Pipelines ROW & Land Acquisition Project Manager

King & Sykes; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A private equity-backed energy infrastructure firm is seeking a pipelines ROW/Land leader to manage acquisition execution across active projects. This role requires over 5 years in ROW/land acquisition, strong negotiation skills, and a proven track record in managing external land agents. You will coordinate with stakeholders, control budgets, and ensure compliance with all land-related processes. If you have Texas exposure and expertise in project management, this could be the ideal opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in ROW/land acquisition within energy infrastructure.
• Experience managing external land agents and multiple workstreams.
• Knowledge of easements and landowner negotiation dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Lead ROW/land acquisition execution from planning to closeout.
• Support and lead negotiations with landowners.
• Manage performance of external land/ROW firms.
• Track budgets and manage acquisition-related documentation.

Skills

ROW/land acquisition expertise

Project management discipline

Strong Texas exposure

Negotiation skills

Tools

GIS systems proficiency

Standard PM tools proficiency

Job description

A private equity backed energy infrastructure needs a delivery-oriented pipelines ROW/Land leader to drive end-to-end acquisition execution across active projects—owning the interface with external land firms, keeping stakeholders aligned, and ensuring land/ROW is delivered on schedule, compliant, and audit-ready.

What success looks like (12–18 months)

• Acquisition plans and parcel-level execution are integrated with engineering/permitting/construction milestones; no “surprise” land-driven critical path impacts.
• External land firms deliver consistent, high-quality work product (title, easements, leases, ROEs, curative packages) with tight QC and clear escalation paths.
• Spend is controlled: land budgets are forecasted, tracked, and explained; change orders are managed, not “discovered.”

Core responsibilities (MECE)

1) ROW / Land acquisition delivery

• Lead acquisition execution from planning through closeout across assigned projects; maintain a parcel-by-parcel view of status, risks, and next actions.
• Support (and when needed, lead) complex negotiations with landowners/representatives on compensation, special conditions, access, and damages.
• Act as day-to-day owner of external land/ROW firms: scope clarity, deliverable standards, timelines, and performance management.
• Review/QC key work products (title reports, lease/easement docs, acquisition packages) and coordinate fixes rapidly.
• Build and maintain acquisition schedules aligned to engineering, construction, and permitting; run regular status cadence with internal/external stakeholders.
• Identify obstacles early (title defects, access constraints, stakeholder pushback) and drive mitigation plans to protect critical path.

4) Stakeholder + legal coordination

• Partner with Land & Legal on title issues, curative strategy, easement language/templates, and contract requirements.
• Represent WTG with landowners, counsel, local officials/agencies as required; communicate clearly and professionally under pressure.

5) Budgeting, documentation, and audit readiness

• Track acquisition budgets and vendor spend; manage forecasts/variance explanations; ensure complete, organized records across projects.

Requirements

Must-haves

• 5+ years in ROW/land acquisition in energy or linear infrastructure (pipeline/transmission/power/infrastructure) with strong Texas exposure.
• Proven experience managing external land agents/consultants and running multiple workstreams concurrently.
• Working knowledge of easements, leases/surface use, damages, title/curative coordination, and landowner negotiation dynamics.
• Strong project management discipline (milestones, risk logs, meeting cadence, escalation).

Nice-to-haves

• CPL/RPL, SR/WA (or similar), PMP.
• GIS/land systems + standard PM tools proficiency.