Director of Capital Budgeting

Job Summary

Reporting to the Managing Deputy Budget Director – Grants & Capital, the Director of Capital Budgeting oversees the planning and preparation of the County’s annual capital budget and provides comprehensive analysis and reporting on capital projects. Responsibilities include reviewing, analyzing, and reporting on departmental capital budgets, expenditures, and variances; overseeing the review and evaluation of all departmental capital budget requests; providing technical assistance to County departments in formulating their capital budget; overseeing the set-up of all capital projects in the County’s financial system or record; and supervising the work activity of department staff assigned to the Capital division. Performs other duties as assigned.

Typical Duties

• Works in a centralized finance office ensuring adherence to the capital budgeting policies and processes as set forth in the Resolution and Annual Appropriation Bill.
• Develops the Countywide annual capital budget calendar and provides leadership and oversight to the annual capital budgeting process, including the review of capital budget requests and evaluation by the County’s capital committees.
• Coordinates closely with the Bureau of Asset Management, Bureau of Technology and Bureau of Administration on the development of the Countywide annual capital budget, that includes facility planning, transportation infrastructure planning, information technology systems and equipment acquisitions and other capital equipment acquisitions.
• Assists the Budget Director and the Managing Deputy Budget Director – Grants & Capital in overseeing the implementation of new or modified procedures to facilitate the annual capital budget process.
• Oversees the set-up of all capital projects in the County’s financial system of record and performs research on details of capital budget transactions.
• Coordinates the review of debt-funded capital projects with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to ensure compliance with procurement and debt funding rules and guidelines.
• Works with capital budget team to reconcile and resolve problems related to complicated capital and project accounts, including overseeing the monthly close of the capital project subledger.
• Develops financial reports and analyzes project budgets, expenditures, and project progress to ensure accurate, and timely capital project set-up and reporting.
• Develops and oversees the evaluation and approval process for capital equipment projects.
• Reviews, analyzes, and reports on departmental capital budgets, expenditures, and variances.
• Oversees the process for capital budget reprogramming in accordance with approved guidelines and policies.
• Directs and supervises the work activity of professional budget staff within the department’s Capital division.
• Provides technical assistance to departments in formulating their capital budget, and specifically, capital equipment budget requests.
• Develops reports to compare actual to budgeted results at the end of each reporting period; and reports on significant variances.
• Oversees the annual capital labor chargeback process for eligible departments.
• Aids in the development and implementation of departmental policies and procedures.
• Develops the budget office’s annual capital project plan; and assigns and monitors the work of staff engaged in capital budget activities.
• Serves as a leader in, and participates, in the training of budget office staff in how to evaluate departmental capital budget requests.
• Administers personnel functions of department; and prepares employee evaluations/approves time off.
• Attends meetings with department heads and County officials concerning capital budgetary matters, including as liaison to several Capital Committees such as the Vehicle Steering Committee and the Space Allocation Committee; may represent the Budget Director in the Director’s absence.
• Participates in confidential meetings and discussions relative to these and other matters.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration; Finance; Economics; Accounting; Political Science; Public Administration; Engineering; or Architecture.
• Six (6) years of full-time work experience in capital planning, budgeting, accounting, or financial project evaluation/management.
• One (1) year of prior supervisory, managerial, or project management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Business Administration; Finance; Economics; Accounting; Political Science; Public Administration; Engineering; or Architecture.
• Four (4) years’ prior experience in capital planning or capital budgeting.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics

• Knowledge of structure of Cook County Government including organization, administration and functions of the various departments, boards, commissioners, and committees.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of program performance budgeting, governmental accounting and general public administration principles and practices, with special emphasis on capital planning and budgeting.
• Thorough knowledge in or skills pertaining to all aspects of formulating a balanced budget within the parameters of available resources.
• Knowledge of project planning and management methods, practices, and procedures.
• Skilled in the management of other professionals engaged in financial and budgetary analysis.
• Skills in public presentation and presentation development using Microsoft PowerPoint and/or other presentation software.
• Skilled in the management of other professionals engaged in computer-based financial and budgetary analysis.
• Ability to analyze complex financial and other statistical data.
• Ability to determine compliance with rules and regulations related to debt-funded capital projects.
• Ability to make sound judgments, recommend policy and effectively communicate with others in written and oral form.
• Ability to use of Microsoft Office software, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to evaluate and prioritize multiple assignments in an efficient and timely manner.
• Ability to work in a highly confidential environment.

Physical Requirements

• Sedentary Work involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time.

The duties listed are not set forth for purposes of limiting the assignment of work. They are not to be construed as a complete list of the many duties normally to be performed under a job title or those to be performed temporarily outside an employee's normal line of work.