How To Hire the Best Budget Analyst
A budget analyst helps an organization determine how they will organize their finances. Although top executives usually make the final decision on an organization’s budget, they rely on the work of budget analysts to prepare the information for that decision.
Trusted by leading brands and startups
A budget analyst helps an organization determine how they will organize their finances. A superior budget analyst keeps company finances and goals on track by running regular financial reports, analyzing data to determine the costs and benefits of various programs, collaborating with executives about funding requirements, and assessing budget decisions about special programs or unique expenses. Although top executives usually make the final decision on an organization’s budget, they rely on the work of budget analysts to prepare the information for that decision.
An effective budget analyst job description clearly lists the functions that the role is expected to perform. Additionally, it’s important to stress the importance of data crunching skills versus the ability to build consensus goals.
How To Hire the Best Budget Analyst
Copy this template, and modify it as your own:
Copy to ClipboardCompany Introduction
Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Make sure to provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and everything else that you think makes your company a compelling career choice.
Job Description
As a budget analyst, you will work with managers to develop appropriate departmental budgets, review budget proposals, prepare regular [insert how often] financial reports, analyze data to determine spending recommendations, and monitor company spending. Additionally, you will review all budgets to ensure they are accurate and comply with appropriate laws.
Responsibilities
- Work with managers to develop appropriate departmental budgets.
- Review managers’ budget proposals for accuracy, reasoning, and compliance with laws.
- Combine department budgets together into a consolidated budget report and review all funding requests for worthiness.
- Present recommendations for funding requests to others in the organization.
- Help top managers analyze proposed plans and find alternatives if the projected results are unsatisfactory.
- Monitor organizational spending to ensure that it is staying within budget.
- Keep program managers informed of the status and availability of funds.
- Work with finance managers to estimate future financial needs.
Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or Data Analytics.
- Between two and five years of experience in federal financial management, budget, or financial analysis.
- Between two and five years of experience in the development of budget justification statements.
- Advanced knowledge of MS Office applications, specifically in Excel, macros, data analysis, and pivot tables.
- Extensive financial statement modeling experience.
- Ability to problem-solve, both autonomously and within teams.
- Approachable and confident personality type, comfortable within a wide range of organizational environments.
- High integrity and natural desire to assume responsibility.
Recent Budgeting Articles by Toptal Finance Experts
How to Hire a Great Budgeting Consultant
A proper budget lays everything out in the open. Every expenditure, investment, and expansion plan is broken down and tallied up. The right budgeting consultant can turn a time-consuming process into a positive experience to refocus a company's strategy. This guide presents the best way to track and test the right skills in top candidates.
Read Hiring GuideHire a Top Budgeting Consultant Now
Toptal is a marketplace for top budgeting consultants, experts, and specialists. Top companies and start-ups hire budgeting freelancers from Toptal for their mission critical projects.
See Their Profiles
Juba Tsuladze
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Juba is the founder of angioClast, a Cambridge-based biotech startup focused on cancer research. Before entrepreneurship, Juba was a seasoned CFO with multi-industry experience and has worked on projects ranging from an equity sale of a $150 million telecom company to the turnaround of a $50 million hotel business. He joined the Toptal network to resolve diverse challenges in FP&A, M&A, buyouts, and strategic analysis.
Show More
Carlo Palmieri
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
A Wharton MBA graduate, Carlo has led transactions on $10 billion worth of LBO and growth capital deals. He's worked in investment banking, M&A (Deutsche Bank), management consulting (Bain & Company, Oliver Wyman), and corporate development (Lehman Brothers). Carlo leverages his skills in corporate finance, business strategy, and international business development to help companies scale and deliver value for their investors.
Show More
Gary Calnan
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Gary is a serial entrepreneur with CEO and CFO experience. Before co-founding an aerospace startup in 2017, Gary was the director of finance at a $120 million revenue SaaS company, where he was responsible for the financial management of multiple departments and supported three mergers. Gary leverages his unique blend of finance and entrepreneurial experience across early and growth-stage businesses to add value to Toptal clients.
Show More
Gregory Thompson
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Greg led the corporate development team at a technology company, completing many acquisitions and divestitures and growing revenue 400% to over $800 million. He has worked as a principal and a consultant for both large public companies (such as FICO and Oracle) and smaller venture-backed businesses specializing in the technology and FinTech sectors. He joined Toptal to leverage his experiences in finance, M&A, strategy and business development.
Show More
Andy Vietor
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Andy was recognized twice as an All-Star Analyst by the Wall Street Journal. He has been a strategist, operating executive, financier, and top-ranked industry analyst. As a freelancer, Andy advises a range of companies—from early-stage and middle-market to large caps—delivering customized solutions including effective investor presentations, dynamic financial models, and project finance structuring.
Show More
Evan Fisher
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Evan is a former investment bank VP offering a simple value prop: better-than-Wall-Street quality documents and advice at a fraction of the price. His work is responsible for over $2.1 billion invested in SMEs and has sat in every seat at the boardroom table as a director, shareholder, executive, and advisor. Evan enjoys helping businesses plan and refines their strategies, prepare for corporate actions, and hone their capital-raising approach.
Show More
Peter Jacobson
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
A Harvard grad with an MBA from Stanford, Peter has served as CFO of three successful companies, led several acquisitions, obtained growth capital, led recapitalization efforts, and led a successful exit for the shareholders. He's also raised $500 million+ for clients as a VP at KeyBanc Capital Markets, a commercial and investment bank. Peter enjoys freelancing to help clients with capital raising, M&A, FP&A, and various CFO-related functions.
Show More
Olivia Passoni
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Olivia has over a decade of advisory experience, specializing in valuation, financial and business planning, M&A, capital raising, and due diligence. She has advised companies of any size, including over 30 entrepreneurs, during the fundraising and exit process. Olivia mainly works with investors for portfolio valuation work, the development of fund models, and due diligence. She is a Certified Valuation Analyst and is specialized in early-stage valuations.
Show More
Sean Heberling, CFA
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
With Morgan Stanley, BNY Mellon, Sailfish Capital, and Marion Street Capital, Sean has analyzed 10,000+ companies, built complex models, and helped facilitate $1+ billion in investment transactions. He freelances to leverage his expertise in financial modeling, investor presentations, investment analysis, and M&A. He is on the boards of several early-stage companies, advising on operations, growth strategy, and fundraising.
Show More
Thomas Robb
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
Thomas delivered actionable solutions and insights to multi-billion dollar clients across the tech and software industries as a senior equity research associate at Morgan Stanley. As an entrepreneur, he understands the importance of taking extreme ownership of projects and enjoys working with executives to grow their businesses through financial modeling, competitive market analysis, and creative problem-solving.
Show More
Barbara Kolenc
Freelance Budgeting Consultant
As a CFO, Barbara has led multiple software startups through venture capital fundraises and exits totaling over $25 million. An E&Y trained accountant with 15+ years of experience, Barbara specializes in developing models and presentations, executing operational improvements, and scaling finance teams and processes to support growth. She freelances to leverage her extensive financial skill set and expertise to drive value for Toptal's clients.
Show MoreSign up now to see more profiles.
Start HiringToptal Connects the Top 3% of Freelance Talent All Over The World.
Join the Toptal community.