LEGISLATIVE ANALYST-LAND USE

Full Job Description

The Snohomish County Council is seeking an experienced planning and land use professional to join our Legislative Analyst Team as the Planning and Community Development Committee Analyst. This position provides policy analysis, legislative support, and professional advice to five independently elected Councilmembers on land use, development, environmental, and other issues within the committee’s jurisdiction.

Working directly with Councilmembers and the Chief of Staff, the analyst plays a key role in supporting the Council’s policy development and decision-making.

The position requires the ability to objectively analyze policy proposals, develop viable options, and identify both short- and long-term impacts of legislative decisions.

While the analyst helps advance the Council’s policy objectives by providing high-quality analysis and legislative drafting, the role requires maintaining a professional, policy-agnostic perspective and serving all Councilmembers with impartiality.

The ideal candidate brings strong experience with local planning codes and state and federal planning requirements, including Washington’s Growth Management Act, Critical Areas regulations, and comprehensive planning.

Success in this role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong analytical and critical thinking skills, and the ability to translate complex regulatory and policy issues into clear, actionable information for elected officials and the public.

This role operates in a fast-paced policy environment and requires the ability to manage multiple priorities and differing policy perspectives with professionalism and discretion.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong political awareness, sound judgment, and the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and effectively.

The Planning and Community Development Committee Analyst staffs the Council’s Planning and Community Development Committee and works closely with several County departments, including Planning and Development Services, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Hearing Examiner’s Office, and the Airport.

In addition to land use and development policy, the analyst regularly evaluates legislation, programs, contracts, and budget proposals affecting these departments.

Primary responsibilities include drafting land use ordinances at the request of Councilmembers, evaluating department-initiated legislation for Council consideration, reviewing and analyzing contracts and budget proposals, and providing objective policy analysis to support Council decision-making.

Application Instructions

Please submit a detailed cover letter completely describing your experience and accomplishments in the following areas:

1. Analyzing land use policy proposals, identifying legally compliant solutions to complex planning issues, and presenting policy options, tradeoffs, and potential impacts.
2. Drafting complex land use ordinances, development regulations, regulatory code, and other policy frameworks.
3. Advising elected officials on planning and policy matters and preparing written materials for decision-makers (e.g., staff reports, policy memos, legislative analyses).
4. Communicating complex planning or policy issues to the public and other stakeholders.
5. Collaborating across departments, agencies, or jurisdictions to resolve planning issues, including matters such as annexations or boundary changes, and reviewing related contracts, programs, or budgets.
6. Reviewing and analyzing contracts, programs, and budgets.

BASIC FUNCTION

Provides policy and fiscal analysis to the County Council, primarily on land use, comprehensive planning, and oversight of contracts and legislation. The analyst presents findings to the Council and its committees and serves as a liaison to County departments, external agencies, and the public.

Requirements

STATEMENT OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Planning and Development specific duties: 

Qualifications

Any combination of work experience and education totaling at least nine years which provides the skills, knowledge and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position; emphasis on analytics, planning and development, and verbal and written communication skills. Progression from Legislative Analyst - Land Use to Legislative Analyst - Land Use, Senior (Salary Range: $147,998.88 - $188,888.28 Annually), is at the sole discretion of the County Council.

Additional Information

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• principlesandpracticesofurbanplanninganddesign including land use laws, codes and policies;
• principles and practices of public administration and policy analysis; 
• researchanddatacollectiontechniques;
• federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations governing the structure and operations of county government
• geographicalandpoliticalaspectsofworkrelatedareas;
• computerwordprocessing,spreadsheetanddatabaseapplications.

Ability to:

• assess potential impact of social and economic trends on county programs;
• gather, analyze, synthesize, organize and evaluate a variety of data including revenue and expenditure data;
• conduct objective and unbiased analysis and evaluation of the economic, political and social impacts and consequences of laws, rules, regulations, technical reports, planning data, legal documents, and legislative policies and actions;
• conduct legal research and prepare a variety of legal documents including sections of the county code, ordinances and resolutions;
• assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of alternative courses of action including the positions of opposing interest groups involved in planning issues and possess the ability to communicate those positions to others; 
• organize facts and present findings, conclusions and recommendations in a clear, concise and logical manner;
• communicate and present unbiased information in a non-partisan tone using excellent writing and presentation skills;
• establish and maintain effective work relationships with elected officials, department heads, associates, subordinates, and with the general public;
• maintain the confidentiality of information;
• exercise good judgment as to when to act independently and when to refer situations to a higher authority;
• work under pressure and meet deadlines; 
  
  

SUPERVISION

The employee receives general direction from the Chief of Staff and/or individual Councilmembers.

The work is characterized by a broad latitude for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative on the employee's part.

The employee reports to the Chief of Staff regarding the status of assigned projects and for advice on unusual situations.

WORKING CONDITIONS
The work is performed in a hybrid office environment with occasional field trips to locations throughout the county for the purpose of attending meetings and making site visits. The employee is required to work evenings, weekends and holidays as necessary.

Snohomish County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer.
 Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request. 
EEO policy and ADA notice