Budget Control Development Specialist III

SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION / BUSINESS ACCOUNTING BRANCH / PHOENIX, AZ BASED

FLSA- Non-Exempt / SALARY GRADE 21 / HIRING RANGE $26.44 - $32.21/hr

REQUISITION #542053/ CLOSING DATE: 7/31/2026 (1st Review of Resumes 7/8/2026)  

Are you a finance professional or accountant looking for your next big career milestone? If you have a sharp eye for numbers and a passion for public service, we invite you to pivot your expertise into the dynamic world of Budget Control Development.

In this role, you won't just be "balancing books"—you will become the strategist of our agency's financial integrity. This position is a unique opportunity to take your existing accounting or financial skills and apply them to budget strategy, expanding your professional expertise into a highly sought-after specialization.

You don’t need a background specifically in budget control to thrive here. If you understand financial data, we will teach you the rest. This role is designed to take your transferable accounting and finance strengths and elevate them:

• Move beyond standard reporting to develop, adjust, and secure executive approval for annual agency budgets submitted to the AGFD Commission and OSPB/JLBC.
• Apply your analytical mindset to conduct comprehensive financial forecasting, interpret complex data sets, and compare multi-source financial data for technical accuracy.
• Use your attention to detail to establish fund allotments, monitor expenditures, manage grant drawdowns, and load agency budgets onto state accounting systems.
• Use your experience navigating financial compliance to interpret state statutes, rule books, and federal guidelines (including preparing quarterly/annual 425s).

Location & Work Flexibility

Enjoy the perfect balance of collaboration and independence with our hybrid work model:

• Remote Work: Ability to work remotely from anywhere within Arizona.
• In-Office Collaboration: Minimum of 2 days each week at our office located at 5000 W. Carefree Hwy, Phoenix, AZ 85086.

What’s in It for You? (Outstanding Benefits)

The State of Arizona provides a comprehensive, high-value benefits package designed to invest in your future while you grow your career:

• Work-Life Balance: Recharge with 13 days of vacation, 12 sick days (with accumulation benefits), and 10 paid holidays each year.
• Retirement Security: Build long-term wealth through the nationally recognized Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) (eligibility begins after 27 weeks of employment).
• Premium Healthcare: Access superior health care choices, vision care, dental care, pharmacy benefits, and flexible spending accounts.
• Income Protection: Protect yourself and your family with available life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance options.

Ready to Expand Your Expertise?

If you are ready to challenge yourself, learn a rewarding new facet of finance, and make a tangible impact in public service, we want to hear from you. Don't worry if you haven't held a "Budget Specialist" title before—if you have the core financial acumen, analytical mindset, and a desire to grow, we would love to see your application!

Description of Duties: This position manages key budgeting and financial operation, including budget development, fiscal accountability and program compliance. The role evaluates, monitors and prepares budgets and financial reports for federal and non-federal agreements, secures budget approvals through executive management and supports in development of the agency's annual budget request to OSPB and JLBC.

This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures with a requirement to come into the office a minimum of 2 days each week at 5000 W. Carefree Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85086. Remote work eligibility requires completing the training period, meeting performance standards, and ongoing departmental approval.

Major duties include:

• Review, reconcile, and prepare financial reports from automated accounting systems to track revenue and expenditures for the Federal and Non-federal Agreements. Analyze account costs and variables, summarize activities for specific time periods, identify and correct inconsistencies or errors.
• Develop, review, adjust and obtain budget approval through Executive Management of the Agency's annual budget submissions to the AGFD Commission and OSPB/JLBC. Ensure timely completion of  the budget cycle.
• Assist with budget decisions, program changes and status at the job/project/fund level. Conduct comprehensive financial analysis, forecasting, and interpretation of data.
• Compare financial data from numerous sources to assure technical accuracy and specifications of budgets and expenditures. Gather data from various manuals, statutes, rule books, codes and regulations to help make determinations and decisions.
• Receive budget requests, establish allotments and monitor expenditures to ensure allocations are not exceeded. Load Agency budget on state accounting systems. Adjust funds and process budget transfers according to applicable State and Agency guidelines.
• Prepare quarterly/annual 425’s according to federal and state guidelines. Ensure revenue for indirect is moved between appropriate funds. Grant draw downs, assist with Financial and Procurement system errors.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

The candidate must have knowledge in/of: budget principles, including a thorough understanding of State laws, rules, regulations, policies and practices relating to budget development, appropriations legislation, and policies of the current State administration; principles, concepts and practices in government organization, budgeting and fiscal control; processes of State government, including legislative and administrative processes, and their underlying principles and concepts; financial reporting, including interpreting State of Arizona's financial reports and schedules; the Code of Federal Regulations and OMB Circulars.

The candidate must be skilled in: performing work management and work leadership, analysis and evaluation of budget requests and recommendations, and of factors and items therein; interpersonal relations as applied to interaction with legislators and representative of the Governor's Office, members of the Game and Fish Commission and Department Executive, Management, and Program Staff, state agencies and other organizations; analysis, interpretation and evaluation of financial data to render professional opinion on budget requests and recommendations; directing, training, and reviewing the work of others; oral and written communication; software applications, including Microsoft Office.

The candidate must have the ability to: accurately forecast revenue and expenditure needs; generate, read and interpret financial data, budget requests and recommendations; manage demanding workload and prioritize and organize tasks; form working relationships with people, policy makers, and organizations; work independently under general direction and make sound judgments and decisions;  effectively communicate orally and in writing; establish goals and objectives; remain focused during high pressure working conditions.

Selective Preferences: The preferred candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree (finance, accounting, economics, business, public administration or equivalent work experience on a year-for-year basis) AND two years of comparable experience.  The preferred candidate will have knowledge of grants, automated accounting systems and budget/financial planning principles.

Our work environment offers training opportunities and encourages career development.

Pre-employment Requirements: Position requires possession of and the ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver’s license appropriate to the assignment. 

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job, then the following requirements apply. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid class-appropriate driver’s license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver’s license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked nor suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operates a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-10-207.11).

All newly hired employees will be subject to the E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification program. 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is an Equal Employment Opportunity agency. 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Nicole Baker at nbaker@azgfd.gov for assistance.

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