Description

Are you passionate about developing strategies to address income disparity through enhanced economic opportunities? Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is looking for an entrepreneur and skilled relationship builder with skills at spotting and cultivating opportunities for Women and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) procurement, consultancy, and career pathways that match current and future SPU and regional blue-, green- and circular economy needs.

Job Responsibilities

This won’t be a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all role. Within the broad umbrella of economic opportunity work, we’ll work with you to devise an evolving work plan that fits with our community’s and SPU’s needs and emerging issues and your skills, time, and interests.

That said, the successful candidate will work collaboratively with subject matter experts across SPU, the City, and externally to provide strategic leadership and support for helping plan and implement key facets of SPU’s overall economic opportunity and WMBE procurement strategies and investments.

Some of the job responsibilities you’d have will include the following:

• Leadership role in development and execution of SPU’s equity in contracting as well as green and progressive procurement programs and practices. 

• Building strong external relationships and procurement pipelines to ensure the WMBE procurement opportunities for services and consultancies relevant to SPU’s needs are successful and growing in terms of opportunities and pathways for local businesses, entrepreneurship, and future careers.

• Work subject matter experts to spot and analyze emerging and future economic and job opportunities in multiple sectors (at SPU, locally and regionally), innovations, and matching labor and business availability and readiness factors that will be crucial to SPU’s long-term service delivery and resiliency success.

• Work closely with SPU’s Seeds of Resilience Impact Investment (Download PDF reader), granting, and educational and outreach programs to strengthen external relationships and partnerships that seed and cultivate private sector, blue-green- economic opportunities and career development pathways that will be beneficial to SPU’s water, waste and related work and resiliency.
   
• Support equity in procurement and economic opportunity through select capacity building, training, facilitation of SPU Racial Equity Toolkits, guidance, and advice to other SPU project and program managers and subject matter experts.
    

*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. 

Requirements

Education: A baccalaureate degree in economics, business, ethnic studies, social work, public policy, community development, urban planning, communication, history, education, or another multi-disciplinary area.

Experience: Candidates will need to possess the required qualifications below:

• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a business, community-based organization, non-profit, government, educational, or utility setting
  focusing on culturally relevant engagement, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and policy making.

• A combination of education, training, or experience that provides an equivalent background required to perform the work

Education/Experience Equivalency: Combinations of appropriate education, training, certification, and experience will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability to the minimum education and experience requirements.


Desired Qualifications:
We are looking for a dynamic and engaging person with a passion for transformational change, innovative approaches, and a drive to partner with and empower others to succeed.

You don’t have to meet all the qualifications below but you should excel in several of the following areas:
 

• Business Acumen. Knows what it takes to start, run, and grow a small business, especially one that is in a new, innovative, and entrepreneurial space.

• Dedication to RSJ and Equity and Empowerment Approaches. These are core values in your work, life, and what brings you passion. You thrive when building common-unity to affect real change and have experience building relationships with Black, Native and Indigenous, and people of color, people with low incomes, immigrants, refugees, and English language learners.

• Proven Track Record. Effective advocate and outcome-oriented track record for systemic institutional change making involving government and/or private sector, grounded in principles of racial and economic equity, and social justice. Specific experience developing and leading new policy/programs, managing consultants, and navigating political and stakeholder interests.

• Strong Collaborator and Relationship Builder. Skilled at building trusting relationships between diverse groups and perspectives and effectively cultivating and uplifting the voices and priorities of communities, especially those least heard. Possess strong relationships and networks with labor, workforce development organizations, water and waste industry or entrepreneurs.

• Trusted Advisor and Innovator. Able to articulate, name, and facilitate dialogue around hard truths and challenges (from all perspectives) in open and constructive ways that invite and allow people to come together to overcome the status quo and develop, practice, and experiment with innovative alternatives and solutions.

• Analytical. Understands how and when to use data and performance measures to build strong and effective problem-solving approaches and business case evaluations that support decision making and investment.     

• Solid writer and powerful communicator. Can produce and deliver a persuasive brief, concise strategic framework, communication tools and/or exciting power point and clear messaging that gets community, policymakers, and/or businesses to yes!

Additional Information

This position allows for the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be required to come into the office twice a week. Individual schedules will be agreed upon by the employee and their supervisor. 

Who may apply: The City of Seattle encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experience. This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum 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.  

How to Apply:
 When applying, please include:

• A full City of Seattle online application
• A cover letter that addresses why you’re interested in this position and how you’re qualified for the role
• Resume highlighting your related experience

The full salary range for this position is:   $93,354.48 - $140,083.92 annually. 

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Ernest Stephens at  Ernest.Stephens@seattle.gov

Learn more about Seattle Public Utilities at www.seattle.gov/utilities and check us out on social media.