Land Use Specialist

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation; Hermiston (OR); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4-10 schedule

401K up to 11% company match

Pension plan

Tuition reimbursement

Medical/dental/vision benefits

Competitive wages

Paid holidays

Gym membership subsidy

Training opportunities

Community involvement opportunities

Job summary

Umatilla Electric Cooperative in Hermiston, OR, seeks a Land Use Specialist to secure easements, acquire property interests, and manage regulatory land-use permits, working closely with engineers, attorneys, and local agencies.

Ideal candidate has 5+ years of land-use experience, an associate degree, GIS/map knowledge, and strong negotiation and communication skills; a valid driver's license is required for travel.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) years of applicable land-use/right-of-way experience or training.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret legal descriptions and maps.
• Valid Driver’s License for occasional business travel.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate and secure easements and property interests.
• Prepare, submit, and track land use applications to regulators.
• Produce maps, diagrams, and reports for field operations.
• Maintain up-to-date GIS map files and databases.
• Interact with engineers, attorneys, property owners, and agencies.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation abilities

Communication skills

Self-motivation

Education

Associate's degree or equivalent

Tools

ArcMap

GIS software

Mapping technologies

Job description

Umatilla Electric Cooperative is headquartered in Hermiston, Oregon (population 18,000+), the largest and fastest-growing city in Eastern Oregon. Located seven miles south of the Columbia River, Lake Wallula and the McNary Dam, the Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics and data center activity. The area is 30 minutes south of the Tri-Cities in Washington, two-and-a-half hours south of Spokane, three hours east of Portland, and three-and-a-half hours northwest of Boise. Cost of living is lower than the national average. Blue Mountain Community College and Eastern Oregon University have branch facilities in Hermiston; Columbia Basin College and a branch campus of Washington State University are a 40-mile drive. Area activities are plentiful, and include golfing, boating, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and snow skiing.

UEC Company Benefits & Perks:

4-10 Schedule (Friday's Off)

401(K) up to 11% Company Match

Pension Plan (100% Employer Sponsored)

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision Benefits options

Competitive Wages

Vacation, Sick Leave and 11 paid holidays

Gym Membership Subsidy

Employer Sponsored Training

Various Opportunities for Fundraising and giving back to the community

SUMMARY

The Land Use Specialist is responsible for easement and permit acquisition, property procurement, and reviewing environmental documents to support the Engineering Work Plan. This position will work closely with engineers, attorneys, property owners, and local agencies to acquire right-of-way and ensure compliance with land use regulations for preparation and execution of construction work packages. This position requires attention to detail and strong interpersonal skills.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

may include other duties as assigned.

• Negotiating and securing easements and property interests.
• Preparing, submitting, and tracking land use applications to regulatory agencies and ensuring permits are acquired and recorded in a timely manner.

• Responsible for timely development and accurate production of supporting project documents related to land use that are necessary for substation, transmission, and/or distribution construction work packages.

• Responsible for reading and interpreting Metes and Bounds descriptions in order to maintain map files, GIS layers, writing easements, and related records and databases.

• Must provide accurate maps or plats to the GIS Department in order to keep engineering data bases such as map files, GIS layers and related records up to date.
• Ensures projects are completed per regulatory agency requirements and/or obligations.

JOB DUTIES

may includeother duties as assigned.

• Expected to maintain knowledge of easement law, land ownership rights, title, easement descriptions and the processes involved with obtaining such.

• Responsible for measuring, recording, and calculating data based upon information collected for permits, easements, or plats.

• Expected to produce maps, diagrams, and reports as requested for field operations or UEC staff.
• Property acquisition as needed.

• Workload must have balance of volume and accuracy in all aspects of the job.

• Expected to maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology, standards and job-related information. Participates in local professional group meetings, online professional listservs, stays abreast of new trends and innovations within the industry and in related hardware/software that provide value-added benefit to the Cooperative.
• Requires self-motivation and a willingness to function as a team member with the ability to interact well with the general public and various agencies. Conducts themselves in a manner that reflects well on UEC and contributes to harmonious relations with members.
• Must uphold excellent communication skills, including: presentation, persuasion and negotiation skills required when working with members, coworkers, or outside agencies and including the ability to communicate effectively and remain calm and courteous under pressure.
• Respectfully takes direction from supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of employee or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications:

Education: Associate's degree from two-year college or technical school, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience: Five (5) years of applicable land-use/right-of-way experience and/or training in a related field is required; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications/skills:

• Ability to work with concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, proportions to practical situations, buffers, network connectivity and flow, query structures, and measurements related to various coordinate systems.
• Experience in real estate transactions, property research, and title review. Ability to analyze title reports and identify, interpret, and assess title encumbrances affecting property ownership, use, and development potential.
• Familiarity with electrical utility systems and ArcMap or similar mapping software is preferred. Familiarity with web mapping services, mobile mapping solutions, modeling/scripting, and working with multiple data formats is preferred.
• Ability to write and draw Metes and Bounds descriptions to maintain map files, GIS layers, writing easements, and related records and databases.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common technical descriptions/instructions, work or service orders, and legal documents. Ability to effectively present information to colleagues, management, the public, and/or boards of directors.
• A valid Driver’s License is required for occasional business travel.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled