Housing Policy & Planning Strategic Advisor

City of Seattle; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 88,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Seattle's Office of Housing seeks a Housing Policy & Planning Strategic Advisor to lead policy development and project execution focused on housing affordability. You will analyze data, draft policy materials, and support cross-department planning to advance equitable development.

Responsibilities include site analysis for affordable housing, due diligence coordination with contractors, stakeholder engagement, and presenting recommendations to senior management and policymakers in a

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of real estate development and/or finance, community development, and/or housing policy.
• Experience with real estate development budgets, pro formas, site analysis.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Project management skills with multiple deliverables and deadlines.
• Cross-cultural written and oral communication skills.
• Familiarity with government and interaction with elected officials and the public.

Responsibilities

• Policy development in collaboration with City departments, developers, and advocates; presenting recommendations to leadership.
• Advance sites for affordable housing through site analysis, feasibility, and cost studies; coordinate due diligence and contracts.

Skills

Real estate development

Finance

Policy analysis

Project management

Quantitative skills

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-cultural communication

RSJ familiarity

Job description

The mission of the Seattle Office of Housing (OH) is to build strong healthy communities and increase opportunities for people of all income levels to live in our city. To help support this mission, we are looking for a Housing Policy & Planning Strategic Advisor.

This is a senior member of the Office of Housing's Policy and Planning team. This position has responsibilities that span policy development and project implementation. With a focus on housing affordability, the position participates in our place-based initiatives, conducts original policy research and analysis, and pursues and advances site-specific real estate opportunities to promote equitable development patterns throughout Seattle.

In this role, you will function as both a technical expert on site-specific real estate opportunities and a big-picture strategist on housing policy. You will perform independent analysis and conduct stakeholder engagement with community members, housing developers, and advocates. You will be responsible for representing OH on cross-department planning and policy efforts; you will also present consensus recommendations to senior management and policymakers that address complex questions surrounding housing affordability and equitable development. While the questions facing this position are large, complicated, and embedded in a complex political environment, site-specific work will also offer you the chance to make immediate progress on the City’s affordable housing goals.

Your top 2 priorities in this role will be

1. Policy Development

• Collaborating with OH staff, other City departments, and external stakeholders such as developers, property owners, businesses, nonprofit agencies, and affordable housing advocates to shape and refine housing and equitable development policy design.
• Performing research to evaluate best practices and new strategies; specific areas of inquiry may include data analysis, financial modeling, and policy analysis to inform policy development.
• Drafting presentation materials, reports, fact sheets, and other documents that effectively describe research findings and policy initiatives to diverse audiences.
• Representing OH at inter-jurisdictional and inter-departmental teams.
• Presenting policy recommendations to OH senior management, Council, and the Executive.

2. Project Implementation

• Advancing sites for affordable housing development by preparing site analysis and analyzing development feasibility and costs. Sites may include large commercial real estate opportunities suitable for major rental production as well as smaller sites that may be suitable for homeownership development.
• Coordinating due diligence and pre-development work on OH-initiated affordable housing sites, including managing contracts and external contractors.

You will be most successful in this role with a combination of the following:

Knowledge and Skills

• Working knowledge of real estate development and/or finance, community development, and/or housing policy
• Demonstrated competency in real estate development budgets, pro formas, site analysis
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills
• Project management skills, including the ability to produce, track, and manage multiple deliverables with overlapping deadlines
• Cross-cultural written and oral communication skills
• Familiarity with government, including experience interacting with elected officials and the public

Experience in

• Leading and building strong and effective teams
• Experience working in an independent, self-directed manner, and as part of a collaborative team
• Experience applying race and social justice principles in a work setting, and/or knowledge of the City of Seattle's RSJ initiative.

The ability to

• Utilize your strong analytical and quantitative skills
• Work in an independent, self-directed manner, and as part of a collaborative team
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks efficiently and adapt easily to changing priorities to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, team-oriented, and political environment

This is a civil service exempt, full-time position and is classified as a Strategic Advisor 1, Exempt. It is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Agreement (FLSA) and is not eligible for overtime.

Salary

The full salary range for this position is $51.88 - $77.82 hourly. The hourly pay range for this individual position has been identified as $64.19 - $70.34.

Hiring Timeline

The first round of interviews for this position is tentatively scheduled for January 5-12, 2027, with the second round taking place on January 18-22, 2027.

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 or [e-mail] to request accommodation.

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. Please select an option under the “Most Employee Benefits” heading.

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!

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, medical condition, or pregnancy. The City of Seattle 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. If you have questions, please contact Sandra Wong at [e-mail].