OOC or TLT Service Design Manager, Artificial Intelligence & PACT Initiatives

About Seattle Department of Construction and inspections (SDCI)

SDCI reviews land use and construction-related permits, annually approving more than 53,000 permits and performing approximately 240,000 on-site inspections. SDCI's work includes permit review and community involvement with Master Use Permits (MUPs); shoreline permits and design review; review and approval of permits for construction, mechanical systems, site development, elevators, electrical installation, boilers, furnaces, refrigeration, signs and billboards; field inspections for all construction and trade-related permits; annual maintenance inspections of boilers, elevators, and refrigeration equipment; and home seismic retrofits. SDCI’s work does not end at the permitting and inspection process but also includes enforcing community standards and managing tenant/landlord programs. In 2020, the Department had almost 24,000 complaint line inquiries ranging from housing standards, land use violations, construction without permits, junk storage, illegal tree cutting, shoreline regulations to tenant issues like emergency relocation, deposit returns and unlawful evictions. In addition, SDCI operates property owner and tenant assistance programs and the City’s rental registration program to provide essential community services and ensure that all rental housing in Seattle is safe and meets basic housing maintenance requirements. 

SDCI seeks a results-driven Out of Class (OOC) or Term Limited Temporary (TLT) Service Design Manager (Strategic Advisor 2) to contribute to our department’s prioritized support of the City-wide Permitting And Customer Service Team (PACT) with focus on several project initiatives that are AI forward to improve permitting and solve bottlenecks. PACT will add accountability, transparency, and consistency to permitting across the City. PACT will also reform permitting for small businesses. 

SDCI needs a detail-oriented and visionary strategic partner who is passionate about supporting new programs and working with many key stakeholders to support adaptation to new norms, utilization of AI solutions, and optimize existing business processes. This role will blend continuous improvement, design thinking, project management fundamentals, and organizational change management to identify opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and implement sustainable changes. You will be joining a team of change makers dedicated to creating excellent experiences for customers and staff alike. 

Project Management: 

• Manage complex projects from initiation to completion, including planning, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Communicate the plan for completion for inter-related discrete projects to achieve the higher-level strategy.
• Monitor project progress and adjust plans as needed to ensure timely delivery and quality outcomes.
• Utilize project management tools and methodologies to optimize efficiency.

Stakeholder Management:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with inter-departmental leadership and stakeholders to establish a culture of continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with internal teams to streamline and optimize existing processes.
• Facilitate workshops, meetings, and team-building activities to foster collaboration and innovation.
• Develop and implement clear and concise service standards and operating procedures.
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate solutions to ensure project success.

Organizational Change Management: 

• Implement and facilitate organizational change initiatives, including assessing impact, developing change strategies, and managing stakeholder communication.
• Provide coaching and support to executive and project sponsors during periods of change.
• Provide training and support to staff on new processes and technologies in partnership with the Technology Resource Analyst.

Strategic Planning:

• Participate and at times facilitate departmental governance and annual strategic planning workflows.
• Plan for policy impacts to existing and future project work as well as ensure project scopes balances the needs of the customer as well as the business.

Data Analysis and Insights:

• Monitor business/project workflow metrics and evaluate the effectiveness of service delivery models and make necessary adjustments.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data to inform decision-making and identify trends in partnership with data engineering support.
• Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress and success for the projects.
• Utilize data visualization tools to communicate improvement insights effectively.
• Analyze data and identify key pain points, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement in the permitting and inspections process.

Service Design & Innovation: 

• Manage the designing and prototyping new service delivery models, such as city-wide permitting/inspections workflows, artificial intelligence optimizations and implementations, business and streamlined workflows.
• Identify key areas for improvement and transformation for permitting processes in partnership with city-wide stakeholders.
• Explore and implement innovative solutions, such as artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Develop, refine, and implement a service design framework and toolkit for us of the entire team.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in developing, implementing, and managing process improvement projects while validating positive results.
• Strong creative problem-solving, negotiation, and the ability to work collaboratively while being self-directed.
• Excellent story telling skills including verbal, written, visual, and data
• Ability to build trust and engagement across teams and organizational structures.
• Experience with Microsoft products, Webex, Sharepoint and other technology software. 
• Experience with Visio, Miro or other visual modeling tools.
• Experience with scoping, managing, and implementing artificial intelligence projects.

Combination of education and/or equivalent experience to show increasingly responsible progression of work experience.

Successful candidates will possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Public Administration, Construction Management, Economics, or a related field or equivalent combinations of education and experience.
• Certification in organizational development and/or change management, for example:
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification or equivalent professional certification
  • Prosci certification.
• Highly skilled in facilitation with cross functional groups with diverse perspectives, observing work processes without influencing those being observed. 
• Demonstrated ability in technical writing and editing various documents; and able to write in explanatory and procedural styles for multiple audiences.
• Government and/or public sector experience.

This is an Out of Class (OOC) or a Term Limited Temporary (TLT) position with an anticipated assignment duration of one year. 

To be considered for this position, 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 advertisement
• A current resume outlining your relevant work experience