Senior Real Estate Specialist

JOB LOCATION

15151 E Alameda Pkwy Aurora, Colorado 80012-1555

City of Aurora, Colorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.

Why Work for Aurora?

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Step into a pivotal lead role where your expertise in complex property transactions directly shapes the landscape of our community. This position offers a dynamic environment for a licensed real estate professional to master everything from intricate acquisitions to high-level negotiations. You will champion Integrity by ensuring every contract and easement meets the highest professional standards. Our commitment to Customer Service shines through in your interactions with property owners and stakeholders, helping you reach mutually beneficial solutions. By collaborating across departments, you demonstrate Respect for the diverse needs of our citizens and the environment. Your technical leadership reflects a high degree of Professionalism as you mentor junior staff and provide expert guidance on federal regulations. Join a dedicated team where your real estate savvy translates into lasting public impact.

The hiring range for this role is: $73,975 - $92,468/year.

Salary to be commensurate with experience.

The deadline to submit applications is May 10, 2026. Please note that the City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first-come, first-served basis; as soon as we determine we have a qualified pool of applicants, this position may close quickly and without notice.

Must reside in Colorado by the time of hire.

Position overview:

The Real Estate Specialist Senior works as a lead employee and applies real estate concepts, principles, and practices to conduct all manner of complex real property transactions with no prevailing guidance; is required to use Colorado Real Estate license for analyzing, evaluating, and coordinating the work activities of the real property acquisition, disposition, licensing, and leasing processes.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plans, schedules, coordinates, reviews, and monitors work functions necessary to determine real property acquisition needs of a project.
• Provides training and direction to assigned survey staff in the capacity of technical advisor.
• Plans, schedules, coordinates, and ensures timely acquisition of necessary easements or rights-of-way.
• Prepares and processes agreements and permits with public and private entities.
• Prepares and processes leases, licenses, contracts, and conveyance instruments.
• Prepares technical reports, memoranda, maps and/or exhibits for use by management.
• Coordinates and contracts with environmental firms, appraisal firms, and other private consultants.
• Reviews reports and data including legal descriptions, appraisals, environmental site assessments, and title work for conformance with industry standards and/or government regulations.
• Interacts, negotiates, recommends solutions, and resolves issues related to real property acquisitions.
• Initiates and coordinates land negotiations with property owners and outside agencies to acquire or dispose of real property interests.
• Performs complex land negotiations with no prevailing guidance, document review and preparation, and generating valuation estimates.
• Quality control for records and data management, including production and status activity report.
• Inventories and inspects City-owned property for asset management purposes.
• Performs curative title functions including, but not limited to, affidavits, releases, and consents.
• May testify in court as an expert witness regarding property acquisitions.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, property management or directly related field.

Experience:

• At least 3 years progressively responsible professional experience in real estate, finance, or similar field.

Knowledge:

• State statutes, federal regulations and codes related to acquisition of private property for public projects.
• Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies Act of 1970, as amended.
• City design standards.
• GPS, GIS, and Microsoft Office.
• Professional Land Survey System.
• Applicable engineering concepts and principles.

Skills:

• Operating computer equipment.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Making mathematical calculations.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Skill in the use of windows-based programs.
• Strong customer service skills and customer relations, public speaking, and media relations.
• Skill in checking information for accuracy and completeness and correcting errors.

Abilities:

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees and citizens.
• Ability to administer Federal or federally assisted projects per the Uniform Relocation and Real Property Acquisitions Policy Act of 1970, as amended.
• Ability to cross-train and lead junior agents.
• Read, review, and interpret legal property descriptions.
• Read, review, and interpret title commitments and title policies.
• Ability to represent RPS at council and committee meetings.
• Perform relocations of displaced persons.
• Ability to perform duties and solve problems that no prevailing guidance.
• Read and interpret engineering and architectural drawings.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, all levels of management including executive staff, citizens, and elected officials.
• Handle sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Creatively solve problems, negotiate, and handle stressful situations in a positive manner.
• Oversee assigned employees.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Registration in the State of Colorado as an Associate Broker or Broker.
• Driver's License

WORKING CONDITIONS

Essential Personnel:

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the city, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel.

Physical Demands:

• Moderate physical work requiring the ability to lift a maximum of 50 pounds with or without assistance.
• Considerable walking and standing.
• Regular bending, climbing, kneeling, stooping, digging, pushing, pulling to coordinate field operations.
• Frequent hand/eye coordination to operate computer keyboard and surveying instruments.
• Foot/eye coordination for operation of motor vehicles for field testing.
• Clear vision to read written reports, survey instruments and written material.
• Hearing/listening and speech communication to maintain communication with employees, contractors, and citizens.

Work Environment:

• Works both indoors and outdoors in varying types of weather with some exposure to dust and noise; walks over varying terrain.

Equipment Used:

• Operates a motor vehicle.
• Computer software (including ArcMAP, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Scanning equipment.
• This position may require the incumbent to occasionally use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment.

The city of Aurora will implement furlough days (unpaid days off) for most employees in 2026. The scheduled furlough dates are January 16, April 10, July 2, and December 24.

For Veterans preference: Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.

The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer. We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants. It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace. A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.

Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References:
As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check.

Applicants selected for safety-sensitive positions are required to complete and pass a drug screening as a condition of employment. Safety sensitive positions include Civil Service positions within Police and Fire Departments and positions where their job responsibilities have direct and substantial responsibility that would impact the health and safety of others.

Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.