Early Design Guidance Program Advisor

Position Description

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 very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

The Early Design Guidance (EDG) Program Advisor is responsible for facilitating collaborative meetings between internal subject matter experts (SMEs) and external customers to provide timely, strategic input on engineering designs related to utility service connections. This role serves as a central point of coordination for the EDG process, ensuring that customers receive actionable guidance early in the project lifecycle to improve design outcomes, reduce rework, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

The EDG Program Advisor also leads internal process improvement efforts identified through EDG sessions and develops training plans aimed at enhancing cross-functional collaboration among internal stakeholders. Additionally, this position plays a key role in expanding the EDG program’s reach, with a focus on scaling participation, increasing engagement from commercial developers, and creating a tailored offering for customers planning to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and eventually Building Electrification related BEPS (Building Emissions Performance Standards) upgrades.

This position will report to the Senior Policy & Strategy Manager.

Job Responsibilities

Here Is More About What You’ll Be Doing Meeting Facilitation & Stakeholder Engagement, including Executives

- Organize and facilitate Early Design Guidance meetings with internal SMEs and external customers.

- Serve as a neutral facilitator, ensuring productive dialogue, clear takeaways, and shared understanding of project needs and constraints.

- Advises department heads and senior City leadership on programmatic approaches and long-term implications of utility service delivery models, including service delays, customer dissatisfaction, and capital project alignment.

- Represents the department's priorities and interests in interdepartmental workgroups, regional utility planning committees, and strategic planning efforts, particularly those focused on development review, clean transportation, and grid readiness.

- Communicates on behalf of department leadership with internal and external stakeholders, including developers, agency partners, and the public, on significant infrastructure and service connection issues.

Process Improvement & Internal Collaboration

- Serves as a subject matter expert on cross-functional utility service delivery coordination, including engineering feasibility, customer process design, and early-stage load planning.

- Provides authoritative guidance to department leadership on technical and operational barriers to timely service connections, drawing from a deep understanding of utility engineering, development processes, and EV infrastructure.

- Leads internal process improvement efforts stemming from EDG engagements, and designs scalable training programs to enhance collaboration between engineering, operations, and planning teams.

- Develops and maintain training materials and guidance that improve internal coordination and communication among departments engaged in service design and delivery.

Program Growth & Strategic Expansion

- Oversees the expansion of the EDG program to include commercial developers and EV charging customers, ensuring the offering is responsive to evolving needs and City priorities.

- Develops outreach strategies to increase customer participation, improve satisfaction, and transition the EDG program from a pilot to a sustainable, fee-based service model.

- Champions the program as a model for proactive customer engagement, interdepartmental coordination, and utility innovation.

- Collaborates with business development, planning, and engineering teams to identify opportunities for broader EDG integration into project workflows.

- Track participation trends, collect feedback, and refine the EDG model to meet evolving customer and utility needs.

Strategic Program Leadership & Policy Development

- Develops and defends policies and strategies that support the timely delivery of utility service connections, aligning the Early Design Guidance (EDG) program with Citywide objectives around growth, electrification, and infrastructure resilience.

- Provides authoritative recommendations to department leadership regarding the expansion, institutionalization, and future fee structure of the EDG program.

- Leads the evaluation and refinement of policies affecting interdepartmental coordination, customer engagement, and service design, ensuring alignment with broader City service delivery goals.

Program Development & Budgetary Planning

- Provides recommendations for the development and ongoing funding of the EDG program, including future revenue models tied to fee-for-service consultations.

- Supports the development of programmatic budgets, resource allocation strategies, and performance metrics that ensure the EDG program delivers measurable value to the City and its customers.

- Identifies opportunities for cost savings and service improvements through early intervention in the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Skills In addition to the skills and experience mentioned below, a successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and has:

Requires three years of experience in planning and research related to land use, urban economics, human services, environmental issues, conservation; or other work directly related to City planning and development activities; and a baccalaureate degree in planning, urban design, environmental studies, public administration or related field (or a combination of education and/or experience and/or training which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).

Desired Qualifications - You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities:

- Excellent facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical information into clear, actionable guidance.

- Able to communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences; produces concise meeting summaries and actionable follow-ups.

- Strong organizational skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple simultaneous priorities.

- Proactive and collaborative mindset; able to build relationships across diverse internal and external stakeholders.

- Familiarity with utility service connection processes and/or EV infrastructure is a plus.

- Skilled in project management tools and process documentation.

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

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Emergency Response Commitment

Seattle City Light is committed to reliable service during emergencies. Through our Emergency Response Program, each employee is assigned a role—usually aligned with their regular duties—to support emergency operations. Your participation is vital to helping the utility stay prepared and serve our community when it matters most.

Additional Information

The full salary range for this position is $56.23 to $65.54 per hour.

Application Process Please Submit The Following With Your Online Application

- A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and qualifications outlined in the job announcement

- A current resume of your educational and professional work experience.

- Incomplete applications will not be considered*

Who May Apply : This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light 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. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3. A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020.Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.