Senior Project Manager (Right of Way Acquisition)

Department: Transportation

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Reporting To: Jason Crain

Description

Waggoner Engineering, Inc. is hiring a Senior Project Manager (Right of Way Acquisition) to our Baton Rouge, LA office.

The primary role of the Right of Way Manager includes coordinating Right of Way agents of contractual service activities (abstractors, appraisers, specialty land consultants, and acquisition agents) for the acquisition of property rights necessary for transportation and municipal infrastructure projects.  Duties also include close communication and the coordination of the transference of documents with Project Owners Attorneys and associated Administrative Departments. General tasks include preparation and review of documents such as right of entry, conveyance easements, purchase and sale agreements, etc. Additionally, they will be responsible for preparing, maintaining, and updating all physical and electronic files per federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to land acquisition, utility coordination, and land development. Having the ability to oversee and coordinate all land acquisition duties and client and public engagement is a must.
Are you ready to inspire, engage and deliver? For almost 50 years Waggoner has delivered sound results through a culture of integrity, service and creativity to benefit our clients. Waggoner has more than doubled in size over the last five years and growth is expected to significantly increase through the addition of talented personnel.

What does that mean for you? Waggoner differentiates itself as a leader in growth strategy for water and disaster recovery, as well as providing full engineering services across 19 offices and 6 states; we need people who are inspired for future growth, engage as leaders in their respective fields, and deliver to both internal and external clients. 

If you are tired of hearing “we’ve always done it this way”; if you have a work hard/play hard attitude; and if you enjoy working with a vast team of professionals across various disciplines, you will fit right into our culture.

Your Primary Responsibilities will include

·       Establish relationships and maintain contact with landowners and/or their representatives throughout a project’s full life cycle.
·       Coordinate with Acquisition Agents and any Project/Program Right of Way Committees for issue resolution and potential settlements for the purchase of land rights. 
·       Work closely with civil engineers, surveyors, municipal clients, attorneys, appraisers, acquisition agents, specialty land consultants and title companies through a project’s full life cycle. Including:

1. Assurance that Project/Program real estate contractual acquisition policies, procedures, and work standards are being followed.
2. Assist in the evaluation and resolution of complex problems regarding Right of Way activities.
3. Represent Waggoner at meetings with public officials, other Project/Program Management Team members, Right of Way/Design Consultants, and property owners to ensure that proper consideration is given to real estate policies, costs, and schedules.
4. Coordinate and monitor consultants' progress to ensure surveys, staking, right-of-way maps, special purpose maps, and contractual obligations are being performed on schedule.
5. Provide oversight of contractual service activities to ensure timely acquisition of property and property rights required for the advancement of Programed Projects within the contractual budgets, and within legal, and policy constraints.
6. Conducts public relations activities as directed to ensure cooperation and harmonious relationships with property owners, public officials, and other Project/Program Management Team members.
7. Attends planning and review meetings; advises engineers, surveyors, contract consultants, and other attendees about significant items that may lessen the cost of the project. Studies final construction plans and right-of-way maps to provide follow-up advice on potential suggested changes for consideration.

 ·       Oversee all records management duties including preparing and maintaining accurate, timely, and complete conveyance documents.
·       Review documents and reports for accuracy to determine correctness or incompleteness.
·       Review on behalf of the Client, all legal and internal documents such as acts of sale, deeds, servitude agreements, and payment vouchers whereby the Client acquires legal ownership and possession of property and property rights required to construct transportation and municipal infrastructure projects
·       Perform other related tasks as designated contractually by the