Legislative Assistant Jobs in Bellingham, WA (NOW HIRING)

Budget Analyst
Work type: Permanent Full Time
Location: Bellingham, WA
Categories: Business and Financial Affairs
Position Title Budget Analyst
About the University
Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.
About the Department Strategy, Management & Budget supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.
Strategy, Management & Budget is the university's home for budget planning, management, analysis, and financial resource stewardship. The department operates under the Vice President for Business & Financial Affairs and works closely with various campus units to deliver budgetary and financial planning services. The team is dedicated to enhancing financial accountability and transparency throughout the university from building the university operating budget to communicating the university's financial positions such as the final expenditures and outcomes.
About the Position
Under the direction of the Director for Budget and Financial Planning, the Budget Analyst is responsible for providing analyses and reports related to planning, developing, implementing, and administrating Western's operating budget. This position may include supporting development of the state biennial and supplemental budget requests; leading the preparation of fiscal notes during legislative session; managing the University's institutional budget; and providing other policy, fiscal and operational analysis in support of the university operating budget.
Position Duties and Responsibilities
45% - Legislative Session & Budgetary Support

• Assist with biennial and supplemental budget development, coordinate decision packages, enter and verify budgetary data in the state Office of Financial Management (OFM) systems.
• Prepare and submit the biennial and annual allotment expenditure plans for all allotted operating funds; prepare monthly journal vouchers to report expenditure actuals to the state; and monitor actuals on a monthly basis to ensure internal allocations and allotments remain reconciled.
• Analyze proposed & adopted state operating budgets and identify potential impacts to WWU.
• Review pending legislative bills; assist with preparation and submission of fiscal notes and legislative information requests; collaborate with subject matter experts to identify fiscal impacts and cost estimates.
• Coordinate meetings with other Washington public universities, WWU Governmental Relations, and OFM during legislative session to ensure alignment across the sector in our approach to fiscal notes and budget development.

45% - Ongoing Budget Office Responsibilities

• Develop and facilitate Fall and Spring Management Reporting process by preparing resources, leading trainings, and assisting as a subject matter expert in support of unit completion of revenue, budget, and expense forecasting.
• Assist the Director and Assistant Vice President (AVP) in managing the university's institutional budget, including maintaining institutional memberships, implementing cash and budgetary transfers, ensuring timely invoice payments, tracking and reconciling institutional budget commitments, and ad hoc financial analysis to inform decision makers.
• Provide ad hoc financial analysis and expense forecasting to inform presentation materials and budget change recommendations related to university budget and financial information.
• Facilitate meetings with stakeholders to review current processes and practices, including communicating and translating technical information across various stakeholder groups.
• Conduct research of best practices among institutions of higher education for budget development, maintenance, and reporting processes, assessing feasibility of adoption.
• Update, consolidate, and improve existing process manuals and internal Budget and Financial Planning publications.
• Serve on work teams as a subject matter expert.

10% - Other Duties as Assigned

• Serve as backup for several key Budget and Financial Planning roles; Assist senior leadership with ad hoc projects as requested.
• Conduct budget transfers, review position requests, help maintain the Budget and Financial Planning website, and fulfill other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in business or public administration, finance, or a field relevant to position or equivalent experience/education
• At least three years of professional experience related to budgets and financial management
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex fiscal information into clear, easy to understand language
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, verbal communication, analytical, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage competing deadlines on multiple projects.
• Demonstrated experience working with people of diverse backgrounds as a member of an inclusive team.
• Ability to handle sensitive financial and business information in a confidential manner.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in business or public administration, finance, or a field relevant to position or equivalent experience/education
• Relevant work experience in higher education field
• Demonstrated experience working with financial or business system databases, especially Banner/Ellucian and Millennium systems

Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.
Salary Hiring range is $86,395 - $99,354/year depending on qualifications and experience. Through longevity position tops out at $112,314.
Benefits Information
Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.
Application Instructions
A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted if necessary, with notice provided beforehand.
Closing Date Notes Application review begins September 23, 2026; position is open until filled.
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at student.life@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.
Job no: 503124
Advertised: Aug 24 2026 09:00 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close:
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