The Snohomish County Council is seeking an experienced planning and land use professional to join our Legislative Analyst Team as the
Planning and Community Development Committee Analyst. This position provides policy analysis, legislative support, and professional advice to five independently elected Councilmembers on land use, development, environmental, and other issues within the committee’s jurisdiction.
Working directly with Councilmembers and the Chief of Staff, the analyst plays a key role in supporting the Council’s policy development and decision-making. The position requires the ability to objectively analyze policy proposals, develop viable options, and identify both short- and long-term impacts of legislative decisions. While the analyst helps advance the Council’s policy objectives by providing high-quality analysis and legislative drafting, the role requires maintaining a professional, policy-agnostic perspective and serving all Councilmembers with impartiality.
The ideal candidate brings strong experience with local planning codes and state and federal planning requirements, including Washington’s Growth Management Act, Critical Areas regulations, and comprehensive planning. Success in this role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong analytical and critical thinking skills, and the ability to translate complex regulatory and policy issues into clear, actionable information for elected officials and the public.
This role operates in a fast-paced policy environment and requires the ability to manage multiple priorities and differing policy perspectives with professionalism and discretion. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong political awareness, sound judgment, and the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and effectively.
The Planning and Community Development Committee Analyst staffs the Council’s Planning and Community Development Committee and works closely with several County departments, including Planning and Development Services, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Hearing Examiner’s Office, and the Airport. In addition to land use and development policy, the analyst regularly evaluates legislation, programs, contracts, and budget proposals affecting these departments.
Primary responsibilities include drafting land use ordinances at the request of Councilmembers, evaluating department-initiated legislation for Council consideration, reviewing and analyzing contracts and budget proposals, and providing objective policy analysis to support Council decision-making.
Application Instructions
Please submit a detailed cover letter completely describing your experience and accomplishments in the following areas:
- Analyzing land use policy proposals, identifying legally compliant solutions to complex planning issues, and presenting policy options, tradeoffs, and potential impacts.
- Drafting complex land use ordinances, development regulations, regulatory code, and other policy frameworks.
- Advising elected officials on planning and policy matters and preparing written materials for decision-makers (e.g., staff reports, policy memos, legislative analyses).
- Communicating complex planning or policy issues to the public and other stakeholders.
- Collaborating across departments, agencies, or jurisdictions to resolve planning issues, including matters such as annexations or boundary changes, and reviewing related contracts, programs, or budgets.
- Reviewing and analyzing contracts, programs, and budgets.
BASIC FUNCTION Provides policy and fiscal analysis to the County Council, primarily on land use, comprehensive planning, and oversight of contracts and legislation. The analyst presents findings to the Council and its committees and serves as a liaison to County departments, external agencies, and the public.
STATEMENT OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Reviews, researches, and analyzes policy, financial, and budget issues related to Council actions and initiatives.
- Presents analysis and recommendations to councilmembers, committees, inter-departmental and multijurisdictional teams through written reports, oral presentations, and visual aids.
- Participates in the review, evaluation, and adoption of county budgets, analyzes revenue, expenditures, and staffing; coordinates with executive departments to support the Council’s budgetary review needs.
- Manages assigned projects and tasks as part of the Council’s workplan; provides periodic updates to Council committees; coordinates with departments for project completion.
- Evaluates and analyzes impacts of Council work programs, proposed or enacted state legislation, annexations, incorporation, revenue and bonding proposals.
- Provides staff support of Council committees, preparing agendas, briefing materials, and options for committee actions; ensures timely distribution of information and tracks committee minutes and records.
- Provides budget analysis, evaluates special budget requests, and offers recommendations on funding and staffing.
- Identifies legal questions, seek advice from legal counsel, and incorporates legal guidance into policy analysis.
- While maintaining confidence, assists individual Councilmembers by preparing briefing papers and reports, responding to constituent inquiries, and representing them on intergovernmental bodies as needed.
Planning and Development specific duties:
- Researches, analyzes, and develops Council initiatives related to comprehensive planning, economic development, natural resource management, land use and related activities or topics; prepares legislation for Council consideration.
- Collaborates with the legislative analysts to review policy and legislative recommendations from the executive and Planning Commission; analyze the legal, fiscal and policy impacts and presents findings to Council.
- Develops and recommends integrated land use, environmental, and community development plans, formulating long and short range strategies and regulations.
- Represents Council in coordinating planning programs with external agencies and jurisdictions; presents recommendations to policymakers and the public. Represent the Council and serve as a liaison to other governmental entities in the coordination of major planning programs with other agencies and jurisdictions. Make presentations on policy recommendations and plan proposals to policy makers at all governmental levels and the general public.
- Conducts economic, demographic and other special studies; projects and forecasts; collect and analyze data; develop work plans and schedules; formulate and recommend options and solutions.
- Serves as the Council’s representative on various technical advisory committees, commissions and interest groups. Coordinate the formation of various groups as necessary.
- Assists Councilmembers and legislative aides in responding to questions and resolving planning related issues for members of the public.
STATEMENT OF OTHER JOB DUTIES - Performs other related duties as assigned by Chief of Staff or Councilmembers.
Any combination of work experience and education totaling at least nine years which provides the skills, knowledge and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position; emphasis on analytics, planning and development, and verbal and written communication skills. Progression from
Legislative Analyst - Land Use to Legislative Analyst - Land Use, Senior (Salary Range: $147,998.88 - $188,888.28 Annually), is at the sole discretion of the County Council.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIESKnowledge of:
- principlesandpracticesofurbanplanninganddesign including land use laws, codes and policies;
- principles and practices of public administration and policy analysis;
- researchanddatacollectiontechniques;
- federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations governing the structure and operations of county government
- geographicalandpoliticalaspectsofworkrelatedareas;
- computerwordprocessing,spreadsheetanddatabaseapplications.
Ability to:
- assess potential impact of social and economic trends on county programs;
- gather, analyze, synthesize, organize and evaluate a variety of data including revenue and expenditure data;
- conduct objective and unbiased analysis and evaluation of the economic, political and social impacts and consequences of laws, rules, regulations, technical reports, planning data, legal documents, and legislative policies and actions;
- conduct legal research and prepare a variety of legal documents including sections of the county code, ordinances and resolutions;
- assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of alternative courses of action including the positions of opposing interest groups involved in planning issues and possess the ability to communicate those positions to others;
- organize facts and present findings, conclusions and recommendations in a clear, concise and logical manner;
- communicate and present unbiased information in a non-partisan tone using excellent writing and presentation skills;
- establish and maintain effective work relationships with elected officials, department heads, associates, subordinates, and with the general public;
- maintain the confidentiality of information;
- exercise good judgment as to when to act independently and when to refer situations to a higher authority;
- work under pressure and meet deadlines;
SUPERVISIONThe employee receives general direction from the Chief of Staff and/or individual Councilmembers. The work is characterized by a broad latitude for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative on the employee's part. The employee reports to the Chief of Staff regarding the status of assigned projects and for advice on unusual situations.
WORKING CONDITIONS The work is performed in a hybrid office environment with occasional field trips to locations throughout the county for the purpose of attending meetings and making site visits. The employee is required to work evenings, weekends and holidays as necessary.
Snohomish County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer.
Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.
EEO policy and ADA notice
