Government Relations Policy Advisor

* THIS POSITION IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 17th, AT 11:59 PM WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY CONSIDERATION*

The City of Auburn, a thriving municipality in the Puget Sound area, is seeking a Government Relations Policy Advisor. This position performs professional work managing the City’s external relationships with other governmental agencies and legislative bodies whose deliberations and actions impact the City and its citizens. Duties include advising the Mayor, Chief Administrative Officer, Council, and staff on a broad range of intergovernmental and regional policy issues;

providing leadership in strategic planning, policy development, and advocacy on a broad array of City and regional issues; developing and coordinating City positions on legislative issues; and advancing the City’s interests in regional and interjurisdictional forums, working in cooperation with staff and elected officials.

The ideal candidate is someone who can step in and contribute immediately. They will partner closely with the Mayor, City leadership, and the City Council to advance the City’s legislative priorities, bring an effective system for tracking, analyzing, and sharing legislative developments, establish a consistent, ongoing process for managing legislative priorities and conduct regular check‑ins on regional policy issues. Staying well‑informed on federal, state, and regional politics is essential, as are exceptional organization and strong communication skills.

The City of Auburn is a dynamic and growing city in the South Puget Sound with a vibrant city core and diverse population of engaged residents. The Government Relations Policy Advisor represents and champions the City to the various legislative bodies across the state while working closely with government partners to further the City of Auburn’s agenda and policies. The position works under the discretion of the mayor alongside the executive leadership team to develop wide‑ranging policy and advocate on the behalf of the city on regional issues.

• Represent the City of Auburn during the Washington State Legislative Session
  : track, monitor, analyze, and coordinate the City’s interests with lawmakers across the city.
• Advise City leadership on a broad range of intergovernmental and regional policy issues affecting the City and region via regular meetings and check‑ins.
• Develop strategic initiatives and approaches around policy creation and implementation.
• Create and maintain an annual legislative agenda with staff alongside City leadership and lobbyists, with materials that evolve throughout the months and years. Keep this living document in a publicly‑accessible area such as the City website, with deliberate and timely updates.
• Manage and monitor the work of contracted consultants as it relates to government relations and policy advisement.

While these duties will be the primary focus of the job, the full job description includes a more comprehensive list of responsibilities. to review the class specification.

• Minimum:
  Bachelor’s Degree in public administration, business, political science, or related field.
• Minimum:
  Four (4) years professional experience related to governmental issues at the local, regional, and/or state levels.
• Alternatively: a combination of experience, education, and training that would indicate the level of skills, knowledge, and abilities required to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job.

• Possess and retain a valid state driver’s license throughout tenure of employment without impending loss at time of appointment.

NOTE: This position requires fingerprinting and completion of the CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) Security Certification Test to view sensitive information and have unescorted access at the Police Department.

• Competitive salary
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision plans with employee premiums paid by the City
• Employer contributions to the State Retirement System pension plans
• 12 days of paid vacation per year
• 11 paid holidays per year
• 2 paid…