Classification and Advisor

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Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked hard to keep Seattle’s electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, Seattle City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce is critical to our success.

We do that by employing best-in-class, equitable, and data-informed classification and compensation practices that support consistent decision-making and strong service to our employees and leaders.

The Classification & Compensation Advisor leads and advances Seattle City Light’s classification and compensation programs and serves as a strategic advisor on pay and job classification matters. This role develops and improves policies and procedures, conducts research and analysis, and provides recommendations that support consistent, equitable, and market-aligned decisions. The position works independently on sensitive, visible, and high-impact matters, applying strong judgment, confidentiality, and a customer-centered approach, while partnering with City stakeholders and complying with City rules, personnel policies, and collective bargaining agreements.

The role plays a key part in advancing workforce equity, supporting career pathways, and enabling data-informed decision-making across the utility. This position reports to the Talent Acquisition Manager.

• Provide compensation guidance and recommendations for current employees, new hires, Out-of-Class assignments, and temporary staffing, consistent with City rules, labor agreements, and internal equity.
• Lead complex compensation analyses (e.g., equity/internal alignment, pay trends) and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Provide compensation support for labor/contract negotiations, including cost modeling, pay comparisons, and scenario analysis for bargaining and implementation options.
• Lead salary studies and market pricing efforts, including survey participation, benchmarking, interpretation of results, and recommendations on market position and pay practices.
• Prepare decision-ready materials that communicate risks, tradeoffs, equity impacts, and implementation considerations.
• Support implementation of compensation program changes, including change management planning, communications, and outcome measurement.
• Conduct and support pay equity analyses aligned with Race and Social Justice (RSJ) principles; assess impacts and recommend actions to address identified disparities.
• Partner with workforce planning and career architecture efforts to ensure compensation and classification structures support career pathways and succession needs.

• Lead and/or oversee classification studies and complex job evaluations for Seattle City Light, developing well-documented, equitable recommendations for coordination and review with City Human Resources.
• Advise leaders on classification strategies, including impacts to organizational structure, career ladders, and job specifications.
• Coordinate reclassification requests with the City’s Department of Human Resources and advise on risks, precedents, and downstream impacts.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for classification questions across the utility, providing accurate, timely, and accessible guidance.
• Represent City Light’s interests in classification matters with internal partners and other City departments, maintaining alignment with Citywide standards while addressing utility-specific needs.
• Support the design and maintenance of career ladders and job architectures, ensuring classifications align with progression, skill development, and organizational readiness.

• Design, document, and continuously improve classification and compensation processes, tools, and guidance to promote consistency, transparency, and…