Right-of-Way Agent 2

Description

Position Summary

Why It's a great opportunity: As a Right-of-Way Agent 2 with the Office of the County Engineer, you will be procuring the necessary property for transportation projects across the county. You will be interpreting engineering plans, appraisals, and legal descriptions to clearly communicate with citizens, vendors, contractors, and Pierce County staff. You will apply the principles of negotiation, appraisal, and real estate law to complex real-world scenarios every day. Tasked to navigate the challenges of delivering the needed property rights for a project according to budget, deadline, and applicable regulations, you will draw upon your critical thinking skills and depend upon your team-building skills. Your excellence here will ensure that transportation projects in Pierce County work for all members of our communities.

Why It's a great department: PPW is a diverse and fast-moving department filled with motivated professionals working to ensure Pierce County is positioned to handle growth while building, operating, and maintaining reliable infrastructure to support livable communities. PPW is responsible for a broad and complex portfolio of services that provides unique opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and inspire. We are responsible for the County road and levee systems, sewer systems, airports, ferries, building permits, environmental review, sustainability, community planning, and code enforcement - just to name a few!

Learn more about Planning and Public Works here.

How to be successful in the role: Your success will come from your desire to learn, solve problems, and apply your knowledge of real estate processes to execute leases, rights of entry, acquisition, disposition of real property, and other processes related to real property. Your ability to cultivate and maintain working relationships with various internal and external stakeholders will be essential. Your strong negotiation, coordination, research, communication, facilitation skills, and strong writing skills to convey information clearly and concisely will further ensure your success.

Your future in this role: In this position you will join a team of knowledgeable right of way professionals who will help you acclimate to Pierce County's standards and processes. There is variety in the projects you will work on, each with its own unique set of challenges and solutions to develop. You will have the opportunity to work on sidewalk projects near schools, major road widening projects, bridge replacement projects, and projects that construct new roadways. The following are links to a few of the various projects that a Right-of-Way Agent 2 might work on:

https://www.piercecountywa.gov/CRP5763https://canyonroadconnection.org/https://www.piercecountywa.gov/CRP5887https://www.piercecountywa.gov/4375/Rhodes-Lake-Rd-E-SR162-to-Falling-Water

Our department also supports participation in the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) and its continuing education and certification programs. Pierce County offers professional development through robust online learning and other training opportunities throughout your career to ensure your success.

Core daily responsibilities:

• Negotiate for purchase or lease of land parcels or file report with Prosecuting Attorney for Public Use and Necessity Hearing and condemnation.
• Appraise real property and serves as review appraiser; determine property damages and prepare required reports and documents.
• Prepare Project Funded Estimates to include estimates of property damages and preparation of required documents.
• Effect claims settlements with property owners for the acquisition of land and improvements; inform owners of their rights, applicable laws, and regulations.
• Review right of way strip maps, commissioners' records, plat books, engineers' reports and other records or materials. Make, or acquire, title searches.
• Inspect property to be acquired; contact property owners and obtain permission for a variety of County activities, such as right of way staking or temporary construction permits.
• Write legal property descriptions of rights of way and draw scaled plats for filing of deeds.
• Prepare and review exhibits and documents for presentation to elected officials and the general public; represent department's position at council and public meetings.
• Arrange for the maintenance, protection, sale and removal of buildings within acquired rights of way; provide relocation assistance to individuals affected by proposed construction.
• Conduct extensive research efforts, using all government and private resources available.
• Provide extensive research assistance to the public and other government entities.

A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found here.

Qualifications

• A resume and cover letter are required for this position.
• Graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in real estate or related discipline AND
• One year of related experience is required.
• Additional experience or education may be substituted for the recruiting requirement.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid driver's license within thirty days of employment.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a Washington State Notary Public Commission within thirty days of employment.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

To be considered for this opportunity please:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or go to: www.piercecountywa.org/jobs.
• If you have a question about this opportunity, please email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and specify the Job Number and Title.
• If you do not have internet access, you may visit your local public library or any WorkSource location and use their computers.
• Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing process or need this job announcement in an alternative format may call Human Resources at (253) 798-7480, at least two days prior to the need.

This is a competitive selection process. Your application will be reviewed and evaluated for the quality and quantity of education/experience in the areas listed. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status normally occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes which may include assessments, phone screen, and interviews.

At Pierce County, diversity, equity, and inclusion means commitment, not a single step. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that supports equitable access to opportunities throughout your career. We want to recruit, develop, and maintain a talented workforce from various backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives, committed to our vision. Employees of the County have local, direct, and visible impact in our diverse community. Will you join us in keeping Pierce County a place people are proud to call home?

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.