Senior Budget Analyst (Senior Fiscal Analyst)

Overview

The Judicial Council of California is accepting applications for the position of Senior Fiscal Analyst in the Program Budget unit (PBU) of the Budget Services Sacramento office.

The PBU is primarily responsible for management of the Judicial Council’s approximate $300 million budget. The Senior Budget Analyst provides advanced and specialized analytical and technical budget support to the most complex Judicial Council offices, Courts of Appeal, and Supreme Court. This position provides support in budget development and management, expenditure forecasting, technical assistance in accordance with state budget processes, and in developing cost analyses as required.

The incumbent is responsible for developing and implementing forecasting methods, workload assessment measures, and trend analyses. The analyst will complete fiscal analyses for legislation, monitor legislative bill status, review and maintain position and appropriation control, reconcile position count for the annual Schedule 8 process, and provide technical support and review of budget proposals from concept to implementation. This position conducts specialized research and analyses to assist Budget Services management and the Judicial Council Executive Office with budgetary planning and decision-making. In addition to technical expertise, the incumbent will be familiar with reporting structures, funding, and chart fields for the assigned Judicial Council offices as the reviewer and approver of purchase orders submitted in FI$Cal including providing troubleshooting and reporting structure and chart of account maintenance.

The Judicial Council
The Judicial Council of California is the policy setting body for the state court system and has constitutionally conferred statewide rule-making authority. This authority includes developing, advocating for, and allocating the judicial branch budget. A majority of Judicial Council members are California state justices and judges; however, the Judicial Council also includes lawyers, legislators, and court administrators.

By enhancing its role as a leadership, knowledge, and service resource for the judicial branch, the Judicial Council’s staff organization seeks to continue to evolve as one of California’s most dynamic public service entities, focused on improving access to justice for all Californians by innovating and responding to the changing needs of the courts and the public. As a government body charged with improving the statewide administration of justice, the Judicial Council has multiple offices with diverse responsibilities relating to court policy and operations. As employees of the Judicial Council, every member of staff should view and approach their work as one Judicial Council with a public service mission that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Judicial Council strives for work life balance and includes substantial vacation and holiday time. In addition, we offer an excellent benefits package including pension, medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible spending, up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs, student loan forgiveness as part of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and retirement savings plans. In Sacramento, the office is located minutes from downtown, just north of Discovery Park.

The Judicial Council offers hybrid work arrangements for many positions. The successful candidate will be expected to work in person at the Judicial Council’s Sacramento office at least two days per week, based on their office leader’s direction, and reside in the areas surrounding this location. To be eligible for Judicial Council employment and participation in the Judicial Council’s Hybrid Work Program, a prospective or current employee’s primary residence/remote work location must be in the State of California and within a 150-mile driving radius of their assigned reporting location.

Responsibilities

•    Provide analytical and technical support regarding budget development and management and expenditure forecasting for assigned areas.
•    Develop, reconcile, and analyze initial budget allocations by fund for assigned areas.
•    Analyze and reconcile allocations to enacted state budget, including budget changes resulting from authorized budget adjustments. Research and correct any areas that do not reconcile accordingly. 
•    Reconcile and prepare budgetary drills and other requests for submission to the Department of Finance (DOF).
•    Conduct most complex specialized research and analysis of fiscal budgeting issues, including cost analyses and special requests for assigned offices, and/or upon request of the Executive Office.
•    Review and provide technical assistance to programs for the development of budget concepts and budget proposals that support judicial branch funding priorities for Judicial Council advisory body consideration and submission to the DOF.
•    Provide budgetary consultation to high level decision-makers at the Judicial Council.
•    Prepare section letters and other documentation for current year adjustments to authority in accordance with Budget Act provisions for submission to the DOF and the legislature.
•    Prepare legislative analyses of proposed and pending legislation.
•    Review and approve purchase orders for the more complex Judicial Council offices, as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business, finance, accounting, or a directly related field, and four (4) years of professional experience in accounting, financial analysis, budgetary, or contract administration/procurement.

Possession of a bachelor’s degree in a directly related field such as accounting, finance, business, etc., may be substituted for one (1) of the years of required experience. An additional four (4) years of professional experience in the assigned function as noted above may substitute for the bachelor’s degree. Or, additional directly related experience and/or education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

OR

Juris doctor, Master of Business Administration, or master’s degree in a directly related field for the assigned discipline such as finance, contract administration or accountancy, and one year of experience as identified above.

OR

One (1) year as a Fiscal Analyst in the assigned field with the Judicial Council of California or one (1) year of experience performing the duties of a class comparable in the level of responsibility to that of a Fiscal Analyst in a California superior court or California state-level government entity.

Desirable Qualifications:
•    Knowledge of the State of California’s budget process, governmental budgeting, and Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal) system.
•    Proficient in Microsoft Office tools, including Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
•    Excellent writing, analytical, communication, interpersonal, public speaking, and organization skills with attention to detail.
•    Experience with state, local, and federal budget processes.
•    Strong problem-solving and adaptability skills.
•    Ability to research, analyze, and summarize financial and policy information for diverse audiences.
•    Self-motivated, innovative, and capable of working independently to achieve organizational goals.

Other Information

Please note, if you are selected for hire, verification of employment authorization to work in the United States will be required.

How To Apply

This position will remain Open Until Filled and requires the submission of our official application, a resume, and responses to the supplemental questions. To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by September 4, 2026.

To complete an online application, please click the Apply for Job button.

The Judicial Council provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who request such accommodation. Reasonable accommodation needs should be requested through Human Resources at (415) 865-4260. Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) is available by dialing 711. Once connected, provide the relay operator with the number for Human Resources: 415-865-4260.

Pay and Benefits

$7,941 - $11,912 per month

Please note due to statewide fiscal conditions, the posted salary range is subject to a temporary 3% reduction. In exchange for this reduction, judicial branch employees accrue an additional 5 hours of paid personal leave per month through June 30, 2027.

Some highlights of our benefits package include:
•    Health/Dental/Vision benefits program
•    14 paid holidays per calendar year
•    Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave
•    1 personal holiday per year
•    Up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs
•    CalPERS Retirement Plan
•    401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans
•    Employee Assistance Program
•    Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
•    FlexElect Program
•    Pretax Parking
•    Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)
•    Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)
•    Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility

Supplemental Questions

To better assess the qualifications of each applicant, we will review your responses to the following questions.

1.    Describe your professional budget development experience and specific roles in the budget process, including your primary areas of responsibility, and any work related to budget preparation and/or review, financial forecasting, and/or analysis.

2.    Describe a project, program, process, or function in which you had a leadership role. In your response, include the intended audience, the stakeholders involved, the analytical tools you used, the outcome, and any lessons that you learned from the experience.
 

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Judicial Council of California Is an Equal Opportunity Employer.