Project Manager-Real Estate-26357509RE

County of San Diego; San Diego (CA); Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible schedule

Telework after training

Job summary

The County of San Diego is seeking a Project Manager in the Real Estate Division to plan, manage, and coordinate complex acquisition-related efforts including easements and rights of way.

The Project Manager will supervise Real Property Agents and manage the performance of contracted work. The ideal candidate demonstrates initiative, strong communication, and leadership to build trusted relationships with internal teams, external partners, and community stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university in real estate, business administration, public administration, economics, urban planning or a closely related field, and two (2) years of professional lead-level experience in real property acquisition, leasing, or related areas.
• Six (6) years of professional-level experience in real property acquisition, leasing, property management, appraisal or related areas in a public or quasi-public agency with two years at Senior Real Property Agent level.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and coordinate complex acquisition-related efforts including easements and rights of way.
• Supervise Real Property Agents and manage the performance of contracted work.
• Coordinate activities of a diverse project team and communicate with internal teams, external partners and stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Real Estate / Public Administration / Economics

Job description

The County of San Diego has current openings for Project Manager - Real Estate.

These positions may have a teleworking and/or flexible schedule available after an initial training period.

Interviews will take place the week of November 2nd, 2026 and job offers will be made shortly after all interviews are complete.

Future Salary Increases

June 2027 - 2.90% increase to base pay

About The Department of General Services (DGS):

The Department of General Services (DGS) is an internal service department within the County of San Diego. DGS ensures that other County departments have the necessary workspaces, services and vehicles to accomplish their own business objectives. These services range from real estate leasing and acquisition support to capital improvement and architectural planning; from facility maintenance and repair services to security management; from vehicle acquisition and maintenance to refueling services, and for delivering County mail. DGS is also a committed leader in energy and sustainability and has been recognized for its efforts in conserving energy resources while promoting expansion of renewable sources of energy in the County.

About the Real Estate Division:

The Real Estate Division (RED) is responsible for developing the County’s five-year capital plan and overseeing the purchase, leasing, space management, appraisal, surveying and mapping, and sale of County property. It provides real property agreement services for County owned assets, excluding leases and licenses at County airports, and serves as the lease administrator for properties the County leases from others. RED also maintains records of County landownership and leasing and supplies mapping and deed information to County departments and partner agencies.

About the Project Manager-Real Estate Role:

The Department of General Services is seeking a Project Manager in the Real Estate Division. The Project Manager will be responsible for planning, managing and coordinating complex acquisition-related efforts including easements and rights of way.

The Project Manager supervises Real Property Agents within the division and manages and oversees the performance of contracted work.

The ideal candidate for the Project Manager will be a highly motivated self-starter who demonstrates strong initiative, communicates effectively, identifies challenges and recommends practical solutions, and consistently sets and achieves goals. This individual will excel at building trusting relationships across internal teams, external partners, and community stakeholders. They will model leadership through clear communication, coaching, support, and mentoring of staff.

The ideal candidate will possess technical expertise to:

• Interpret regulations from other governmental agencies as they apply to County real property acquisition, such as Caltrans requirements;
• Coordinate the activities of a diverse project team that may include County clients, attorneys, consultants (brokers, appraisers, planners, A/E, etc.), external stakeholders, and internal Subject Matter Experts;
• Negotiate and prepare an array of agreements and real property contracts;
• Handle complex real estate efforts such as large commercial or Right of Way (ROW) acquisitions;
• Plan, manage, and coordinate the professional activities of a section within the Real Estate Division, to include distributing work assignments and evaluating and developing staff;
• Perform complex fiscal and other pertinent analyses and make recommendations to Department executives and clients;
• Understand associated project inputs such as real property appraisals, land survey documents and exhibits; and,
• Preparation of acquisition materials, such as Board letters, presentations, policies, processes, and executive briefing materials.

This position requires a candidate to have strong analytical and communication skills, oral and written, and fully developed soft skills, including political acumen, ability to build consensus within both small and large team environments, a willingness to initiate process improvements, and commitment to improving performance and client service.

Additional Information on the Department of General Services

For more information, read the Project Manager-Real Estate Option complete job description.

Interview and Hiring Dates

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below:

• Interviews, Job Offers and Background Process begin in November 2026. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
• Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
• Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in real estate, business administration, public administration, economics, urban planning or a closely related field, and, two (2) years of professional lead-level experience in real property acquisition, commercial property acquisition, commercial property leasing, property management, relocation assistance, appraisal, and real property development in a public or quasi-public agency which exercises power of eminent domain, OR
2. Six (6) years of professional-level experience in real property acquisition, commercial property leasing, property management, relocation assistance, appraisal and real property development in a public or quasi-public agency which exercises the power of eminent domain, with at least two (2) years of such experience having been obtained at the level equivalent to that of a Senior Real Property Agent in County service.

Notes

• Possession of one or more of the following designations is highly desirable: Senior Right-of-Way Agent (SR/WA), Member of Appraisal Institute (MAI), Certified Property Manager (CPM), Real Property Administrator (RPA), Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Registered/Licensed Architect, Civil Engineer, Interior Designer, Landscape Architect or Land Surveyor.
• Licensed Engineer Premium: This employees with this certification shall receive additional compensation of approximately five percent (5%) above the employee’s base pay if employee is registered with the state of California as a Professional Engineer.

Blind Applicant Screening

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.

Conditions of Employment

As part of the County of San Diego’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.

Evaluation

The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a six month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities to perform