Salary

$43.89 - $65.83 Hourly

Location

Seattle, WA

Job Type

Classified Civil Service, Regular, Full-Time

Department

Office of Labor Standards

Job Number

2022-00418

Closing

4/5/2022 4:00 PM Pacific

• DESCRIPTION
• BENEFITS

Position Description

The City of Seattle is a leader on wage, labor and workforce practices that enhance equity, address wage gaps, and create a fair and healthy economy for workers, businesses, and residents. The mission of the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) is to advance labor standards through thoughtful community and business engagement, strategic enforcement, and innovative policy development, with a commitment to racial equity and social justice. 

OLS seeks to improve workers’ lives through development and implementation of laws that advance a fair and equitable workplace. Currently, our office administers 17 labor standards, including the recently passed Independent Contractor Protection Ordinance. 

We are seeking an Enforcement Strategist to provide subject matter expertise in the enforcement of protective legislation and be a strategic planner and thought partner upon which OLS can rely upon for high level advice, guidance, and leadership grounded in equity and data. You will work collaboratively with the Enforcement team to enforce the City’s labor standards effectively and strategically with a long-range vision of workplace equity in Seattle. You will make recommendations to management regarding the establishment of best practices for efficient, effective, and strategic labor standards enforcement. Additionally, you will facilitate collaboration and partnerships between internal and external stakeholders, in furtherance of strategic labor standards enforcement. 

The work associated with this position may be performed by telecommuting, with onsite work and meetings, as dictated by business needs.

Job Responsibilities

Here is more about what you’ll be doing: 

Strategic enforcement. Serve as a subject matter expert on strategic enforcement. Provide leadership and consultation in the design and application of enforcement approaches, methods, and strategies that advance a culture of compliance with Seattle labor standards. Make recommendations to the department regarding strategic enforcement, to include best practices for handling labor standards complaints, intake, and triage; investigations and other enforcement tools. Design, draft, and revise where necessary new and existing internal standard procedures for the strategic enforcement of labor standards laws. Assist with designing guidelines and practices with respect to the department’s strategic enforcement initiatives, including directed investigations. Oversee projects related to enforcement and strategic enforcement and serve as a mentor to team members.

Labor standards enforcement ambassador. Make recommendations about, and advance OLS’s enforcement through, relationship development, collaboration, and partnership with other government agencies, non-governmental agencies, worker centers, and community organizations. Make recommendations about, and advance OLS’s enforcement by, strengthening the OLS Enforcement Team’s relationships, communication, and collaborations within the office and City departments. This could include forging new enforcement agreements with other departments and agencies or overseeing existing agreements.  

Policy and rulemaking. In collaboration with the Policy Team, make policy recommendations to strengthen labor standards enforcement and labor standards in the City. Provide guidance in the development and improvement of rulemaking, including enforcement practices.

Enforcement communications. Provide information and expertise to department outreach and communications efforts, including for press releases, website and social media, outreach materials, campaigns, and events.

Trainings and presentations. Provide trainings and presentations and advise staff on best practices for giving trainings and presentations, including about strategic enforcement, enforcement best practices, and labor standards.  

Race and Social Justice. Apply race and social justice lens to all work and engage in office efforts to eliminate racial disparities and achieve racial equity in City government and in the broader community.

Your effectiveness in this role will depend on your ability to:

• Center and focus your work through a racial equity and social justice lens.
• Develop, organize, manage, and enhance complex and collaborative partnerships across teams, departments, agencies, organizations, and disciplines to pursue shared objectives.
• Analyze complex factual situations and apply law to those facts
• Compile, track, and analyze data for use in enforcement decisions.
• Work independently in a self-directed manner and collaboratively on teams
• Effectively manage multiple tasks efficiently and adapt easily to changing priorities to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, team-oriented, and political environment.
• Work collaboratively and respectfully with other people and groups with differing and sometimes conflicting interests, opinions, and goals while continuing to advance OLS’s enforcement goals.
• Utilize strong project management skills, including the ability to produce, track and manage multiple deliverables with overlapping deadlines.
• Demonstrate excellent cross-cultural written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrate excellent listening skills and a high degree of self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

You will be best prepared for this role if you have the following experience, knowledge, and skills:

• Understanding and application of racial equity and social justice principles in your work, especially as it pertains to the role of government in perpetuating structural racism. This may include lived experience.
• Knowledge of and experience working with labor standards laws and policies and/or Seattle's labor standards laws and/or state and federal wage laws.
• Drafting ordinances, rules, policies, or documents analyzing complex legal issues for the government, non-profit, or private sector.
• Working with employers and employees, as well as business organizations and worker advocacy groups.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have demonstrated technical knowledge and expertise in the enforcement of protective legislation in either labor & employment laws, civil rights, immigration, or a closely related legal arena focused on social justice. Experience and understanding of investigations is beneficial. Demonstrated commitment to strategic planning in advancing racial equity and just outcomes will contribute to your success. There must be a commitment to listening, creating spaces for diverse perspectives and the pursuit of inclusive and just outcomes. Their professional career reflects a commitment to building collaborative, productive, and respectful relationships with community leaders, institutions, and organizations. They must demonstrate an ability to quickly learn Seattle's labor standard laws. 

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.

Additional Information

The Enforcement Strategist reports directly to the Enforcement Manager. This full-time position is classified as a Strategic Advisor 1, General Government in the City payroll system. This position is covered by the Civil Service System. Most work is performed in a normal City work/office environment and/or remotely as needed.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Please submit the following with your online application:

• A letter of interest in which you clearly describe how your lived experience, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities as outlined in the job announcement.
• A resume of your educational and professional work experience.

If you have questions, please contact Nicolette Hornbeck at Nicolette.Hornbeck@seattle.govWho May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the above qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans and those with diverse life experiences.