GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT

SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION / BUSINESS ACCOUNTING BRANCH / PHOENIX, AZ BASED
5000 W. Carefree Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85086

Salary: $85,000 - $100,000 

Grade: 26

Closing Date: 7/26/2026

BUDGET ADMINISTRATOR
“Budget and Payroll Administrator”
SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION / BUSINESS ACCOUNTING BRANCH / PHOENIX, AZ BASED
FLSA-EXEMPT / SALARY GRADE 26 / HIRING SALARY RANGE: $85,000 - $100,000


The Arizona Game and Fish Department is looking for a visionary, financial leader to command our fiscal operations. This isn’t just a mid-level management role—it’s your ultimate platform to lead, simplify, and transform government accounting at the highest level!

As our Budget and Payroll Administrator, you will hold the financial blueprint and economic heartbeat of our entire Department. Directly supporting the Business and Finance Chief, you will be the ultimate architect of fiscal strategy. You will lead our agency-wide Budget Simplification process, transforming complex data into clear visions to advise executive staff and the Commission on critical funding decisions.

From driving the annual Department-wide budget development to mastering Position Control, you will be the critical hub ensuring every dollar directly fuels our mission to protect Arizona’s wildlife and natural resources.

The Impact You Will Make:
• Command State-of-the-Art Systems: Modernize and master AZ360 and integrated software, utilizing elite data mining in Excel and Google Sheets to drive advanced financial forecasting.
• Shape Public Policy: Serve as a key technical advisor, running cross-divisional projects, authoring critical guidelines, and maintaining total compliance with Arizona Revised Statutes and federal grants.
• Inspire and Empower Leaders: Provide global oversight to both budget and payroll units, using performance huddles and metrics to mentor a dedicated team of subordinate supervisors.
• Protect Arizona's Wilderness: Your executive financial management ensures our boots-on-the-ground team has the exact resources needed to preserve the beauty of Arizona for generations to come.

What We Are Looking For:
• Executive Financial Mastery: Comprehensive knowledge of public sector budgeting, payroll operations, cost accounting, and federal grant management principles.
• Systems & Data Expertise: Deep familiarity with payroll and financial systems (like AZ360, Arizona Procurement Portal, InfoAdvantage/Power BI), alongside database development skills to build complex, multi-layered worksheets in Excel and Google Sheets.
• Proven Leadership & Vision: Exceptional administrative ability to supervise professional staff, manage workflow priorities, and guide a team through high-pressure deadlines.
• Elite Communication: Brilliant presentation and active listening skills, with a unique knack for translating complex, technical budget data into simple terms for non-financial audiences across all levels of the Department.
• Regulatory Acumen: A sharp understanding of the Arizona Revised Statutes, State polices, federal mandates, and indirect cost principles (ICRP).

Beyond the numbers, we need an elite communicator who can easily translate intricate budget data for non-financial employees, manage multiple high-stakes deadlines, and provide inspiring leadership to our team of subordinate supervisors. By managing position control, building advanced models, and overseeing both budget and payroll units, you ensure our agency operates seamlessly and remains fully compliant. Your leadership will empower an entire team, shape internal policies, and directly elevate the financial integrity of public service.

Ready to Lead the Mission?
Don’t settle for a predictable corporate executive role. Bring your advanced financial expertise to a place where your leadership directly preserves the great outdoors. Apply today to become our Budget and Payroll Administrator!

Under the direction of the Business and Finance Chief, the Budget Administrator coordinates and oversees the budget administration and payroll management through subordinate supervisors for the entire Department. This position provides financial and budgetary expertise and provides complete oversight of the professional budget and payroll personnel responsible for applying the principles, concepts, and current practices that relate to budgeting, fiscal control, grants management and payroll operations of the Department.

This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures with a requirement to come into the office a minimum of 2 days each week at 5000 W. Carefree Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85086. Remote work eligibility requires completing the training period, meeting performance standards, and ongoing departmental approval.

Major duties include:

• Direct and coordinate the annual Department-wide budget development process. Confer with Executive staff, leadership team, and program staff concerning the budgetary needs and requirements and serve as technical advisor. Lead the Budget pooling and reallocation process for the agency. Facilitate meetings and conduct presentations with management team members and the Commission.

• Manage and maintain various financial and budget databases, reports, and schedules. Create complex financial and budget worksheets and reports. Ensure the agency is in compliance with all budgetary and payroll reporting requirements including coordination and submission of the annual budget, ICRP, JLBC reporting, foreign travel report, and other required financial reports for budget, grants and payroll. Recommend agency guidelines for continued improvements to financial work systems. Manage Position Control for the agency. Prepare merit pay calculations.

• Provide global management and approval of various financial documents and provide technical guidance and consultation. Review and approve complex financial and budgetary schedules, reports, and reconciliations. Review and approve AZ360 transactions. Create and maintain a chart of accounts.

• Provide direct oversight of the budget and payroll work units with a team of subordinate supervisors and staff; manage complex assignments, projects and workflow priorities, ensure training completion and prepare annual evaluations and performance reviews of subordinate supervisors.

• Provide leadership to supervisors. Perform huddles and manage established performance metrics. Compose correspondence pertaining to complex subject matters in assigned areas. Provide guidance and consultation regarding Department policies and current practices and participate in the establishment of guidelines and policies. Participate in cross-divisional meetings and projects and recommend best practices and improvements. Serve as backup for Branch Chief for attending meetings.

• Maintain knowledge of current budgetary, grants management and payroll practices, regulations, rules and guidelines by attending classes, conferences and meetings to stay current with industry standards.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

The candidate must have knowledge in/of: AZ360 or other human resources information systems and financial systems to include tables and organizational structure; budget principles and practices; grants management principles and practices; payroll principles and practices; comprehensive knowledge of cost accounting, budget, and automated accounting systems and integrated software packages; working knowledge of government accounting concepts, principles, methods and practices of public sector accounting to include projection/forecasting, as well as generally accepted accounting principles; federal regulations, Arizona Revised Statutes and indirect cost principles; various database software, such as Excel and ACCESS in order to create queries and mine data, as well as knowledge of general business practices and procedures.

The candidate must be skilled in: advanced skills in mathematics and forecasting; interpersonal relationships and active listening; database development and analysis; in the use of reporting tools such as AZ360 InfoAdvantage and Power BI; strong oral and written communication; customer service in anticipating customer needs and/or problems; presentation skills; planning, control and organization.

The candidate must have the ability to: handle multiple critical tasks while meeting quality and time constraints; ability to present information effectively in a manner suited to the characteristics and needs of the audience; ability to convey complex data clearly and concisely either verbally or in writing to non-financial employees in an easily understood manner; ability to exercise effective administrative and technical supervision over professional staff.

The preferred candidate will have a Degree in Accounting, Business, Finance, Economics or a closely related field or an equivalent combination of experience and education. Five years managerial experience in one or more functions related to the duties of this class.

Position requires possession of and the ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver’s license appropriate to the assignment.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona offers an outstanding comprehensive benefits package including:
• 13 days’ of vacation
• 12 sick days
• 10 paid holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Participation in the nationally recognized Arizona State Retirement System
• Superior health care options
• Vision care, dental care, pharmacy benefits, and flexible spending account (options available)
• Life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance options are available
• Many more benefit programs are available

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). Please note, enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Nicole Baker at nbaker@azgfd.gov for assistance. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is an Equal Employment Opportunity agency.