Data Strategist

Full Job Description

The City of Seattle is a leader on wage, labor, and workforce practices that enhance equity, address wage gaps, and create a fair and healthy economy for workers, businesses, and residents.

The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) seeks to improve workers' lives through the development and implementation of innovative policy and laws that create a fair and equitable workplace.

As part of this mission, we are seeking a Data Strategist to support the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) policy team and other teams in their data strategy and analysis needs.

Specifically, you will work with the Policy Manager and policy analysts to identify metrics and data sources to analyze the impact of existing and prospective labor standards laws.

You will have a focus on two recent Seattle ordinances that regulate certain companies in the “gig economy.” These ordinances—the App-based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (ABWMP) and the App-based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance (ABWDRO) require minimum pay for workers, as well as offering deactivation and transparency protections.

They also require that the companies affirmatively produce data to OLS that will allow the department to understand the trends and policy impacts of these two ordinances.

You will be the subject matter expert on this affirmative data production program, including managing data intake, quality control and analysis, as well as making recommendations for best practices regarding the same.

You will work with regulated companies to ensure accurate and timely data transmissions, perform data cleaning and quality checks, and coordinate resubmission of corrected data.

Further, you will advise on and support, in coordination with IT, data housing, data architecture, and building/maintaining required dashboards.

Additionally, you will support data analysis, reporting, troubleshooting, and visualization needs to better understand the trends and impacts of the ABWMP and ABWDRO ordinances.

Requirements

You will consult with and advise the Policy Manager or designee regarding the collection, management, and analysis of data for policy development and analysis purposes. Your duties will include:

• Supporting data analysis needs to better understand trends and impacts from the ABWMP and ABWDRO ordinances, including but not limited to: descriptive statistics on average earnings, working time, spatial analyses on origin/destination of delivery work, analysis of work trends and distributions, comparative analyses using the above factors and external data sets such as census demographic data.
• Recommending best practices for data collection, cleaning, and analysis (statistical and data) to OLS Policy Manager and Director for labor standards policy development and analysis.
• Working with the companies required to produce data to ensure timely, accurate, and complete data submissions according to legal requirements, including coordinating the data intake, quality control, resubmission, cleaning, and analysis.
• Analyzing and creating tools to understand and draw conclusions and meaning from produced data, including presentations, dashboards, reports, and data visualization tools.
• Providing input on administrative rules or ordinance language for data implementation, production, analysis, governance, and policy to OLS Policy Manager and Director.
• Assisting, supporting and making recommendations to OLS Policy Manager and Director regarding additional data strategy and analysis needs relating to Seattle’s labor standards laws (including, but not limited to Minimum Wage, Wage Theft, Paid Sick and Safe Time, Secure Scheduling, and other laws the City may enact in the future.

Other office-wide responsibilities will include:

• Designing, drafting, and recommending internal standard procedures for collection, receipt, cleaning, analysis, and visualization of data, for labor standards policy analysis, to the OLS leadership.
• Assisting and supporting the Department’s strategy for collection, cleaning, analysis, modeling, visualization, and use of data by making recommendations to the OLS Policy Manager, Director, Deputy Director.
• Supporting the Department in development and deployment of data collection, analysis, and use in all its functions, as needed and assigned.
• Developing and delivering training to OLS staff on best practices for data collection, cleaning, analysis, and use.
• Working collaboratively with other OLS staff, including but not limited to the Senior Data Specialist (Senior Management Systems Analyst), in developing and delivering training and resources.
• Coordinating and carrying out work necessary to make OLS data available through the City’s Open Data portal, working collaboratively with OLS staff and other City staff.

Qualifications

You will be prepared to take on this role if you have a combination of the following:

Experience:

• Expertise in the application of data analytics and modeling to policy analysis with a background in data analysis, statistical analysis, and/or open-source code development (proficient with version control systems, e.g. Git).
• Providing analytics on data through query writing, modeling, and coding.
• Parsing and synthesizing large data sets, performing data analysis, and communicating findings to decision-makers.
• Coordinating data cleaning and quality checks, quality control, resubmission, and analysis.

Skills:

• Applying strong analysis and reasoning skills to quickly understand, evaluate, and assess data and effectively communicate findings to decision makers.
• Using programming languages such as R or Python, query languages such as SQL and extract, transform, load (ETL) development methods and tools, or similar tools.
• Analyzing and creating tools to understand and draw conclusions and meaning from data, including presentations, dashboards, reports, and data visualization tools. (e.g. Python libraries such as Streamlit, Matplotlib, etc.)
• Working in an independent, self-directed manner and as part of collaborative teams, as well as managing projects with multiple competing deadlines.

Abilities:

• Adapting easily to changing priorities to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, team-oriented, and political environment.
• Communicating with clarity and tact, creating trusted partnerships, and demonstrating strong interpersonal skills.
• Understanding of race equity, institutional racism, and its impact on inequality and the racial wealth gap, especially as it pertains to the workplace, workplace policies, and worker rights.

Additional Information

This civil-service position is not eligible for overtime and is classified as a Strategic Advisor 1, General Government-L17 and is governed by a collective bargaining agreement between the City of Seattle and the union, PROTEC17 – Strategic Advisors Unit.

The full pay range for this title is $51.88 - $77.82 per hour ($108,325.44 - $162,488.16 annually, based on 2088 hours per year).

The salary for this individual position has been identified as $65.24 hourly ($136,211.12 annually). The hourly rates above are reflective of the 2026 salary schedule.

First round interviews for this position are tentatively scheduled for February 11-13, 2026. Second round interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of February 18-20, 2026.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Please contact Sandra Wong at Sandra.Wong@seattle.gov to request accommodation.

This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be expected to be in-office three times a week.

This position will require the ability to work a flexible schedule, as there may be occasional travel that is required.

Individual schedules will be based on agreement between the employee and their supervisor.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.

More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Why Work at the City?

At the City of Seattle, public service is more than a job; it’s a chance to shape the future and make a meaningful difference in the lives of everyone who works, lives, or plays in our city.

With 12,000 employees across 40+ departments and 1,100 job titles, we are united by a common purpose: to create a Seattle that is vibrant and welcoming for all.

Whatever your role, you’ll help power a forward-looking city that leads by example — inclusive, innovative, equitable, and community-focused — while joining a diverse team committed to solving challenges and making a lasting impact together.

Join us in building a Seattle where everyone thrives!

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Please submit your application at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle no later than 4:00 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. To be considered for this position, in addition to completing your application fully, please attach:

• A PDF of your current resume
• A cover letter clearly describing how your knowledge, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and qualifications outlined in this job announcement.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

We encourage you to review the City of Seattle’s Application and Interviewing Tips Guide, which may be used as a resource as you prepare to apply and interview for positions with the City of Seattle.

Who may apply: This position is open to all applicants that demonstrate alignment with the skills and experience described above. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences.

Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The City encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

To learn more about the Office of Labor Standards, please visit: https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards