Budget Administrator

City of Oakland; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Job summary

City of Oakland is seeking an accomplished public finance leader to serve as its next Budget Administrator, a highly visible role with direct influence on the City’s financial strategy and long-term fiscal direction.

Reporting to the Finance Director, this individual will lead Oakland’s Budget Bureau and advise executive leadership on forecasts, models, variances, and data, combining strategic oversight with technical depth and keen analytical judgment.

Qualifications

• Deep experience in government budgeting, financial analysis, and forecasting.
• Ability to translate complex financial information into clear recommendations.
• Strong analytical instincts with the drive to challenge assumptions.

Responsibilities

• Citywide budget development, monitoring, forecasting, and long-range financial planning.
• Provide complex fiscal analysis and recommendations to support executive decision-making.
• Strengthen Oakland’s long-term fiscal sustainability.
• Modernize budgeting, financial reporting, performance management, and related systems.
• Collaborate with department leaders, elected officials, labor representatives, and other stakeholders.
• Lead, develop, and strengthen the Budget Bureau team.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial analysis

Executive presence

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Team development

Stakeholder collaboration

Job description

The City of Oakland is seeking an accomplished public finance leader to serve as its next

Budget Administrator— a highly visible role with direct influence on the City’s financial strategy and long-term fiscal direction.

Reporting to the Finance Director, this individual will lead Oakland’s Budget Bureau and serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on some of the City’s most consequential financial decisions. Oakland needs someone who can move comfortably between strategy and the numbers: a leader with the presence to advise senior executives and elected officials, but also the technical depth and curiosity to dig into forecasts, models, assumptions, variances, and underlying financial data.

What You’ll Lead

• Citywide budget development, monitoring, forecasting, and long-range financial planning


• Complex fiscal analysis and recommendations supporting executive decision-making


• Efforts to strengthen Oakland’s long-term fiscal sustainability


• Modernization of budgeting, financial reporting, performance management, and related systems


• Collaboration with department leaders, elected officials, labor representatives, and other stakeholders


• Leadership, development, and continued strengthening of the Budget Bureau team

Who We’re Looking For

We are looking for a strong public-sector finance professional who is equally comfortable in the boardroom and in the details. The strongest candidates will bring:

• Deep experience in government budgeting, financial analysis, and forecasting


• Strong analytical instincts and a willingness to challenge assumptions and understand what is driving the numbers


• The ability to translate complex financial information into clear recommendations and strategic choices


• Executive presence, sound judgment, and political/organizational awareness


• A collaborative leadership style and credibility across diverse stakeholder groups


• Experience leading and developing high-performing professional teams


• A track record of improving financial processes, systems, and organizational effectiveness

This is an opportunity to play a central role in strengthening the financial future of one of California’s most dynamic and consequential cities.