Deputy Budget Director - City of St. Louis, Missouri

The City of St. Louis, MO (population 280,000) is conducting a national search for its next Deputy Budget Director.

About St. Louis
A historic city with a family-friendly reputation and a strong sense of community, St. Louis offers an affordable cost of living and a central U.S. location that attracts talent from across industries, including technology, aerospace, and healthcare. Known as the “Gateway to the West,” St. Louis is home to the iconic Gateway Arch, a vibrant cultural scene, enthusiastic sports fans, and Forest Park—the nation’s largest urban park.

Joining the City of St. Louis means becoming part of a diverse, passionate workforce of 4500 employees committed to serving more than 280,000 residents and helping lead the region’s revitalization.

The City of St. Louis uses a Mayor-Council form of government, a traditional system where an elected Mayor acts as the chief executive, and the Board of Aldermen (city council) serves as the legislative body, making laws and adopting the budget, with the Mayor approving or vetoing legislation. Uniquely, St. Louis is also an independent city, functioning as its own city and county, separate from St. Louis County.

The Opportunity
This is an advanced civil service administrative role that supports the Budget Director and helps lead key functions within the Budget Division. The Budget Division serves under the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, comprised of the Mayor, Comptroller and President of the Board of Aldermen which serves as the City's chief fiscal body and submits and recommends the annual budget to the Board of Aldermen for adoption. The Deputy Budget Director assists with capital projects, financial planning, and performance measurement, while taking primary responsibility for developing the City’s annual operating budget.  The role leads day-to-day unit operations by setting priorities, coordinating across departments, and ensuring clear performance standards and measurable program results.  The Deputy Budget Director also serves as acting Budget Director in the Director’s absence.  Core responsibilities include:

Budget leadership and fiscal stewardship

• Determines budget allocations and makes budget recommendations.
• Oversees development and publication of the Annual Operating Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and supporting budget documents.
• Monitors revenues and expenditures and delivers fiscal trend and performance analyses.
• Reviews and distributes the Budget Manual.

Strategy and alignment

• Sets operational priorities, coordinates work across functions and ensures program goals and standards align with agency-wide objectives.
• Builds and drives operational plans with clear goals, timelines, and action steps to deliver results.

People leadership and performance

• Establishes performance evaluation standards and procedures so staff understands expectations and are assessed fairly and consistently.
• Supervises departmental staff and reviews the quality and accuracy of their work and deliverables.
• Serves as acting Budget Director in the Director’s absence.

Policy and continuous improvement

• Develops and recommends new or revised statutes, rules, policies, and procedures to strengthen effectiveness and respond to evolving needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a closely related field.
• Four years of budget, accounting, and/or financial management experience
• At least two years of management experience.
• Direct experience developing, analyzing, and monitoring a complex operating plan or budget.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a closely related field.

Skills and Attributes

• Ability to analyze and connect complex data, set priorities and approach, and drive execution of decisions.
• Proven track record leading teams, including managers and analysts, with responsibility for hiring, coaching, and performance management.
• Experience allocating staff and forecasting workforce needs to meet organizational priorities.
• Proficiency with standard office technology and software, including computers, phones, and word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
• Strong written and verbal communication for interpreting, preparing, and presenting complex budget and financial information, policies, and regulations.
• Solid command of core calculations (percentages, decimals) and comfort interpreting graphs, with working knowledge of basic statistics as needed.
• Ability to plan and direct interrelated, cross-department work and solve complex problems involving multiple variables.
• Ability to work effectively in a political environment with multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, decisiveness, and creativity when leading major programs or multiple initiatives.

How to Apply
Qualified candidates should apply online at www.GovHRjobs.com by February 23, 2026, submitting a cover letter and resume. The targeted hiring range is $90,000 to $107,848 DOQ/E. The City of St. Louis provides a comprehensive benefit package that includes health benefits, pension, paid time off and holidays. There is no residency requirement, however individuals must be able to work onsite. For additional inquiries, contact: Yolanda Howze, Director of Executive Recruitment, 224.245.5630 or Cheryl Orr, MGT Approved Independent Executive Recruiter, 757.621. 9607.

Veterans Preference Points
To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request.

City Residence Preference Points
City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points.  City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points.
The City of St. Louis is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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