Policy Manager

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 by developing and implementing innovative policies and laws that create a fair and equitable workplace.

Currently, our office administers 16 labor standards, including the recently passed App-Based Workers Minimum Payment and Deactivation Rights Ordinances.

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

We are looking for a strategic and visionary Policy Manager to join our highly skilled, innovative policy team in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.

In this role, you will be responsible for supervising a small team of policy advisors and for leading the office's efforts to develop workplace policies that impact nearly every worker in the City.

Our forward-thinking policies seek to remove barriers to workforce equity and often lead the nation.

Policies may include legislation, administrative rules, fiscal recommendations, and programs subject to review and approval by policymakers.

Policies are grounded in race and social justice principles and are continually evaluated to heighten effectiveness and mitigate unintended racial and social inequities.

As the Policy Manager, you will play a pivotal role in promoting workplace equity, protecting the rights of low-wage workers, helping employers comply with labor standards, and facilitating access to race and social justice.

You will work independently and in collaboration with other members of OLS’s leadership team and staff.

Requirements

Here is more about what you will be doing:

Championing Equity.

Applying a race equity and social justice lens to all work and engaging in office efforts to eliminate racial disparities and achieve racial equity in the City government and the broader community.

Understanding the history of racism and recognizing the unique role of government to address institutional and structural racism.

Visionary, strategic leadership and oversight. Serve as subject matter expert on Seattle’s labor standards and key advisor on emerging policies that impact Seattle’s workplaces.

Develop long and short-term goals and amplify policies that can mitigate or eliminate negative impacts on the low wage workers, including people of color, immigrants, and refugees.

Collaborate with internal staff, the Mayor’s Office, elected officials, other City departments, and the community on highly complex and potentially controversial projects.

Team leadership and collaboration. Leading and supervising a talented team of policy analysts to develop and implement Seattle’s existing and future labor standards.

Support the team’s leadership and growth. Preparing budget requests for team and tracking expenditures. Overseeing work allocation and workforce planning.

Ensure the team's work and planning aligns with Department-wide mission, theory of change, and strategic goals.

Legislative, rule development, and other policy development.

Leading and supporting efforts to draft legislation, administrative rules, and other written documents that incorporate multiple levels of feedback and review from internal and external stakeholders.

Facilitating stakeholder rule-making processes with community and business organizations, employers, and workers. Conducting research and analyzing data to provide analysis of existing ordinances.

Facilitating stakeholder rule-making processes with community and business organizations, employers, and workers.

Overseeing and conducting policy and legal research on leading enforcement and outreach practices as reported by policy organizations, worker and business organizations, and local, state, and federal jurisdictions.

Providing recommendations in verbal, written and visual formats to the Director, OLS Leadership Team, Mayor’s Office and elected officials.

Strengthening and building partnerships. In addition to government partners, working closely with community and business leaders, advocacy organizations, and other jurisdictions to advance OLS’s mission.

Outreach and Enforcement. Providing input for outreach and enforcement efforts that involve cross team collaborations and community partnerships.

Commissions and Boards. Overseeing staff support for the Labor Standards Advisory Commission and Domestic Worker Standards Board.

Qualifications

You will be successful in this role if you have a professional career that reflects a commitment to advancing racial equity, social justice, economic justice, workplace equity, worker well-being, and/or equitable outcomes.

You will be a skilled project manager and have demonstrated success in the research, development, and implementation of ordinances, rules, policies, laws, and/or programs.

You are a relational, empathetic manager with experience in leading and building teams.

Your ability to convene people, build consensus, and build collaborative relationships with stakeholders and policymakers will be critical to their success.

Specifically, you'll be prepared to take on this role if you have a combination of the following:

A commitment to:

• Listening, creating space for diverse perspectives, and the pursuit of inclusive and just outcomes must be at the center of your professional practice.
• Applying a racial equity and social justice lens to the work and demonstrating an anti-poverty analysis.
• Contributing meaningfully to ending systemic racism.
• A diverse, equitable working environment supported by collaborative, productive and respectful relationships.

Experience and Knowledge in:

• Championing racial equity by centering BIPOC and other diverse communities in the development of policy and program administration.
• Research, development and implementation of policies, laws or programs.
• Supervising and building teams.
• Project management in producing, tracking and managing multiple deliverables with overlapping deadlines, and budget preparation and oversight.
• Knowledge of local, state and federal employment laws, including Seattle's labor standards.
• Working in or with government, including interacting with elected officials and the public.
• Knowledge of the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative.
• Delivering meaningful outcomes by working with a diverse range of partners and leading, facilitating, and supporting a team

The ability to:

• Apply strong reasoning and analysis to quickly understand, evaluate, and comfortably navigate policies and legal requirements.
• Recognize how institutional racism and government has contributed to inequality and the wealth gap between white people and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
• Adapt to changing landscapes that may be political, economic, legal, etc....
• Utilize outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Facilitate, negotiate, and use conflict resolution skills.
• Build collaborative relationships with individuals or groups with conflicting views.
• Collaborate with workers, employers, and community or business organizations.
• Create and lead training sessions and other presentations.
• Draft ordinances, rules/regulations, or policies.
• Be comfortable working in a politically sensitive environment with multiple priorities and tight deadlines.

Additional Information

This Civil Service position is classified as a Strategic Advisor II, General Government. It is exempt from FLSA (not eligible for overtime) and reports to the OLS Director.

Salary: The full pay range for this classification is $56.57 - $84.88 hourly. The hourly pay rate for this individual position has been identified as $72.25.

Hiring Timeline: First interviews for this position are tentatively scheduled for the week of March 23, 2026. Second interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of April 6, 2026.

Accommodations: 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.

Work Schedule: This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be expected to be in-office three days a week. Individual schedules will be based on agreement between the employee and their supervisor.

Benefits – 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 to https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle/ no later than 4:00pm Pacific Time on March 3, 2026. In addition to completing the application fully, to be considered you must include:

• A cover letter explaining your interest in this opportunity with the Office of Labor Standards and the skills and experience you would bring to it
• A copy of your current resume

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 with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Questions? Please contact Sandra Wong at sandra.wong@seattle.gov