Senior Right of Way Engineer

About the Positions

We're seeking Senior Right-of-Way Engineers to support right-of-way engineering activities on major transit capital programs, delivered through traditional and alternative methods including design-build and progressive design-build. You'll lead property rights acquisition, right-of-way standards administration, and negotiation efforts that keep mega program schedules and budgets on track.

This post is for future roles and not for a specific opportunity that is available right now. We accept applications and conduct interviews in advance of upcoming hiring needs. When a candidate is selected, their profile is activated in our talent pool for this specialty area. We notify our talent pool candidates first whenever we have a project need.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead efforts to secure necessary property rights supporting design, construction, operation, and maintainability of transit facilities and systems.
• Oversee right-of-way scope-of-work requirements for consultants across design phases and construction delivery methods.
• Direct consultants responsible for property rights determination, civil certification deliverables, and appraisal documentation, reviewing plans, specifications, and related deliverables for conformance with right-of-way standards and best practices.
• Lead development of technical property acquisition documents, including deeds, easements, agreements, covenants and restrictions, plats, parcel maps, and legal descriptions, for private property owners, third parties, and utilities across design, construction, and closeout phases.
• Develop right-of-way standards and administer related processes program-wide.
• Oversee the Right-of-Entry (ROE) process, including form development and approval.
• Support preparation of Real Property Acquisition Plans, coordinating agency, state, and third-party right-of-way interests.
• Represent right-of-way interests in negotiations, mediations, and trials with property owners; coordinate with construction management to interpret property rights and administer temporary construction easements.
• Coordinate with operations and facilities teams after construction to interpret acquired property rights, develop maintenance plans, and negotiate access agreements.
• Mentor and provide technical direction to right-of-way engineering staff.

Attributes

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly translating technical right-of-way and legal documents for non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills managing multiple parcels, agencies, and deadlines concurrently.
• Collaborative mindset working across legal, design, construction, and property owner interests.
• Sound judgment navigating ambiguity in real property, negotiation, and regulatory matters.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, construction management, field surveying, land and property development, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 15+ years of experience in civil/architectural engineering design, construction, or land development, including significant experience with project design plans, specifications, and property-related documents such as deeds, easements, agreements, covenants and restrictions, plats, parcel maps, and legal descriptions.
• Advanced skill reviewing and interpreting complex engineering plans, drawings, specifications, contract documents, property agreements, easements, and engineering reports for conformance with professional standards and approved budgets.
• Experience developing, interpreting, and administering right-of-way policies and procedures.
• Experience leading or providing technical direction to right-of-way engineering staff.
• Knowledge of real property law, eminent domain and condemnation processes, and right-of-way acquisition practices on public infrastructure programs, including applicable federal, state, and local codes and regulations.
• Experience supporting alternative delivery methods such as design-build, progressive design-build, or CM.
• Proficiency with right-of-way plan production, GIS, or parcel/easement mapping software.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365 (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in civil engineering, real estate, or engineering management.
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Land Surveyor license issued by the State of Washington.
• Strong understanding of real estate principles, property rights, and outside agency real estate and engineering practices, including property acquisition under condemnation and state property rights law.
• Experience supporting owner's representative or program management assignments on rail or transit capital programs exceeding $1B in value.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Power BI or other dashboard/KPI reporting software.

Compensation Details

Expected Salary: $140k-$170k/year ($67-$82/hour). Luster provides the salary range that the company in good faith…