Federal Grant Management Unit; FGMU Strategic Advisor

The Strategic Advisor for the Human Services Department’s Federal Grant Management Unit (FGMU) serves as a senior advisor and subject matter expert overseeing the City of Seattle’s U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement funding, including CDBG, ESG, HOPWA, and HOME.

This role provides executive-level strategic guidance to elected officials and department leadership on complex policy, funding, compliance, and resource allocation matters affecting high-impact human services programs. The Strategic Advisor shapes long-term funding strategy advises on regulatory risk and performance outcomes and ensures alignment of federal investments with the City’s priority objectives.

The position leads cross-departmental coordination and represents the department in communications with City leadership, nonprofit partners, and external stakeholders. Working closely with the FGMU Manager and team, the Strategic Advisor provides oversight across the full grant lifecycle—from allocation and compliance through reporting and closeout—ensuring strong stewardship of federal resources and maximizing community impact.

• Serves as a senior strategic representative of elected official(s) and/or department head(s), advising on complex, high-impact issues related to the City’s priority programs and services. Provides guidance on policy direction, builds consensus among diverse stakeholders, advocates for strategic positions—including controversial initiatives—and advances critical City objectives through executive-level communication and influence.
• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction to cross-functional, interdepartmental, and interjurisdictional teams. Aligns efforts across organizational boundaries to achieve long-term City priorities, resolve complex challenges, and ensure coordinated implementation of major initiatives.
• Functions as the City’s subject matter authority in HUD entitlement funding (, ESG, HOPWA, HOME), exercising independent judgment in technical decision-making, regulatory interpretation, compliance strategy, and risk mitigation. Advises leadership on regulatory changes and funding implications to safeguard resources and maximize community impact.
• Serves as a trusted Strategic Advisor whose expert analysis and recommendations directly inform executive decisions affecting highly visible, high-impact City services and programs. Anticipates emerging risks, evaluates strategic options, and provides data-driven guidance to support policy and operational outcomes.
• Leads high-level coordination and communications between FGMU, City departments, local nonprofit partners, and City leadership. Ensures strategic alignment, policy compliance, and transparent information flow while strengthening collaborative partnerships.
• Provides strategic oversight of funding lifecycle management, collaborating with the FGMU Manager and team to guide allocation strategy, performance monitoring, compliance reporting, and grant closeout. Ensures processes reflect best practices, mitigate risk, and support data-informed leadership decision-making.

• Knowledge of HUD entitlement programs (CDBG, ESG, HOPWA, HOME), including regulatory interpretation, compliance oversight, and risk mitigation.
• Five years professional experience in grant management, financial analysis, public administration, or related work, including allocation, monitoring, reporting, audit response, and closeout, with strong fiscal and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives or elected officials on complex policy, funding, and regulatory matters with significant public impact.
• Bachelor's degree in public policy, Public Administration, Urban Planning, Community Development, Political Science, Finance, Accounting or related field.

Or a combination of education, training, experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class.

• Proven ability to develop guidance on long-range funding strategies, resource allocation decisions, and performance frameworks for high-impact public programs.
• Experience leading cross-functional or…