Senior Budget Analyst

About Bright Star

Bright Star is a forward-thinking technology consultancy that specializes in harnessing the power of data and AI to solve complex business challenges. Our team of experts combines deep technical expertise with strategic insight to deliver innovative solutions that drive meaningful impact for our clients.

Role Description

Bright Star is seeking a Senior Budget Analyst to support our DOS client as it relates to federal technology and analytics. This individual will serve as the project manager for a large-scale modernization initiative and as a senior budget advisor to program leadership. The role is responsible for maintaining the project plan and staffing strategy across multiple workstreams, managing financial coordination and reporting with federal stakeholders, leading recurring program and budget reviews, and supporting budget formulation, execution, and reporting activities. The ideal candidate is comfortable briefing senior leadership and can translate complex budget and financial data into clear, actionable recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management

· Maintain the overall project plan, milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and deadlines across workstreams.

· Lead project coordination meetings, maintain action and decision logs, and follow up with responsible parties.

· Lead recurring meetings with leadership, including preparing agendas and materials, capturing decisions, and tracking action items to closure.

· Manage financial billing support and communication, including billing reconciliation, repayment schedule tracking, and transfer documentation

· Prepare reporting inputs covering progress, results, staffing, risks, and decisions needed, and maintain applicable records.

Staffing and Resources

· Consolidate staffing plans, track vacancies, coordinate resources, and follow up on actions.

· Maintain the staffing model with Division Directors and the Strategic Operations team to inform obligations and phased funding allocations.

· Consolidate resource requests tied to workstreams (e.g., agentic AI resources) and present them leadership.

Budget Formulation and Reporting

· Support input to the annual Bureau Resource Request (BRR), coordinating with DT and the Bureau of Budget and Planning (BP).

· Coordinate iMatrix data calls, reporting calendars, input requests, and follow-ups with investment owners, technical leads, and budget staff, including taskers from the ITEC PMO.

· Respond to taskers and data calls from the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services (CGFS), including the quarterly Internal Use Software (IUS) data call.

· Prepare reports to OMB and BP as required.

· Develop cost breakouts and justifications for baseline increases, such as StateChat and Data.

· Develop State sustainment costs supporting the Diplomatic Programs (DP) baseline.

· Prepare funding requests for unfunded projects and compile additional resource requests.

Budget Execution

· Reconcile spend plan with official CGFS Connect records.

· Provide end-of-fiscal-year obligation recommendations to the COR, calculate funded-through dates, and submit purchase requests in Ariba.

· Work with the DT Budget Officer on funding balances and execution status.

· Request partner funding, record receipts in FIRE, and communicate funding status to division directors and project teams.

· Support procurement actions, including obtaining vendor quotes for software licenses.

Leadership Briefings

· Develop the monthly budget brief for leadership, giving visibility into the current budget position and data for strategic decisions.

· Develop budget presentations for DT leadership, including the case for funding unfunded projects.

Required Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of relevant experience.

· Experience in federal budget formulation and execution, including obligations, spend plans, and reconciliation.

· Experience managing a multi-workstream project, including schedules, dependencies, staffing, and risk and decision tracking.

· Ability to present budget information to senior leadership clearly and concisely.

· Advanced Excel skills.

· Active Secret clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

· Department of State budget experience, including BRR, CGFS, iMatrix, FIRE, or Ariba.

· Experience with TMF awards or other interagency funding arrangements with GSA.

· PMP or equivalent project management certification.

· Active Top Secret Clearance.

Job Details

· Location: Washington, DC, Hybrid, ~2 days/week on-site at SA-17 Salary: $120-150k Employment type: Full-time, W-2

Pay: $120,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s)

• Due to the nature of our work as a government contractor, all employees are required to have full U.S Citizenship at the time of hire. Are you a U.S Citizen?
• Do you have an active top security clearance?
• Do you have a bachelor’s degree?
• Do you have at least 8 years of experience in federal budget, financial, or program analysis?
• Do you have hands-on experience with federal budget formulation, such as preparing budget requests, cost justifications, or responses to OMB or agency budget data calls?
• Do you have hands-on experience with federal budget execution, including tracking obligations, maintaining spend plans, and reconciling spending against official financial records?
• Have you managed a project with multiple workstreams, including the schedule, dependencies, staffing, and risk or decision tracking?
• Have you prepared and delivered budget briefings to senior federal leadership?
• Do you have advanced Excel skills, such as pivot tables, lookups (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP), complex formulas, and building financial models?
• Are you able to work on-site in Washington, DC (SA-17) about 2 days per week?
• Are you comfortable with the salary range listed for this position?

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Washington, DC 20001