Senior Advisor, Budgeting & Resource Planning

Summary: The Senior Advisor serves as ASTHO’s subject matter expert in budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, project financial management, and resource allocation. The position provides strategic and technical guidance to program and operational teams, strengthens financial planning practices, and promotes consistent, accurate, and data-informed decision-making across the organization. The Senior Advisor leads the development and continuous improvement of budgeting methodologies, systems, tools, and standards; supports the implementation and optimization of the organization’s ERP system; and ensures that proposal budgets and funded activities align with organizational priorities, funder requirements, and applicable policies.

Location: Remote

Anticipated salary: $124,300 up to $153,100

Principal Functions:

• Strengthens budgeting, forecasting, and project financial-management practices across U.S. government, foundation, philanthropic, private-sector, and other funding sources
• Provides strategic and technical guidance to program and operational teams on budget development, financial planning, forecasting, cost management, and resource allocation
• Develops and oversees methodologies for personnel budgeting, labor distribution, and effort planning to ensure staffing costs are appropriately allocated across grants, contracts, and organizational initiatives
• Leads the modernization and continuous improvement of budgeting and forecasting processes by developing standardized methodologies, templates, workflows, controls, and guidance
• Reduces reliance on manual processes by identifying opportunities for automation, system integration, and improved use of financial and operational data
• Supports the development and implementation of the organization’s ERP system, including business requirements, automated workflows, reporting needs, dashboards, and data visualization, ensuring financial data supports timely decision-making
• Develops and monitors key performance indicators for the budgeting and forecasting function, using data to improve accuracy, cycle times, forecast reliability, and customer service
• Reviews proposal budgets, budget narratives, funding assumptions, indirect cost applications, fringe rates, and other financial components of funding submissions
• Supports the development and review of budgets for requests for proposals, grant applications, contracts, and other funding opportunities
• Assesses project financial performance and provide recommendations to improve budget accuracy, cost management, and bottom-line results
• Identifies financial risks, funding gaps, overages, and underutilized resources, and provide scenario-based recommendations to program and organizational leadership
• Develops and standardizes budgeting templates, financial planning tools, guidance documents, and operating procedures
• Strengthens coordination among Program Operations, Grants, Finance, and programmatic teams throughout the proposal development and project implementation lifecycle
• Provides guidance to program teams to ensure that project activities and expenditures are consistent with approved budgets, funder expectations, and organizational policies
• Partners with cross-functional teams to improve the quality, consistency, and accessibility of financial and operational data
• Develops reports and analyses that support leadership decision-making, resource allocation, and long-term financial planning
• Drive process improvements that enhance operational efficiency, financial accountability, and compliance with funder and audit requirements
• Supports other strategic initiatives that contribute to the organization’s long-term financial and operational health.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in finance, business administration, public administration, nonprofit management, accounting, or related field preferred
• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in budgeting, financial management, grants management, business planning, or nonprofit operations
• Extensive experience developing, reviewing, and managing complex projects and organizational budgets
• Demonstrated experience with foundation, philanthropic, private sector, or other non-federal funding sources
• Strong understanding of indirect cost rates, fringe benefit rates, cost allocation, budget forecasting, and project financial performance
• Experience reviewing proposal budgets, budget narratives, grant agreements, contracts, and funder requirements
• Experience developing and delivering financial management or budgeting training to non-financial staff
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information into clear and actionable recommendations
• Experience supporting ERP implementation, system design, business requirements, financial reporting, or process improvement initiatives
• Proficiency with financial systems, budgeting tools, reporting platforms, spreadsheets, dashboards, and data visualization tools
• Ability to manage multiple complex priorities and work effectively across departments and organizational levels
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Strong collaboration, facilitation, and relationship management skills
• Knowledge of nonprofit financial management, funder compliance, and grants administration principles preferred
• Knowledge of federal grants administration, including familiarity with OMB Uniform Guidance, preferred
• Ability and willingness to travel

Benefits:

• Vacation leave, Sick leave, Personal days
• 12 Holidays (with some floating options for personalization)
• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Retirement Plans – 403B and Roth 403B, eligible employees can receive a company contribution up to 11.75%
• Electronic communication stipend
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short and Long-term disability insurance
• Additional Benefits include: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Pet Insurance, Legal Resources, Health & Wellness reimbursement, Flexible Spending accounts, Tuition Reimbursement, and Professional Development Assistance

About Us: ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and Freely Associated States, and the District of Columbia, as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice. ASTHO is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and was incorporated on March 23, 1942, with the goal of helping health officials navigate a rapidly changing public health landscape and remains a strong voice in governmental public health.

This position is contingent upon the availability of grant, contract, or organizational funding. Funding levels and organizational needs may impact the duration or continuation of employment.