ROW Project Lead: Land Rights & Negotiations

Easy; Tupelo (MS); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ebbot in Tupelo, Mississippi, seeks a Right of Way Project Manager to lead land-rights acquisition for electric transmission and distribution projects. The role requires coordinating with field teams and management to ensure scope, budget, and milestones meet client needs on-site.

Candidates should have strong negotiation, budgeting, and analysis skills, plus several years supervising field personnel and aligning deliveries with client expectations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Four to six years of supervisory experience.
• At least eight years of relevant industry experience.
• Strong understanding of land rights, legal documents, and permitting.

Responsibilities

• Handle negotiations with landowners for land rights acquisition.
• Settle damage claims related to property caused during construction.
• Review legal documents, surveys, and appraisals.
• Serve as onsite representative and attend client meetings.
• Develop project scope, budget, milestones and communicate changes.
• Monitor reports, GIS data, and client invoices; coordinate staffing.
• Prepare Change Order documentation and assist with closeout lessons learned.

Skills

4+ Years of Experience

Project Management

Negotiation

Budgeting

Analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

GIS

Job description

Right of Way Project Manager - Tupelo, Mississippi

The Right-of-Way Project Manager will be assigned to one or more projects, for the purpose of acquiring land rights necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of electric transmission and/or distribution facilities.Demonstrate excellent communication between assigned Field personnel and Management. Possesses respectable leadership qualities along with vital business skills. Right of Way - Project managers should have a background in management, budgeting, and analysis.

Essential Tasks and Responsibilities

• Handle complicated negotiations with landowners (or their designees) for the acquisition of land rights relative to the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of electric transmission and/or distribution facilities.
• Settle damage claims with property owners (or their designees) relative to property damage caused or created by the client, or its contractors, during the construction, reconstruction, maintenance or removal of transmission and/or distribution facilities. Search courthouses and other records may be available to determine present property ownership(s) and the extent of interests therein.Coordinate with the supervisor in developing project scope, budget, deliverables and milestones and meet client’s needs.
• Review and interpret legal documents, property surveys, legal descriptions, surveying drawings, appraisals, and reports. Prepare approved legal documents for the acquisition of land rights relative to the construction, reconstruction or maintenance of electric transmission and/or distribution facilities.Serve as the company’s onsite representative for internal functions and attend client meetings, functions, etc.
• Assist in the scheduling and completion of onsite audits.
• Ensure accuracy of Client reports and GIS reporting tools.
• Attend initial project kick-off meeting and subsequent project conference calls.
• Communicate potential cost overruns and scope changes with the Client in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with Accounting in verifying Client invoices and follow up with clients.
• Approve project related expenses.
• Manage Direct Reports and field personnel, handle office-related issues, etc.
• Hold regular management meetings for improved communication and training.
• Communicate client scope changes with direct reports.
• Provide alignment between delivery and services with shared services.
• Generate and submit Change Order documentation to support scope changes when necessary.
• Monitor and coordinate staffing levels with Client.
• Provide project reporting to Client in accord with the Client’s schedule or as directed by Supervisor.
• Assist Supervisor by providing guidance on staffing.
• Monitor the closeout process and establish any lessons learned on ROW projects and recommend process improvements as appropriate. Approve vouchers for payments incurred in the acquisition of land rights involving the construction, reconstruction or maintenance of electric transmission and/or distribution facilities.
• Works closely with Project Team(s)/Supervisor to develop processes and procedures.
• Experience in identifying and communicating with project team about access roads and routing options.
• Provide coaching and training to assist Direct Reports in improving their performance.
• Assist Supervisor with developing plans and ideas for employee engagement.
• Conduct performance reviews of Direct Reports and communicate with Supervisor.
• Train Direct Reports and other key field personnel on new company processes.
• Complete Skillset Matrix for Direct Reports and communicate with Supervisor.
• Communicate potential leads with Supervisor.
• Coordinate with Supervisor in identifying potential events and organizations for support.
• Assist in asset inventory.
• Suggested to be involved in AAPL or IRWA where applicable.
• Local association involvement at a leadership level is recommended.
• Attend other industry-related seminars or events deemed necessary by the Supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned

Job Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Possess effective communication skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to operate Microsoft Office software and e-mail.
• Four - Six years of supervisory experience
• At least eight years of relevant experience in the industry
• Good understanding of the legal aspects of the documents required to complete the project, as well as area property values, general environmental issues, and the permitting requirements of the jurisdictional agencies in the project area.
• Ability to work autonomously and to collaborate fully as a team player.
• Ability to pay close attention to details, and present good planning, organization, and time management skills.
• Ability to work in a team environment and willingness to assume additional or new responsibilities readily.
• Ability to maintain regular attendance as per work schedule agreed with the manager (may require working an adjusted work schedule based on project assigned and work overtime if warranted).
• Ability to comply with applicable laws and regulations and Company policies and procedures.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Spends up to 50% of time in the project area.
• Is occasionally required to stand, walk, and stoop, kneel, or crouch.
• Is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.