Financial Assistance Planning & Development Specialist, Sr (Sr P & D Spec - BU)

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. 

Customer Care and Energy Solutions (CCES) is seeking a Financial Assistance Planning and Development Specialist, Senior, to join the Customer Operations team, reporting to the Financial Assistance Portfolio Manager. This role plays a key part in advancing City Light’s commitment to energy equity, affordability, and reducing the energy burden for income eligible customers. 

In this role, you will lead and support a mix of strategic program design, policy evaluation, and hands-on implementation work that strengthens the utility’s financial assistance portfolio. This includes guiding program redesign efforts, shaping cross-departmental partnerships, ensuring regulatory alignment, and delivering practical tools and processes that help customers access affordable electricity. You will partner closely with energy efficiency teams to develop integrated strategies that meet the full energy needs of income eligible households. You’ll have defined ownership for program planning, data stewardship, performance monitoring, and selected project leadership, while providing subject matter guidance and operational support across the utility’s expanded suite of financial assistance programs (UDP, EBA, Project Share, and related billing and payment offerings).

Here is more about what you’ll be doing:  

• Program Design & Portfolio Planning 
  • Lead the design, planning, and implementation of services for residential customers across financial assistance and energy efficiency programs. Own activities such as defining business objectives, mapping solutions, identifying workstreams, establishing KPIs, and maintaining program schedules.
  • Serve as a core lead for the Utility Assistance Program Redesign Project, including income eligibility expansion. Own delivery of redesign tasks informed by the third-party program evaluation and drive implementation of policy and process improvements.
  • Maintain program documentation, training materials, and change management plans using best practices grounded in adult learning principles.
• Policy, Regulatory & Legislative Coordination 
  • Lead policy reviews and alignment activities to ensure financial assistance programs meet strategic goals, legislative intent, and regulatory requirements.
  • Provide subject-matter input to City policy teams, including contributing to Statements of Legislative Intent, council reports, and pilots or studies related to expanding assistance.
  • Contribute to Washington State Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) reporting, and coordinate City Light’s participation in federally and state-funded programs such as LIHEAP and SHEAP.
• Cross-Functional & Community Engagement 
  • Represent City Light as a designated program lead or subject-matter expert on cross-departmental and cross-functional teams (e.g., Seattle Public Utilities, Human Services Department), advisory committees, or community-focused initiatives.
  • Own or support utility assistance program outreach work, including community events, marketing coordination, and implementation of time-sensitive grant-funded projects.
• Data Stewardship, Performance Monitoring & Operational Support 
  • Own the design, maintenance, and governance of financial assistance program information on internal SharePoint sites.
  • Lead development and delivery of the monthly Utility Assistance dashboard, including status updates, KPIs, milestone reporting, and progress-to-goal metrics.
  • Conduct research and document policy or legal interpretations that support program design, implementation, and operational consistency.
  • Support ongoing operations of UDP, EBA, Project Share, and other customer assistance programs as needed.
• Project & Vendor Management 
  • May lead selection, scoping, and management of external consulting services, including oversight of contract deliverables and alignment with program goals.
• Other Responsibilities 
  • Provide technical assistance across City departments in areas related to the financial assistance portfolio.
  • Perform other duties consistent with the role’s strategic and operational scope.

Required Qualifications: 

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: 

• Education: A baccalaureate degree in planning, urban design, environmental studies, public administration, communications, social services or related field OR an additional 2 years of related professional experience that meet the equivalency of the position.
• Experience: Three years of experience in planning and research related to social services, economics, environmental issues, conservation; or related field; or other work directly related to life-cycle design, build and management activities (OR a combination of education and/or experience and/or training which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).

Work Environment/Physical Demands

• Work is typically performed in an office environment. 
• May attend outreach events.

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

• Values multicultural and diversity as a workforce and community asset.
• Demonstrated experience and success with formal project management and life-cycle management processes. Experience managing business cases, intellectual property and program resources with a lens of continuous quality improvement.
• Experience managing cross-functional work teams and programs that involve multiple, internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong ability to analyze data to make informed program and policy decisions, including familiarity with performance-based management contracting best practice. Ability to create and use logic frameworks to develop business requirements.
• Deep knowledge of policy, programs and strategy for supporting low to moderate income households and underserved communities. Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain effective working relationships with business contacts, the public, consultants, trade ally community, and employees at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to make public presentations.
• Ability to work collaboratively within the team, within the larger division and with external partners while requiring very limited supervision.
• Strong, independent decision-making skills.

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.

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 required and vital to helping the utility stay prepared and serve our community when it matters most.

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 may not be accepted.

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 14.17 and 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.

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