State Director of Planning and Budget

State of Louisiana; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of Louisiana Division of Administration/Office of Planning and Budget seeks a State Director of Planning and Budget to oversee the OPB and performance-based budgeting functions. The role includes directing the consolidated budget, forecast analyses, and legislative budgeting activities across agencies.

Responsibilities cover supervising a diverse staff, ensuring compliance with regulations, and presenting budgetary information to executive and legislative branches.

Qualifications

• Two years of the required experience for the following minimum qualifications must have been at the managerial level or above.
• Fourteen years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services; or
• Six years of full-time work experience in any field plus eleven years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services; or
• A bachelor’s degree plus eleven years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services; or
• An advanced degree plus ten years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services.
• EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field.

Responsibilities

• Provides overall supervision to OPB responsible for preparing the Governor’s Executive Budget and overseeing budgetary matters throughout the fiscal year.
• Directs and supervises the preparation of the consolidated state Performance Based Budget and the General Appropriations Bill.
• Plans and directs the analysis of activities and operation of state budget departments/agencies to determine funds required for programs.
• Directs the examination of budgetary records to determine adherence to regulations, policies and practices.
• Prepares forecasts of economic conditions, population, school enrollment, and other demographics to project revenues and expenditures.
• Interprets and prepares fiscal analysis based on the fiscal impact of proposed legislation.
• Oversees research of rules/regulations to minimize impact on state revenues.
• Oversees development of long-range fiscal goals and budgeting process, including funding priorities and related legislation.

Job description

The Division of Administration/Office of Planning and Budget has a vacancy. This job title has an assigned pay grade of AS-629.

The Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) has the primary responsibility of implementing performance-based budgeting in the Executive Branch of Louisiana state government. This includes budget-related services such as long- and short-term financial analysis and operating budget development, monitoring and control, and policy development, planning, accountability, and other management services including integration of performance information into the budget development process. OPB staff represents the Governor and Commissioner of Administration on commissions, councils, boards, task forces, and consensus estimating conferences and through the State Economist, OPB provides revenue projections to the Revenue Estimating Conference.

The State Director of Planning and Budget oversees all programs and operations of the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) as well as the performance based budget functions of all state agencies.

The Division of Administration is the state government’s management arm and the hub of its financial operations. Division offices perform a wide variety of activities including the following:

• Overseeing the state’s capital construction program
• Working to provide state and federal grants for community development
• Development of the state budget
• Providing technology services
• Giving agencies guidance in the state purchasing and contracting process as they seek goods and services
• Administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes

Two years of the required experience for the following minimum qualifications must have been at the managerial level or above:

• Fourteen years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services; or
• Six years of full-time work experience in any field plus eleven years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services; or
• A bachelor’s degree plus eleven years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services; or
• An advanced degree plus ten years of experience in budget development or analysis, accounting, auditing, policy planning, procurement, contracts or grants management, project management, statistical analysis, or financial services.

EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

Job Duties

• Provides overall supervision and direction to the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) which is responsible for preparing the Governor’s Executive Budget and overseeing budgetary matters throughout the fiscal year.
• Responsible for developing the vision of OPB and ensuring the operations align with Division of Administration’s policies.
• Assumes full responsibility for administering the total state budget and planning program. Directs and supervises the preparation of the consolidated state Performance Based Budget (PBB). Prepares the General Appropriations Bill for introduction to the Legislature.
• Plans and directs the analysis of activities and operation of state budget departments/agencies to determine funds required for programs.
• Directs the examination of budgetary records and activities to determine adherence to established regulations, policies and practices for budgetary control purposes.
• Directs the preparation of forecasts of economic conditions and forecasts of population levels, school enrollment, and other demographic data to project both revenues and expenditures.
• Interprets and prepares fiscal analysis based on the fiscal impact of proposed legislation in terms of the budget.
• Oversees the review state income and when necessary, proposes a system of reduction of appropriations.
• Oversees research of existing state and federal rules and regulations in the various program areas for the development of legislation, if necessary, to minimize the impact on the state’s revenues.
• Responsible for the interpreting and planning long range state fiscal goals and objectives and for overseeing their implementation through the annual budgeting process. This includes the establishment of funding priorities and the creation of legislation, when necessary, to implement the established goals.
• Establishes methods, techniques and procedures for the collection and evaluation of data relative to management activities of state departments/agencies. Plans and supervises the performance of economic research and analyses or financial statements, including estimates of revenues, revenues collected, actual expenditures, and projected expenditures and the evaluation of the economic impact of projected federal, state, and local expenditures and revenues.
• Translates the performance data regarding geographic, demographic, sociologic and economic data, particularly those related to economic and environmental issues, into dollar values for the purpose of budgeting.
• Assists in the development, maintenance, and enhancement of components of the LaGov Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrated software application utilized by OPB staff in the development of the Executive Budget, State Budget, and to track and monitor mid-year adjustments and appropriations. The LaGov Budget module within LaGov ERP is utilized to enter budget adjustments in the current year, build the Executive Budget/Executive Budget Supporting Document for the ensuing year, and the State Budget to reflect the appropriations. The Data Warehouse module creates reports and enhances information gathering and analysis capabilities. The system undergoes continuous development and enhancement.
• Organizes and directs the analysis and evaluation of state programs and management practices in state agencies, and reviews policy and performance reports for information that will aid in making decisions that will maximize utilization of available resources while avoiding duplicative functions of such state agencies.

Supervises Section Staff

• Provides overall supervision to a staff consisting of the State Deputy Director of Planning and Budget, the State Economist, State Budget Managers, a State Planning Manager, State Budget Analysts, State Planning Analysts, and administrative staff.
• Performs personnel supervision and administration responsibilities, including observing and administering attendance, leave, work hours, and work schedules for each direct-reporting employee. Uses good communication, documentation, and assessment skills to fairly plan and accurately evaluate the performance of each direct-reporting employee. Assists direct-reporting employees in the development of professional growth and/or improvement plans for themselves and their employees.
• Ensures all staff members receive training and development opportunities to address new work assignments, work-related deficiencies, and any new supervisory or managerial responsibilities. Reviews and approves, any and all, personnel actions, including hiring, separation, compensation initiatives and organizational changes. Works with the Deputy Commissioner and the DOA Office of Human Resources (OHR) on all personnel actions.
• Supervises annual performance planning and evaluations of all OPB employees, through systems and under rules and processes defined by State Civil Service. Responds to formal and informal personnel requests, complaints, and grievances and performs disciplinary-related functions in conjunction with the OHR, as necessary.
• Promotes a safe and supportive office environment that prioritizes trust, respect, gratitude and integrity. Endeavors to establish a healthy work culture where employees are valued and empowered to contribute their ideas, achievements are recognized, and personnel are happy and productive.
• Supervises the development of training materials used to improve the budgetary and managerial skills of State Office of Planning and Budget staff and fiscal and administrative employees of state agencies.
• Supervises employees engaged in writing and publishing procedures manuals for use by budget units of state agencies.

Budget Advisement

• Serves as the primary budget advisor to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Administration.
• Serves as a budget advisor to the Governor and the Governor’s Staff in preparation of the Executive Budget. Consults with the Governor and the Governor’s Staff during legislative session to discuss progress of General and Supplemental Appropriations Bills.
• Serves as an ad hoc advisor to all Assistant Commissioners of the Division of Administration on all activities and provides the fiscal data and fiscal impact on various alternatives presented for analysis.

Communications of Section

• Serves as the primary point of contact between the Executive Department and the State Legislature on budgetary matters.
• Explains and defends differences between the Bill and the Executive budget and acts as the Executive’s representative on the Bill throughout the legislative process.
• Represents the budgetary posture of the Executive Department in dealings with all committees of the legislature especially House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committee on General Appropriations.
• Confers with Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget to explain budgetary proposals and to provide historical, economic and relevant data to aid in budget determinations.
• Attends monthly meetings of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. Represents the Administration in presentation and defense of requests for change of annual approved budget and other matters requiring committee approval. Makes presentations and provides testimony to committees in regards to committee requests for information on programs, problems, revenue projections, etc. as requested.
• Attends and addresses, on matters relating to the state PBB process, the monthly meetings of the Governor’s Cabinet which consists of all the appointed Departmental Secretaries.
• Confers with government officials concerning the implementation of new and revised programs to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of department/agency administration.

Position-Specific Details

Appointment Type: This vacancy will be filled by promotion of a current permanent status Division of Administration employee. A permanent status employee may be required to serve a new probationary period in lieu of promotion.

Louisiana is a "State as a Model Employer" for People with Disabilities.

Compensation: This position has a Special Entrance Rate (SER) of $4,477.60/Biweekly.

For further information about this posting, please contact:

Erica R. Gay
HR Specialist
Division of Administration/Office of Human Resources
email: [e-mail]