Budget & Fiscal Analyst

Fines and Fees Justice Center; United States; On-site; USD 85,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Fines & Fees Justice Center in the United States is seeking a Budget & Fiscal Analyst to support the Policy & Research team. The role focuses on fiscal research of fines and fees revenue, and analysis of reform legislation using Excel or Tableau.

Travel domestically is possible, with remote work across the continental U.S. The successful candidate will develop materials for advocates and policymakers, monitor budget processes, and contribute to how fiscal policy affects government budgets and

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or 3+ years of relevant budgeting/analysis experience.
• Familiarity with budget analysis and revenue flows.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for policy, non-expert audiences.
• Experience with public policy analysis and fiscal processes.
• Commitment to racial and economic justice and reform.

Responsibilities

• Conduct fiscal research using public budgets and records to map fines and fees revenue.
• Analyze fiscal impacts of reform legislation using Excel/Tableau.
• Monitor costs of maintaining fines and fees systems.
• Track fiscal notes during state legislative sessions.
• Create public education materials and advocacy content.

Skills

Fiscal policy

Data analysis

Public budgeting

Education

Undergraduate degree

Tools

Excel

Tableau

Job description

Summary

The Fines & Fees Justice Center (FFJC) is seeking someone with strong fiscal policy and data analytical skills to join the organization’s Policy & Research team. This is a mid-level analyst position, perfect for someone looking to move from a public sector field to an advocacy-centered space, or expand their career in criminal, economic, or racial justice reform. The Budget & Research Analyst will work both independently and in collaboration with other members of the Policy & Research team to support FFJC staff and external partners in understanding the fiscal research and data on fines and fees nationwide, as well as conducting fiscal and budgetary analyses of reform efforts and their impacts. The selected person will need to be familiar with basic research methodology, statistical analysis, and public budgeting practices. This is a full‑time remote position with the requirement for occasional travel for in‑person meetings.

Organizational Overview

Nearly every interaction a person has with the justice system, regardless of guilt or innocence, comes with a bill. But for those without the means to immediately pay up or fight back, one missed payment opens the door to dire, lifelong consequences. The Fines and Fees Justice Center was founded to end the immoral practice of governments’ using fines and fees to profit off the most vulnerable. We empower state and local efforts to end fees in the justice system and ensure that fines are fair and equitably imposed.

FFJC has led or actively supported more than 70 successful legislative reforms across the country, authored two dozen original research and policy reports, and partnered with more than 300 organizations to advance the national fines and fees reform movement.

Specifically, the Policy & Research division within FFJC functions as the organization’s “think tank.” The team is responsible for conducting unique research on fines and fees, assessing policy impacts, and evaluating reform efforts. It also collects, analyzes, and synthesizes research and policy reports produced by scholars and other organizations; develops tools and information useful to decision makers in the field; monitors and assesses trends in laws, procedures, and reforms related to fines and fees; identifies opportunities for and challenges to the organization’s mission; develops policy guidance on fine and fee issues that can inform reform efforts; and provides direct technical assistance to advocates, policymakers, or any stakeholder seeking fine and fee reform in their jurisdictions.

Job Responsibilities and Opportunities

Reporting to FFJC’s Senior Analyst of State and Local Budgets, the Budget & Fiscal Analyst will work closely with other members of the Policy & Research team. The selected person will:

• Conduct fiscal research, using public budget documents, open records requests, or other public information, to identify how fines and fees are collected and used as revenue in various government jurisdictions;
• Collaborate with other FFJC staff to analyze the fiscal impact of relevant fines and fees reform legislation, using tools such as Microsoft Excel or Tableau;
• Analyze the cost to governments of maintaining fines and fees systems;
• Monitor fiscal notes and impacts associated with key reform bills during state legislative sessions;
• Collect and keep up-to-date on current news on budget processes, key fiscal changes, and other relevant financial updates for target state and local jurisdictions;
• Participate in advocacy coalition meetings to weigh in on fiscal issues for specific advocacy campaigns;
• Develop public education materials, policy documents, social media content, fact sheets, emails, and other advocacy materials related to how fines and fees impact governmental and family budgets; and
• Other tasks, as assigned, that support the fiscal policy and research goals of FFJC.

This role is full-time and remote within the continental United States. All FFJC staff work core hours from 12-4pm ET, Monday through Friday, with the remainder of working hours flexible according to the time zones in which they are located. The Research & Budget Analyst must be able to travel domestically for occasional in-person meetings and national gatherings.

Qualifications

Candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications :

• An undergraduate degree or at least 3 years of demonstrable experience with state and/or local budgeting or fiscal policy and analysis;
• Familiarity and comfort with basic budget analysis, such as changes over time or revenue flow paths;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills that are informative, organized, and persuasive and which demonstrate the ability to translate complex materials into non‑academic language so that they are useful for non-experts;
• Familiarity and comfort with public policy analysis, social science research, and public budgeting and fiscal processes;
• A passion for racial and economic justice and for reforming harmful practices with the criminal legal system;
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively as the moment requires;
• The ability to work with and learn from diverse communities and individuals;
• The ability to juggle multiple projects at the same time without compromising quality;
• Be organized, diligent, proactive, and detail-oriented;
• Have an ability to travel occasionally.

Though not required for the position, a candidate who can demonstrate following may have a stronger application :

• Previous experience with criminal justice reform;
• Previous experience working in state or local governments, particularly related to the budget‑building process;
• An advanced degree in public policy or public finance;
• Previous experience working with marginalized communities or with movements for social change.

FFJC encourages and welcomes those who have personal experience with the impacts of the criminal legal system, or the social systems connected to poverty or debt relief, to apply for this role.

Compensation and Benefits

FFJC’s compensation philosophy consists of a 5‑band salary structure. The Budget & Fiscal Analyst is a band 2 position. The starting salary for the position is between $85,000 - $92,500 based on the qualifications of the candidate at the time of hire. FFJC offers excellent benefits including:

• 401(k) option with up to 6% employer contribution;
• Extremely generous employer‑paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families;
• Pre‑tax transportation, dependent care, and flexible spending account benefits;
• Substantial paid time off, including all federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, 4 floating holidays, 120 hours of vacation time, 96 hours of sick leave, and 24 hours of volunteer leave annually. FFJC also closes its office during the week of July 4th for all employees;
• Employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave after 1 year of employment;
• Employees who work 4 consecutive years at FFJC receive an additional week of paid vacation annually starting in their fifth year; and
• Employees who work 6 consecutive years at FFJC receive an 8‑week paid sabbatical in their seventh year.

The Fines & Fees Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer and will consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law. FFJC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, FFJC will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations.

More information about the Fines & Fees Justice Center can be found at www.finesandfeesjusticecenter.org .