Public Health Policy Advisor to the Mayor

$52.36/hr - $78.53/hr

Position Description

Growing substance use disorder and overdoses related to opioid and synthetic drugs are harming our communities at staggering rates as outlined in Executive Order 2023-04. There is an urgent demand in the City for in-depth analysis, development of policy and recommendations, determining short- and long-term goals and objectives, establishing metrics, and concrete steps to successful implementation, program development, community collaboration, and contract oversight for public health-related services.

The city is seeking an experienced Public Health Policy Advisor to the Mayor with a demonstrated commitment to racial equity and a client centered approach. This person will use their personal and positional authority to effectively serve as Policy Advisor to the Mayor and other leaders. This Policy Advisor shall ensure the city of Seattle is a strong public steward in its service delivery, strategy, and policy related to substance use disorders and other related public health matters. This position is the key communicator and liaison for the HSD Director, Mayor’s Office, City Council, and Public Health Seattle King County, King County Department of Community and Human Services, other City Departments, community agencies, and more. The Public Health Policy Advisor to the Mayor reports to the HSD Director.

The first review of resumes will be January 9, 2024.

This position is currently being assessed and reviewed. The job title and rate of pay may change at the conclusion of this process.

Job Responsibilities

• Advise the Mayor and HSD Director in shaping the City’s public health strategies and investments with a racial, equity and social justice lens.?
• Lead policy development and strategic vision for the City’s response to public health, including a clear vision to mitigate the rise of substance use disorder and overdose crisis.
• Work closely with the City’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations to track and influence state and federal legislation related to public health and behavioral health, specifically.
• Supervise one FTE with oversight of research, competitive funding processes and public health-related contracts and initiatives.
• Serve as HSD’s leading subject matter expert on its public health priorities and act as the primary point of contact for HSD’s finance/budget process on related topics; project manage the annual budget development process for this portfolio; and track and report on budget commitments including budget actions (i.e., Change Request Forms, Council adds and Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) responses).
• Work closely with HSD’s Legislative and External Affairs team on messaging and communications with the Mayor’s Office and in response to requests from media.
• Prepare public health-related policy briefing memos, reports and other written communications materials for HSD leadership, the Mayor’s Office and other elected officials, sponsors, advisory councils, and other decision makers.
• Represent the City and/or HSD in strategic arenas including regularly providing content expertise and policy support to the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and other community partners.
• Act on behalf of, and represent priorities and interests of, the Department and serve on a variety of cross functional, departmental and/or jurisdictional teams.
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Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience that provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class) and 5 years of experience with providing leadership, planning, strategic development, program development, and public policy.

Desired Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Public Health, Social Science, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of experience with leadership, public policy, planning, and strategic development.
• Three (3) or more years in program planning related to the development or administration of public health service provisions and policy, or human service programs or other work in a related field.
• Experience with the City of Seattle council and executive branch relations, including legislative and budget processes.
• Strong problem-solving and analytic skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated ability to effectively communicate to and with a diverse range of stakeholders, elected officials, and policy makers. ?
• A well-developed understanding of equity and social justice principles and experience leading teams and/or implementing policies that integrate equity and social justice into program design and workplace culture.
• Experience with substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction strategies, behavioral health, homelessness, or other public health-related topics.
• Skill in project design/management and successful track record of using formal (direct oversight) informal authority (indirect oversight) to set, track, and achieve collaborative goals, both short- and long-term, with interdepartmental and external teams.
• High level of people and process management skills including mediating between competing interests across multiple teams.
• Experience working with executive leadership or elected officials to develop and operationalize policy.
• Expertise in evaluating programs and/or projects related to systems transformation efforts.
• Master's Degree in Public Health, Social Science, Public Administration, or a related field.
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Additional Information

Additional Requirements

Your application will not be reviewed if these items are missing or incomplete.

Hiring Process

Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. Qualified candidates must submit the following to be considered:

• Completed NEOGOV online application.
• Current résumé indicating relevant experience and education.
• Cover letter describing how your skills and experience align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications.
• Supplemental questionnaire responses
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The full salary range for this position is $52.36 - $78.53 per hour.

This role is required to work in the office a minimum of two days a week.

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

Offers of employment are contingent on verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process, including potential background check.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.