This expert's role involves advising on the most efficient ways of allocating a company or organisation's financial resources. The budget may include the overall operation of these companies or organisations or alternatively relate to specific initiatives or projects that require an independent budget (advertising or promotional campaign, investment in a customer satisfaction and loyalty scheme, an R&D programme, etc.). This analyst should have solid accounting and technical budgeting skills and, furthermore, should be familiar with the relevant tools (suitable software).

• Examining, analysing and searching for new ways to improve the company's economic and financial efficiency.
• Helping to determine the elements that can ensure bigger operating surpluses.
• Offer advice and technical support for the preparation of annual budgets and operating and financial plans (in which programmes, budget increases and new initiatives are proposes and new expenditure and capital investment items are estimated), taking account of the organisation's priorities and financial resources.
• In order to be able to carry out their advisory role, analysts examine budgets, making sure that they are complete, accurate and comply with the company or organisation's regulations and targets. To carry out this analysis they may use cost-benefit methods or analyse and compare budgets from different years or analyse the economic and financial growth that impinges on the company's expenditure.
• After these initial analyses they consolidate the budgets from the different departments and draw them together in an overall budget. In the supplementary report they may include comments for or against the budgetary demands made by different departments.
• In this sense, analysts help the management to make decisions with regards to the allocation of the company or organisation's resources.
• During the year-long period that corresponds to a budget year, analysts monitor (and notify about) the degree of compliance with budgets, reviewing deviations, explaining the cause thereof and analysing and budgetary procedures carried out.
• Where changes have been made to a budgetary plan or a new one has been introduced, analysts are tasked with advising as to its efficiency and effectiveness.
• They may also be involved in the long-term planning of the organisation or company and in drawing up future budget forecasts.

Regulated training and graduates

• Grau: Administració d'empreses i gestió de la innovació
• Grau: Administració i direcció d'empreses
• Grau: Economia
• Grau: Economia i gestió

Complementary training

Other specific skills

Analytical thought: Level 3

Communication: Level 2

Orientation within reach: Level 4

Conceptual thought: Level 2

Planning and organisation: Level 1

Customer orientation: Level 2

Management

The organisation, administration and control of a company or entity are the main interests of people related to the management field. Activities included in this field of interest vary from effective resource management, feasibility analyses and solving business problems to the development of skills and fostering of motivation in relation to human resources. Knowledge regarding specific techniques of strategic administration and business management are required to carry out these activities.

Cost estimation expert

Financial advisor

Stock market trader

Risk Analyst

Actuary

• Work hours

  Their day is a normal workday in the sector in which they work, normally full-time, and they may have to work longer hours during periods of budget preparation and the closing of annual budgets.

• Salary

  Their salary is highly variable and based on their level of experience, knowledge and the size of the company for which they work. It normally ranges between 24.019 and 34.309 euros (gross) a year. Median: 28.707 euros annum gross.
  
  Source: Report "Observatory of Jobs and Salaries of the Labour Market. Barcelona Activa", elaborated by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.

• Other features

  Part of the computer resources must be laptops.

• Professional category

  Technician

• Human resources and equipment

  The human resources necessary to set up a budget analysis consultancy or agency are those related to specialised staff ("senior" or "junior") and the material resources need to carry out the work (appropriate computer resources are essential ).

• Initial investments

  The investment that must be made (as a self-employed worker) is the cost of the computer equipment and transport. If it is someone who has participated in the setting up of a consultancy or advising firm, the investments are the same as starting up a business with a certain infrastructure (premises, workers, computer and support equipment, etc).