by advancing implementation of the City’s Fiscal Roadmap, addressing structural budget challenges, strengthening long‑range financial planning, and identifying innovative, data‑informed approaches to long‑term financial health.
• BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION: Cultivate trusted partnerships with department directors, executive leadership, elected officials, labor representatives, and other key stakeholders. Foster collaboration, transparency, and consensus while supporting informed decision‑making.
• LEAD A TRANSPARENT & COLLABORATIVE BUDGET PROCESS: Guide a budget development process characterized by early engagement, partnership, transparency, fiscal discipline, and accountability while strengthening confidence in the City’s financial decision making.
• DEVELOP THE BUDGET BUREAU: Build upon an already strong team by recruiting, mentoring, and developing staff; creating opportunities for professional growth; strengthening organizational capacity; and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• LEAD ORGANIZATIONAL MODERNIZATION: Champion improvements in financial reporting, performance management, business processes, and budgeting systems that enable Oakland to become increasingly agile, data‑driven, and responsive to emerging fiscal and operational challenges.

Ideal Candidate

The next Budget Administrator will be a strategic financial leader who combines exceptional public finance expertise with the judgment, communication skills, organizational awareness, and leadership presence necessary to influence decisions at the highest levels of City government.

The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious and analytically rigorous, with a genuine command of the numbers underlying the City’s financial position. They will not simply rely on staff analysis or high‑level summaries; they will have the ability and inclination to engage directly with financial data, test assumptions, understand variances and trends, evaluate forecasts and scenarios, and ask the probing questions necessary to reach well‑supported conclusions. At the same time, they must be able to step back from the detail, understand its broader implications, and translate sophisticated financial analysis into clear strategic choices for decision‑makers.

This individual will be a collaborative and credible partner who understands that successful budgeting is as much about relationships, communication, and trust as it is about numbers. They will bring the political awareness to navigate a complex municipal environment without becoming political, exercising sound judgment and maintaining credibility across differing perspectives.

The successful candidate will also be an organizational builder. They will recognize the strengths of the existing Budget Bureau, invest in its people, develop future leaders, strengthen internal capacity, and create an environment characterized by accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and continuous improvement.

Finally, Oakland needs a leader who is comfortable with a dynamic environment. The Budget Administrator must be able to shift between long‑term financial planning and rapidly emerging issues, maintain perspective under pressure, and move important initiatives from strategy through implementation.

The Successful Candidate Will Have:

• Deep technical command of public‑sector budgeting and financial analysis, with the ability and willingness to engage directly with complex financial data, models, forecasts, assumptions, and scenarios.
• Demonstrated ability to move seamlessly between detailed financial analysis and enterprise‑level strategy, understanding both what the numbers say and what they mean for the organization.
• The analytical rigor and intellectual curiosity to probe underlying assumptions, identify financial risks and trends, evaluate alternatives, and develop well‑supported recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic financial counsel to senior executives and elected officials.
• Strong executive communication skills and the ability to translate complex financial information into clear, actionable choices for both financial and non‑financial audiences.
• Political and organizational acumen, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate a highly visible and dynamic environment.
• A collaborative leadership style and demonstrated success building productive relationships across departments and organizational boundaries.
• Experience developing, mentoring, and leading high‑performing professional teams.
• A record of leading organizational improvement, modernization, process improvement, and/or financial systems initiatives.
• The ability to balance strategic vision with disciplined execution and measurable results.
• The agility and responsiveness to manage multiple, diverse, and rapidly changing priorities.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable.

Education

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public or business administration, economics, accounting, finance, or a related field. A master’s degree is desirable.

Experience

Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in budget, analytical, and financial management in a government agency, including at least three (3) years in a supervisory or management capacity. Experience working with citizen organizations and elected officials is desirable.

License / Other Requirements

An individual appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver’s License throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of assigned duties.

Compensation and Benefits

The Budget Administrator is designated as a Senior Management, Unrepresented classification. The City of Oakland offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to attract and retain exceptional public sector leaders. Salary is negotiable within the defined range depending on qualifications.

Benefits include generous medical insurance, life insurance, automobile allowance, paid holidays, vacation, sick leave, management leave, public sector retirement (CalPERS 2.5% @ 55 classic member; 2% @ 62 new PEPRA member), and voluntary deferred compensation. Click on the link for the city’s 2025 Benefits Matrix.

For additional information or questions, please contact Will Hawkins or Yonnine Hawkins Garr at 310-703-4474 or 310-252-1655.