Senior Legislative Analyst - King County Council

King County, WA; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Pension plan

ORCA transit pass

Paid holidays

Flexible schedules

Job summary

King County Council is seeking a Senior Legislative Analyst to join its central policy staff. You will analyze legislation and policy issues, assess fiscal impacts, and present findings in public meetings.

The ideal candidate has a master’s degree with at least six years of analytical experience, can develop policy options, draft legislation, and summarize complex issues for council committees. Hybrid work and comprehensive benefits are provided.

Qualifications

• Master's degree and at least six years of analytical, evaluative, and planning experience.
• Expert knowledge of public administration, budgeting, and policy analysis.
• Strong ability to analyze legislation, budgets, and regulatory impacts.

Responsibilities

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of legislation and policy issues.
• Develop policy and fiscal options for council decision-makers.
• Prepare staff reports and briefings for council committees and present findings.
• Draft legislation and amendments for council consideration.

Skills

Public administration

Budget and accounting

Financial planning

Analytical reasoning

Oral and written communication

Interpersonal skills

Education

Master's degree in public administration / finance / accounting / econ

Job description

Summary

UPDATE 11/3/2026: Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews may begin the first week of December. We encourage you to apply early. The Metropolitan King County Council is seeking a skilled thinker and communicator to join its central policy staff as a Senior Legislative Analyst. The Council's policy team conducts quantitative and qualitative analyses of legislation and policy issues, including fiscal impacts, regulatory requirements, and potential legislative outcomes; staff also present their findings in public meetings. The policy team's goal is to provide high-quality, nonpartisan and objective analyses of policy proposals for councilmembers to consider when making policy decisions -- maintaining personal neutrality is a must for this position. King County is becoming a global leader whose continued excellence and diverse population is a driving force in the Pacific Northwest. As the legislative branch of county government, the King County Council represents nine geographical regions of the county, sets policies, enacts laws, and adopts budgets that guide an array of services. At King County Council, we are committed to upholding and promoting equal opportunity in employment. The Council encourages people of all backgrounds, cultures, and religions to apply, including veterans, people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. A diverse workforce is a strong workforce.

Job Duties

To be considered for this opportunity, you must at a minimum, demonstrate knowledge, skill, and ability to:

• Conduct, organize, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative objective and non-partisan analysis of legislation and policy issues that may be complex or controversial.
• Develop policy and fiscal options for council decision-makers with limited supervision.
• Provide expert consultation in connection with legislation and policy development involving broadly defined subject matter, services, and processes.
• Research and analyze legislation referred to the council on specific policy and fiscal matters. Identify legislative and executive intent.
• Prepare and present staff reports and briefings for council committees. Summarize intent, outline background information, analyze important issues, identify legal issues, impacts and risks. Prepare pertinent attachments and illustrations.
• Draft legislation and amendments as required for council consideration. Review for compliance with professional and technical standards.
• Develop new legislative proposals based on councilmember or supervisor's request and direction.
• Review annual budget proposals, engage in discussions about policy intent and expected outcomes, analyze issues, and develop options.

A full description of the job duties can be found here: Position: Senior Legislative Analyst

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Expert knowledge of the principles and practices in one or more of the following areas: public administration, budget and accounting, financial planning and analysis, management, social science, planning, operations research and evaluation, or the equivalent that can aid policy analysis.
• Expert knowledge of the legislative process and parliamentary rules and procedures.
• Well-developed math skills to perform statistical, financial, and economic analyses.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills and the ability to adapt to diverse personalities and audiences, collaborate with team members, facilitate small group discussions, and prepare and deliver formal presentations.
• The ability to learn, interpret, and apply relevant sections of the King County Code, and local, regional, state and federal mandates and programs.
• Use logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of proposals, alternatives, and conclusions, as well as whether proposals comply with policy. Identify issues for legal review.

Education Qualifications

The Senior Legislative Analyst position typically requires a master's degree in public administration, finance, accounting, transportation planning, behavioral or social science, political science, business, economics, or equivalent discipline that will enable job performance AND at least six years of experience performing professional level work in an analytical, evaluative, and planning capacity and/or any combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the job duties of the position.

KING COUNTY COUNCIL IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

About The Position

This position is open to all qualified applicants. Acceptable proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States are required by federal immigration law. This is a salaried, at-will, overtime-exempt position that is not eligible for the county Career Service system. The standard workweek is 40 hours. Non-traditional work hours and travel throughout King County may occasionally be required. This position is represented by Teamsters Local 117. The salary represents a mandatory $1.50 per hour deduction on behalf of the employee to the pension trust.

Full benefits are available, some of which include the Washington State Public Employees’ Retirement System; county health insurance, dental, and vision plans; parental leave; local transit pass and other local alternative transportation incentives; and deferred compensation plan. To see all benefits, visit Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement at https://kingcounty.gov/audience/employees/benefits.aspx

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

An online employment application, resume, cover letter and answers to the supplemental questions are required. Applicants will be screened for completeness, competitiveness, and writing accuracy. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a writing exercise and one or more panel interviews. Final offer will be contingent upon a completed reference check.

TELEWORK

The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly in a hybrid work environment, working in the office and at home. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. If selected for this position, you must be available for periodic in-person work. You must have a secure and reliable internet connection for remote work-a minimum of 30 megabits per second download speed to accommodate video meetings. All staff must commit to standards related to team engagement, telework, and the KCC code of conduct.

Please contact Arlecier West, Sr. HR Business Partner at [e-mail] if you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you would like to have a confidential discussion about this opportunity.

JOB CODE

246401 Senior Legislative Analyst

Benefits

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page. This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based on terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.