Right of Way Project Manager

Gray Hawk Land Solutions; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Gray Hawk Land Solutions is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead right-of-way and land services on a major Permian Basin pipeline project. You will serve as the primary client liaison, translating objectives into clear field direction and ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery across field teams.

The role requires 5+ years in ROW/land acquisition, Texas pipeline experience, and strong leadership. Expect extensive travel, on-site work, and adherence to safety and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• 5+ years managing right-of-way or land acquisition projects.
• Experience leading complex, multi-phase ROW programs and field teams.
• Leadership experience on FERC-regulated natural gas pipeline projects.
• Texas pipeline experience with Texas Railroad Commission.
• Knowledge of title research, easements, curative processes, and full ROW workflow.

Responsibilities

• Serve as day-to-day liaison between client management and Gray Hawk field teams and translate objectives into field direction.
• Direct and coordinate all ROW supervisors, title staff, document and database specialists, and other personnel on the project.
• Assign parcels, workloads, production targets, and manage the full acquisition workflow to meet milestones and schedule.
• Track and report acquisition progress to the client on a regular cadence, including parcel status and agreements.
• Review and quality-control all documentation and deliverables before submission to the client.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve title defects, curative issues, and difficult landowner negotiations.
• Manage scope and budget adherence; flag any cost/timeline changes to client and leadership.
• Coordinate field logistics, staffing, scheduling, and travel across project geography.
• Ensure field work complies with client requirements and safety standards; ensure training completed before fieldwork.
• Onboard and mentor ROW agents and field staff to uphold Gray Hawk Proactive Standard.
• Maintain accurate project records in Gray Hawk’s systems and project land-management database.

Skills

ROW management

Project leadership

Client-facing comms

Travel readiness

MS Office

SharePoint / OneDrive

Documentation & reporting

Texas condemnation knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

IRWA SR/WA or RW/AC accepted

Tools

SharePoint

OneDrive

Microsoft Office

Irth Land Management / land DB

Job description

Project: A major natural gas pipeline project in the Permian Basin, Texas

Reports to: VP of Land & ROW (and client project management where assigned to a client-embedded role)

Classification: Full-time

Location: Permian Basin, Texas — on-site and field-based; extensive travel across the project area as assigned

Purpose

The Project Manager owns Gray Hawk’s delivery of right-of-way and land services on assigned projects — from mobilization through completion. This role serves as the primary point of contact between the client (and project leadership) and Gray Hawk’s field organization, translating project objectives, priorities, and schedules into clear field direction and holding the project team accountable for on-time, on-budget, and compliant delivery. The role operates with significant autonomy and is measured by the quality, pace, and reliability of the work Gray Hawk delivers.

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as the day-to-day liaison between client management and Gray Hawk field teams — receiving project objectives, priorities, and schedule changes and translating them into clear, actionable field direction.
• Direct and coordinate all right-of-way supervisors and agents, title staff, document and/or database specialists, and other Gray Hawk personnel assigned to the project.
• Assign parcels and workloads, set production targets, and manage the full acquisition workflow to meet project milestones and schedule.
• Track and report acquisition progress to the client on a regular cadence — parcel status, executed agreements, outstanding tracts, and overall project pace.
• Review and quality-control all documentation, agreements, and deliverables before they are submitted to the client.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and escape title defects, curative issues, problem parcels, and difficult or legally represented landowners.
• Manage scope and budget adherence; promptly flag any change that affects cost or timeline to the client and Gray Hawk leadership.
• Coordinate field logistics across the project geography — staffing coverage, scheduling, and travel.
• Ensure all field work complies with client requirements, applicable regulations, and Gray Hawk safety and documentation standards; confirm every team member has completed the Field Safety acknowledgment and Safety Training before working alone in the field.
• Onboard, support, and mentor ROW agents and field staff; reinforce the Gray Hawk Proactive Standard — agents actively pursue landowners after first contact rather than waiting.
• Maintain accurate, current project records in Gray Hawk’s systems (SharePoint, OneDrive) and the project’s land-management database.

Success Metrics

• Field team operating under clear assignments with no active parcels left unassigned.
• Reporting cadence to the client established and consistently met.
• No unresolved escalations aging beyond 3 days without a documented status and path to resolution.
• Acquisition milestones met or exceeded on schedule across assigned projects.
• Client regards Gray Hawk as a reliable, well-managed delivery partner — reflected in client feedback and renewed or expanded scope.
• Zero material documentation errors on executed agreements.
• Stable field-team performance and retention; agents consistently operating to the Gray Hawk Proactive Standard.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years managing right-of-way or land acquisition projects, preferably on natural gas pipelines.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-phase ROW programs — schedule, staffing, cost controls, reporting and multidisciplinary interfaces — and leading field teams of ROW agents and support staff.
• Leadership experience on FERC-regulated natural gas pipeline projects.
• Texas pipeline experience, including work with the Texas Railroad Commission.
• Working knowledge of Texas condemnation (eminent domain) law and procedure for pipelines.
• Working knowledge of title research, easements, curative processes, and the full ROW acquisition workflow.
• Strong client‑facing communication and reporting skills; comfortable serving as the face of Gray Hawk to a client’s management team.
• Proficiency with SharePoint, OneDrive and Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Experience with land‑management databases (such as Irth Land Management or comparable) and the ability to learn new client databases quickly.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability and willingness to travel extensively to and across project areas.
• Must supply their own mobile phone that can receive email, and a computer capable of doing the job effectively.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent right-of-way experience or IRWA certification (SR/WA or RW/AC) accepted in its place.
• Available to start within weeks of an offer and to work on‑site in the Permian Basin.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience on large-diameter natural gas pipeline right-of-way projects.
• Experience across multiple asset types (pipeline, electric transmission, renewables).
• SR/WA or RW/AC certification (IRWA).
• Prior experience as a client-embedded or client-facing project lead.

Don’t meet every requirement? If you have strong FERC pipeline leadership experience but not in Texas, we still want to hear from you.