Budget Specialist Jobs
Budget Specialist jobs are open across federal agencies, state and local governments, healthcare systems, and higher education, from entry-level analyst roles to senior and supervisory positions, with common specializations in capital planning, program budget analysis, and operating expense management. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Summary
The Clinical Trials Budget Specialist III is responsible for developing clinical trial budgets of the highest complexity with an emphasis on quality, training, monitoring, and the development of tools for study team use. The Clinical Trials Budget Specialist III will regularly work independently with study teams to develop and execute budgets and will support the goals of the Clinical Research Operations Quality Program.
Primary Responsibilities
- Oversee clinical trial budget development, including review of protocols and relevant documents to ensure that appropriate costs and allocation of institutional resources are fully captured in the budget.
- Lead study teams in coordination with departments, investigators, research staff, supporting administration, and sponsors/funding agencies to ensure complete, comprehensive, accurate and timely budgets.
- Lead correspondence and meetings with stakeholders to facilitate ongoing budget discussions. This will include documenting progress and providing updates to affected parties.
- Ensure research rate schedules are current and appropriately applied to study budgets.
- Facilitate budget negotiations with sponsors, academic sites, and other extramural funding sources to reach an agreement on budget and payment terms.
- Responsible for entering and maintaining the budget and other financial information into OnCore Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) to maintain proper reimbursement and revenue integrity.
- Perform pre-award quality assurance to verify completion of required elements prior to Medicare Coverage Analysis.
- Lead the development and dissemination of clinical research education opportunities as needed in accordance with federal regulations, institutional policies, and specific protocol requirements.
- Lead the development of departmental policies, procedures, and resources to support clinical trial financials workflows.
- Provide excellent customer service while maintaining accurate results in a fast-paced, deadline-driven team environment.
- Engage in special projects and ad hoc duties as a member of the administrative team.
- Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge – Skills – Abilities
- Extensive knowledge of clinical trials, including budget development and financial management required.
- Budget negotiation experience is required.
- Knowledge of research billing compliance, coverage analysis, institutional and departmental policies and procedures required.
- Data utilization, complex problem solving, critical thinking, resource management, and project management skills are necessary.
- Experience with OnCore CTMS and Microsoft Excel are required.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential.
Qualifications
Appropriate experience may be substituted for education on an equivalent basis.
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree
Minimum Required Experience: 6 years
Physical Requirements
Work requires occasionally lifting moderate weight materials, standing, or walking continuously.
Work Environment
Occasional exposure to dust, noise, temperature changes, or contact with water or other liquids. Work is performed in an environmentally controlled environment.
Sensory Acuity
Ability to detect and translate speech or other communication required. May occasionally require the ability to distinguish colors and perceive relative distances between objects.
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Why MCW?
- Outstanding Healthcare Coverage, including but not limited to Health, Vision, and Dental. Along with Flexible Spending options
- 403B Retirement Package
- Competitive Vacation and Paid Holidays offered
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid Parental Leave
- Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
- Pet Insurance
- On campus Fitness Facility, offering onsite classes
- Additional discounted rates on items such as: Select cell phone plans, local fitness facilities, Milwaukee recreation and entertainment etc.
For a brief overview of our benefits see: Benefits Overview
For a full list of positions see: MCW Careers
At MCW all of our endeavors, from our internal operations to our interactions with our partners, are driven by our shared organizational values: Caring – Collaborative – Curiosity – Inclusive – Integrity – Respect. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives through merit-based processes and in alignment with all applicable laws. We believe that embracing human differences is critical to realize our vision of a healthier world, and we recognize that a healthy and thriving community starts from within. Our values define who we are, what we stand for and how we conduct ourselves at MCW. If you believe in embracing individuality and working together according to these principles to improve health for all, then MCW is the place for you. For more information, please visit our institutional website.
MCW as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Commitment to Non-Discrimination:
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the MCW community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.
Budget Specialist Jobs by Experience Level
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Find Budget Specialist JobsBudget Specialist Job Market
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in budget specialist jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, public administration, or a related field
- Proficiency in spreadsheet and financial modeling tools such as Excel or Google Sheets
- Experience with enterprise financial systems such as SAP, Oracle, or Hyperion
- Knowledge of budget formulation, execution, and monitoring processes
- Familiarity with federal or state appropriations law and fiscal year budget cycles
- Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) or similar credential preferred for public-sector roles
Tips for Your Budget Specialist Job Search
Tailor your resume to budget cycle language
Hiring managers in budget roles scan for terms like formulation, execution, variance analysis, and continuing resolution. Mirror the exact language from each posting so your resume clears automated screening before a human ever reads it.
Highlight your experience with specific budget systems
Employers want to know which financial systems you've actually worked in. Name the platforms directly on your resume, whether that's SAP, Oracle, Hyperion, or agency-specific tools, and briefly note the budget size you managed in each role.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists budget specialist openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by appropriations type
Federal and state budget specialist roles often specify whether the position supports discretionary, mandatory, or capital appropriations. Filtering for the type you know best saves time and puts you in front of employers who need your specific experience.
Prepare a worked variance explanation for interviews
Interviewers frequently ask you to walk through a budget discrepancy you identified and resolved. Have a specific example ready that covers the root cause, the corrective action you recommended, and the dollar impact your intervention prevented.
Negotiate using total compensation, not just base pay
Many budget specialist roles in government and higher education come with defined pay bands, so base salary flexibility is limited. Focus your negotiation on start date, remote flexibility, professional development funding, and step placement within the band.
Budget Specialist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most budget specialists?
The companies hiring the most budget specialists right now include Medical College of Wisconsin, People, Technology & Processes, and Meta, with the largest share of openings in District of Columbia, Texas, and Michigan, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Federal agencies, large healthcare systems, and state university systems consistently account for a significant portion of active postings.
How many budget specialist jobs are remote?
About 67% of budget specialist openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with remote availability concentrated in roles focused on operating budget analysis and financial reporting rather than positions tied to in-person program oversight or agency leadership. Government roles tend to have stricter on-site requirements than private-sector or nonprofit positions.
How do you become a budget specialist?
Start with a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, public administration, or business. Build hands-on experience through internships or entry-level analyst roles that involve budget tracking, financial reporting, or grants management. Learn at least one enterprise financial system used in your target sector. Earning a credential such as the Certified Government Financial Manager designation strengthens your profile for public-sector roles.
Can I get a budget specialist job with little or no experience?
Entry-level budget specialist roles exist, particularly in government agencies and universities that hire recent graduates into budget analyst trainee programs. Emphasize coursework in governmental accounting, any internship experience involving financial data, and proficiency in spreadsheet tools. Volunteer roles managing budgets for student organizations or nonprofits also demonstrate practical skills that hiring managers value when formal experience is limited.
What does the budget specialist interview process look like?
Most budget specialist interviews include a screening call with HR, followed by one or two rounds with the hiring manager and sometimes a panel from the finance or program team. Expect behavioral questions about managing competing budget priorities, a scenario-based question on identifying and resolving a variance, and technical questions on the financial systems or appropriations processes relevant to the role.
Where can I find and apply to budget specialist jobs?
You can find and apply to budget specialist jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States in one place. Search for roles that match your background, sector preference, and seniority level, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 20 Budget Specialist Jobs
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