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Job Evaluation Document
Tab to the shaded text boxes to complete each section.
Please send completed job evaluation documentation as an e-mail attachment to Ann McClellan
(mcclellan.a@portseattle.org) in Human Resources & Development.
Date documentation completed:
Commission Strategic Issues and Policy Manager
Employee’s name:
Aaron Pritchard
Proposed new title (if applicable):
Commission Policy Manager Commission Issues and
Policy Manager
Department and work group where the job will reside:
Commission
Supervisor’s title:
Chief of Staff
Supervisor’s name:
Mike Merritt
Note: Any changes to titles, grades or employee pay resulting from the evaluation of this job will be effective on the
date the document is electronically received by compensation staff.
Information contained in this document may be shared with others both inside and outside of the Port of Seattle.
Purpose:
A brief statement that will answer the question, “why does this job exist at the Port?” No more than two or three
sentences that address the essence of the job at a high level.
Develops and manages Commission committees to Pprovides strategic and tactical recommendations,
development and research on issues and policies to assist Commissioners and the Commission Chief of Staff,
and on occasion Port Executives, with advancing the Port’s mission to expand and economic development and
employment in communities across the region and state. Supervises three Commission Specialists to
implement Commissioner workplans and priorities, to ensure Commissioners receive accurate policy
information on Port-wide issues in a timely manner, and to ensure quality event support for Commissioners.
Essential Functions:
The primary functions or responsibilities of the job and the approximate amount of time devoted to each. The time
percentages must add up to 100%. They relate to the purpose of the job as well as its accountabilities – those
outcomes or results that will indicate the success of the individual in the job. If this job manages or supervises staff,
this must be an essential function. If the position has responsibility (decision making authority) for a budget, that
must also be an essential function.
Essential Functions:
Time Devoted to each
1. Work with the Chief of Staff, commissioners and commission staff, and port staff
to identify, monitor and track emerging and longer term issues coming up in
Commission meetings and in the industry, community or government which call for
1. 30%
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research, creating/editing materials, developing recommendations, and/or briefing
commissioners. Manage Commission Committees and develop Policy Directives
resulting from Committee work. Develop and offer strategic and tactical
recommendations on policy and issue matters.
2. Supervise three Commission Specialists to review work product and ensure
quality support for Commissioners
2. 25%
3. Work with Commissioners, Port executives, and internal and external
stakeholders to research, draft, synthesize and/or edit briefing papers, memos,
reports, and constituent mail and PowerPoint presentations.
3. 20%
4. Accompany and assist, or represent Commissioners and Chief of Staff externally
as assigned and advocate for the Commission's priorities and Port's mission as
needed;
4. 5%
5. Assist with the development, and direct the execution, of Commission's study
sessions annual Critical Issues Roundtables program.
5. 10%
6. Establish and manage a Commission Policy Research Internship program,
including recruitment and management of interns, and related budget development
and management.
6. 5%
7. Work closely with Public Affairs and Government Relations to ensure effective
communications of policy issues, which may include materials for Commission
meetings, policy events and meetings.
7. 5%
To add rows for additional essential functions, click on the Restrict Editing in the Review tab. Choose Stop Protection
to unlock form. Go to the last row and column in the Essential Functions table and press the tab button to add as
many rows as you will need. When you are finished adding rows, click on Yes, Start Enforcing Protection to relock
the form.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Other Work Characteristics (KSAs):
KSAs are what a person must know to perform this job, and include the skills they need, or what they must be able
to do in order to successfully perform the Essential Functions of the position. The KSAs relate to the job and the
work being performed, not to the individual who may be performing the job, and they must relate to an essential
function. Ask yourself which functions each KSA relates to. If you cannot relate the KSA to an Essential Functions you
may find that you need to add an Essential Function, or that the KSA is not necessary for the work. KSAs can be
written in various ways so you may not need to include items in each of the three sections below.
Policy and issues development processes and prioritization; elected official management, managing and
supervising multiple staff, engage with policy makers and policy making bodies, and their issues and
priorities; legislative and regulatory processes; Port Commission policy making processes; national, regional
and local industry, maritime and aviation issues; working knowledge of maritime and/or aviation operations;
familiarity with economic development, tourism, land use, and transportation issues and relevant
stakeholders; understanding of public outreach processes, community relations and public involvement; and
state, regional and local political climate.
Think creatively and handle multiple and changing priorities, work effectively in highly charged external
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environments, and to act independently; track and share complex information and priorities with upper
management and direct reports, consistently translate complex information into easily understandable terms
for external and internal audiences; strong writing, editing, proofreading skills; writing and editing under
tight deadlines and while incorporating edits from many different perspectives to develop a final product
that is accurate, engaging and quotable; supervisory skills and budget development and oversight; strong
experience with Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Publisher, Adobe and other relevant software.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with elected officials and C-suite executives; problem solve and
negotiate resolutions while maintaining positive relationships; Ability to advise and consult senior and
elected officials; demonstrated ability to manage and guide teams to produce results for elected officials in a
highly matrixed organization, working in conjunction with a diverse group of individuals to accomplish goals;
work with all levels of staff, including top internal and external Executives
Minimum Requirements and Preferred Qualifications:
The minimum educational and experience requirements that would typically be required for someone to perform
the Essential Functions of the job. This area is related to the Essential Functions and KSAs of the job, rather than the
person who may be currently performing the work.
The preferred experience and education are the additional amount or type that would make someone more likely to
succeed in the job. They may include experience, education, certification, etc. that could assist a hiring manager in
making a decision between two otherwise equal candidates.
Experience:
Experience in
Years
Type of Experience
Why is this Experience Needed?
Minimum
4
Providing issues and policy
support for an organization, public
agency or elected official(s) in the
following areas:
Analyzing, synthesizing,
summarizing and monitoring
legislative, regulatory and/or
community issues;
Writing/editing briefing papers,
research reports, talking points
and speeches, materials for
press briefings, op-eds and
PowerPoint presentations;
Demonstrated proficiency in
writing concise, plain language
materials;
Staffing or representing an
executive or elected official at
In order to provide strategic and
tactical recommendations, to guide and
produce research on issues and policies
to assist Commissioners and the
Commission Chief of Staff, and on
occasion Port Executives, with
advancing the Port’s mission to expand
and economic development and
employment in communities across the
region and state.
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events and meetings;
Supervising a minimum of three
direct reports and interns.
Preferred
8
Providing issues and policy
support for an organization or
elected official, supervising
policy and liaison staff.
In order to provide well-developed
strategic and tactical
recommendations, to guide and
produce research on issues and policies
to assist Commissioners and the
Commission Chief of Staff, and on
occasion Port Executives, with
advancing the Port’s mission to expand
and economic development and
employment in communities across the
region and state.
Education:
Degree
Certification
Why is this Degree or Certification Needed?
Minimum
B.A.
Political Science,
Public Administration
or Government
Studies/Relations.
Academic grounding in aspects of public
policy and issues.
Preferred
M.A. Coursework or
degree
Political Science,
Public Administration
or Government
Studies/Relations.
Academic grounding in aspects of public
policy and issues.
Nature and Scope of Working Relationships:
Who, both inside and outside the Port (preferably job titles, but names of Port employee are acceptable if titles are
not known), will the individual in the job interact with on a routine basis (at least quarterly)? What is the nature of
the interaction with this person or group? Is information obtained or provided, is advice given, etc.? What does the
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individual do as a result of this interaction? Be sure to include your own manager and any direct reports you many
have.
Who
Why
Commissioners
Provides to and receives from, recommendations and
advice on policies and issues, stakeholder outreach and
messaging strategy and tactics
Commission Chief of Staff
Provides to and receives from, recommendations and
advice on policies and issues, stakeholder outreach and
messaging strategy and tactics
Commission Specialists
Supervises work of Specialists to ensure timely and
accurate policy memo’s and effective event coverage
and talking points.
Public Affairs Senior Director and Staff
Works collaboratively with PAD and staff as needed to
help design and execute Port's and Commission's
stakeholder outreach related to policies and
issues.Helps design and exectuve communications
plans. Provides and receives recommendations and
advice.
CEO Chief of Staff
Works with CEO Chief of Staff to communicate
commission priorities and to receive updates from
CEO’s office and to ensure Commission coverage for
policy work.
Port CEO
Occasionally prepares recommendations and advice on
policies and issues, stakeholder outreach and
messaging strategy and tactics for delivery to CEO
All Port Executives and Managers
Provides to and receives from, recommendations and
advice on policies and issues, stakeholder outreach and
messaging strategy and tactics
External Maritime and Aviation Executives/Mgrs
Gain understanding of communications related to
external events and issues
Decision Making & Problem Solving:
Provide one or two actual examples of decisions you’ve made and problems you’ve solved. An example of a typical
decision, an unusual decision, a typical problem and an unusual problem are ideal. Please state the decision you
needed to make (for example: whether or not to authorize an expense that had not been budgeted), briefly
describe the process used to arrive at the decision, and finally, state the ultimate decision. For the Problem Solving
follow the same approach with the problem that you needed to find a solution for.
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Decision to be Made or Problem
to be Solved
Processed Used and Final Outcome
Decision Making - simple
Event or issue of major interest
to Commissioners does not
reflect Commission direction.
Work closely with public affairs staff or
subject matter experts during staff
meetings or informal sessions to guide
disussions and change format and content.
Follow up with senior staff to ensure
changes are understood and incorporated
as needed.
Decision Making - complex
Design and implement the
Commission Committees
including Projects and
Procurement and Energy and
Sustainability and wrote policy
proposals, motions and
resolutions that reflect input
from Commissioner, staff and
external stakeholders.
Evaluate the subject matter experts both
internal and external, seek Commission
buy-in. Advise Commissioners that no
professional moderator needed, took on
role of facilitator, time keeper and note
taker..
Research and understand the complexities
of competing proposals, amendments
policy language. Final outcome is deciding
what to recommend to Commissioners, and
the reasoning.
Guide discussions, implement follow up,
recruit presenters and present policy
directives at Commission meetings for
passage and incorporate into Port policy
Problem Solving - simple
Three year old effort to execute
international Study Tour to
Hamburg will likely be cancelled
without action.
Implement action plan that includes setting
firm dates that may interefere with other
Port and City priorities. Lobby city officials
to participate on these dates. Leverage Port
funding to reduce barriers. Finalize sole-
source contracting exception. Assign
Commissioners specific actions items and
get approcal to proceed.
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Problem Solving - complex
The Port of Seattle is falling short
of small business goals, is under
the cloud of a disparity study,
and minority associations and
representatives are threatening
lawsuits.
Advocate strong change of direction to
address disparity in minority contracting.
Offer analysis that presses against generally
accepted Port legal principles to stake out
aggressive procument policies toimprove
Port’s record for minority contracting.
Impact:
How do you feel your work impacts the Port overall? Put another way, what would the impact to the Port be if no
one performed the Essential Functions of your work?
Without this role there would continue to be a critical gap in producing policy research and proposals that
enable Commissioner to perform their duties. It would be harder to execute the Port’s mission and achieve its
goals, because there would be less coordination and collaboration between the Port and Commission on policy
matters. Supvisory role will allow Chief of Staff to monitor political hot topics, while creating an effective team
to cover day to day issues and to meet Commissioners needs.
Supervision of Others:
Complete the following table by telling us who you supervise. For this purpose supervision includes: making
independent decisions about hiring, setting pay, evaluating performance, and handling any necessary disciplinary
actions. This does not preclude you from consulting with your manager before making decisions, though the
decision is ultimately yours. Lead direction is providing input on a daily basis regarding the work that needs to be
done, the priority of the work and methods for completing it. In the case of Port employees, please include both the
job title and the employee’s name.
Three Commission Specialists as many as two interns. (to be hired)
3
Three Commission Specialists. Though typically working in collaboration, this position on occasion will
provide direction to the Directors of Public Affairs, Communications, Seaport, Aviation, Real Estate, and other
staff within those divisions.
On occasion, various public affairs consultants.
Budget:
State how you are involved with the budget. Accountability, for job evaluation purposes, includes deciding how
much goes into the budget, how much to spend on what and when to spend it. Providing input includes gathering
information and recommending amounts to be included in the budget. Please estimate if necessary.
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Monitor: Commission Specialists budget, Commission Other Contracted Services and Commission
contingency budgets; Reports on: outreach, meetings, consultants
Physical Effort and Work Environment:
Complete the following table indicating the amount of time that is spent both inside and outside a building.
Time spent inside of a building where you
are not exposed to the elements?
Time spent outside of a building where you
are exposed to the elements?
Percentage (%)
80
20
Meetings
No
Comments:
Both employees and managers may use this section to provide any additional information on the work that may be
important and not captured elsewhere in the document.
This person serves as a liaison between many departments and individuals and shares at the right time the key
information that fosters organization and productivity. This person is also able to guide decisions and provide
strategic input, knowing what is coming down the line in multiple directions. He/She can ensure goals and
objectives are achieved even though individual components may be at different stages of development. This
person will guide a team of Commission Specialists that will help communicate Commission priorities and
surface important policy and staff information.
To be completed by Human Resources and Development staff:
Evaluated by:
Date:
File notes are:
Extensive
Moderate
Minimal
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FLSA Status: Choose FLSA Status Notes:
Current job code:
New job
code/job title:
Evaluation results:
Notes: