The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves, where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas.

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) is an Agency within the Executive Office of Education and reports to the Board of Early Education and Care. EEC’s vision is that children, youth, and families reach their full potential now and in the future. To achieve that vision, EEC’s mission is to create the conditions for children, youth, and families to thrive socially, academically, and economically.

EEC is the lead agency for all early education and care services and funding in the Commonwealth, charged with administering the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) monies provided to Massachusetts. This block grant provides childcare subsidies to more than 50,000 low-income families to help ensure they can work and stay employed, while ensuring that children are getting the high-quality early education needed to prepare them for success in school and in life.

EEC is focused on strengthening and promoting the diverse early education and care sector in Massachusetts. EEC licenses, monitors, and provides technical assistance to the nearly 9,000 early education and care programs and agencies that serve children and youth, including family childcare programs and center-based programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, out-of-school time programs, residential group care facilities, temporary shelters, and placement agencies for foster care or adoption services.

The Deputy Budget Director is responsible for the management, development, tracking and analysis of expenditures across EEC’s childcare financial assistance programs. The Deputy Budget Director is responsible for conducting and maintaining updated caseload projections to maximize expenditures for family access to childcare financial assistance. The Deputy Budget Director integrates department policy and trends into forecasts, communicating caseload policies with external and internal shareholders, collaborating with professional and policy staff of other state legislative and executive agencies in developing forecast models and assumptions, and presenting forecasts and policy impacts on caseload. The Deputy Budget Director works interactively with other units within the Department to support programmatic expenditures across agency priorities and initiatives. The Deputy Budget Director synthesizes information from the Department's IT, Policy, Contracting/Procurement, and Legal units to develop and communicate on the Department's spending priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

Caseload and Budget Forecasting:

• Develop, track, and revise caseload forecasts which involves incorporation of policy changes into the forecast assumptions, and communication between various stakeholders in the forecast process.
• Work in collaboration with other units in the department on strategic planning, facilitating budget expenditures and supporting program development.
• Assist in policy development and works closely with other EEC units to assure that policies are implemented and monitored; and that funds are expended consistent with program, statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee and complete all administrative responsibilities required for the caseload accounts including monitoring achievement by vendors relative to goals.
• Develop and implemens a strategic plan for caseload achievement and spending.
• Develop and implement a real time performance measurement/management system that tracks performance indicators for the caseload and other programmatic accounts.

Revenue Management:

• Track federal grant awards and expenditures, reconciles federal revenue and expenditures, supports the development and preparation of federal reports, and plans federal spending according to the federal regulation and the agency’s priorities.

Research & Analysis:

• Facilitate, coordinate, and manage a range of data analysis functions and activities related to program expenditures, outcomes, and impact.
• Monitor and evaluate the validity of the department's data used to analyze historical data and to prepare and track forecasts as well as track impact of agency initiatives.
• Provide research support to departmental leadership and staff and help to identify opportunities for strategic innovation and policy development.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Provide agency responses to information requests from the Executive Office of Administration and Finance and legislative committees on ways and means on matters related to caseload budget and spending.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with officials from other state agencies and key stakeholders and convene meetings to build and strengthen existing and new partnerships.
• Prepare official caseload forecasts of the department to be presented to internal and external stakeholders. Must be able to explain statistical techniques and assumptions underlying the forecasts in non-technical language and summarize information explaining forecast variance.

Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Bachelor's degree in statistics or a related field preferred
• At least five (5) years of experience working in positions focused on budget, forecasting or a related field
• Knowledge of and experience in state government policy development and caseload forecasting
• Familiarity with the state budget process
• Strong work experience in management of large caseload accounts
• Experience with statistical techniques and research methods
• Experience in facilitating meetings and collaborating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community on a range of complex and technical issues
• Ability to perform high quality, objective research, and data analysis to support policy or budget-related decision-making
• Results-oriented professional with a demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and excel at multi- tasking without sacrificing attention to detail
• Commitment to being part of a learning organization and team and willingness to contribute at all levels to ensure successful implementation
• Intellectual curiosity, creativity, flexibility, and a proactive approach to problem-solving
• Advanced computer skills, particularly in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access. Working knowledge of Stata.
• Knowledge of the organization of state government.

Questions regarding this position or the application process should be directed to Dawn.E.DeRoche@mass.gov.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

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