Senior Budget & Performance Analyst

First 5 Alameda County; Alameda (CA); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision Coverage

1,500 credit to spend on benefits

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Retirement Plans including ACERA

Commuter Benefits

Job summary

First 5 Alameda County is seeking a Senior Budget & Performance Analyst to join the FP&A team in Alameda, CA. This role will lead budgeting, forecasting, cost modeling, and performance analysis to guide strategic decisions across the agency.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in budgeting and financial analysis, strong Excel and data-visualization skills (Power BI, Tableau), and the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations.

Qualifications

• Five years of progressively responsible experience in budgeting, financial analysis, forecasting, or public sector finance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field (degree substitution allowed).
• Experience and/or education may substitute for formal degree.

Responsibilities

• Develop agency-wide budgets, forecasts, financial models, and analyses for strategic planning.
• Partner with programs and data teams to assess financial and operational implications of options.
• Design dashboards and reporting systems to improve transparency and accountability.
• Translate analyses into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Improve budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes; develop data-driven solutions.

Skills

Budgeting

Financial analysis

Forecasting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Public Policy/Public Administration/Finance or related field

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Job DetailsJob Location: Headquarters - Alameda, CA 94501Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $104,000.00 - $150,000.00 SalaryJob Category: FinanceFirst 5 Alameda County is seeking a Senior Budget & Performance Analyst for our Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team. This is a new team that will partner with stakeholders across First 5 to conduct strategic financial planning, budgeting, cost modeling, forecasting, and performance analysis. The team’s work will guide organizational decision-making, fiscal sustainability, operational performance, and the impact of major initiatives serving children and families across Alameda County.

The ideal candidate is adaptable, curious, and eager to develop new approaches, tools, and processes in collaboration with the FP&A team and organizational partners.

Financial planning and analysis

• Develop agency-wide budgets, forecasts, financial models, and fiscal analyses to support strategic planning, resource allocation, and executive decision-making
• Partner with Program, Fiscal Policy, Data, and other teams to assess the financial and operational implications of program and policy options throughout design, implementation, and refinement
• Analyze funding requirements, cost drivers, and revenue and expenditure patterns to inform budgets, forecasts, and revenue maximization strategies

Performance monitoring

• Monitor the financial and operational performance of programs and contracts, including expenditures, spend rates, budget variances, unit costs, and utilization
• Design and maintain dashboards, analytical tools, and performance-reporting systems that improve transparency, accountability, and program alignment
• Identify trends, risks, opportunities, and analysis gaps requiring additional study

Reporting and recommendations

• Translate complex analyses into clear, actionable recommendations for agency leadership and other stakeholders
• Prepare executive-level reports and presentations that clearly communicate findings and recommendations

Process improvement

• Improve budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analytical processes to support accuracy, consistency, and efficiency
• Develop data-driven solutions that enhance agency-wide financial and operational performance

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. Experience and/or education can be substituted to meet qualifications. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in roles involving budgeting, financial analysis, forecasting, or public sector finance, including at least one (1) year of experience involving project management and cross-functional coordination
• A bachelor’s degree* in Public Policy, Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field
• *A degree is not required and relevant experience may substitute for education requirement.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, cost modeling, and quantitative analysis
• Advanced techniques in Microsoft Excel
• Tools for building and managing reporting dashboards (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau)
• Early childhood systems
• Public agency funding structures, revenue sources, government budgeting, public policy, and grant requirements
• Social impact and equity principles

Ability to:

Analyze financial and other data

• Build and maintain budgets and financial models with attention to detail
• Blend varied financial, programmatic, and other data to meet analysis needs
• Ground analysis in relevant policy context
• Conduct quality checks for accuracy
• Build and maintain data dashboards
• Use AI tools to support analysis (or an eagerness to learn)

Manage projects with independence and flexibility

• Manage multiple analytical workstreams and deliverables
• Work independently with a high degree of ownership
• Provide thought partnership and backup to teammates
• Hold ambiguity and operate flexibly in dynamic environments where needs evolve and timelines shift

Communicate effectively and build trusting relationships

• Produce high-quality written communications and deliverables
• Clearly present findings to varied audiences, including agency leaders
• Build trust and credibility with internal and external stakeholders
• Partner effectively with Program, Fiscal Policy, Data, and other teams on deliverables and cross-functional work
• Navigate political complexity with maturity, discretion, sound judgment, and a commitment to equity

Please note:

• We are currently working a hybrid 2 day per week in-office schedule; employees also come to the office to attend meetings on additional days as requested.
• All First 5 employees must live and work in California.
• The salary range for this position is $104,000 – $150,000 and as an independent government agency, the posted salary is the set salary range for this position. We cannot offer salaries above this posted range.
• We conduct reference and background checks for all potential employees.

About First 5 Alameda County

First 5 Alameda County believes every child in Alameda County should have optimal health, development, and well-being to reach their greatest potential. Through innovative programs and policy advocacy, we help provide children and their families access to resources that support their first five years of development.

Join our mission-driven team that in partnership with the community, supports a county-wide continuous prevention and early intervention system that promotes optimal health and development, narrows disparities, and improves peak years of child development.

First 5 Alameda County Benefits

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Coverage
• $1,500 credit per year to spend on benefits
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Employer Paid & Voluntary Life & AD&D Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plans including the ACERA Pension Plan
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Plan
• and more.

We also offer paid vacation, paid time off and sick time. We have 17 paid holidays including the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day as paid time off.