Senior Land Agent

Job Description Summary

Salary: $98,176.00 - $

The Senior Land Agent directly supports the Land and Right of Way Manager in performance of complex real estate transactions supporting infrastructure and public projects. This role provides land acquisition, easement negotiations, and property management activities while coordinating with legal, engineering, and project teams. The position ensures regulatory compliance, oversees title and appraisal processes, supports condemnation when needed, and may mentor junior staff and provide oversight of consultants.
Job Description

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to this position.

Key responsibilities:

• Assist Land & ROW Manager in acquisition of land rights, including fee title, easements, licenses, permits, leases, rights of entry for District projects
• Negotiate with private landowners, tenants, developers, and governmental entities for property interests
• Manage and enforce right-of-way corridors for canals, pipelines, reservoirs, detention facilities and other TRWD infrastructure projects
• Oversee encroachment agreements, damage claims, crossings and permits affecting District property

• Conduct and oversee title research, curative, and abstracting for surface and subsurface rights
• Review title commitments, appraisals, surveys, plats, and legal descriptions for accuracy and completeness
• Resolve title defects and coordinate with legal counsel on complex ownership issues

• Work closely with Engineering, Legal, Operations, Environmental Services, Purchasing and GIS teams to support capital improvement projects
• Identify property needs early in project planning and anticipate acquisition risks

• Serve as point of contact for landowners impacted by District operations or projects
• Handle sensitive negotiations and resolve disputes professionally.
• Represent the District in internal as well as public meetings, hearings and community outreach

• Maintain accurate land records, GIS data, deeds, leases, easements and other agreements and contracts
• Support implementation of land management systems and digital records
• Ensure proper filing of instruments in county records

• Provide guidance and supervision to staff land agents, consultants, and contract ROW agents
• Manage outsourcing of land services and review contractor performance
• May supervise staff land agents or contract land agents and consultants

• Maintain familiarity with strategic district levels of service
• Continuous improvement monitoring and innovation efforts
• Perform other duties as required

Eight to ten (8-10) years of land experience, including significant time in Texas

• Experience in public infrastructure, utilities, water districts, or pipeline ROW strongly preferred
• Negotiating complex surface agreements and easements
• Working knowledge of Texas real property law, title practices, eminent domain procedures and the Unform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA)
• Easements, ROW acquisition, and condemnation support
• Surveying principles and legal descriptions
• Excellent negotiation and conflict-resolution skills
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, plats and GIS mapping
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities
  
  High level of professionalism dealing with the public and elected officials

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Real Estate, or related field
• Valid Texas Driver’s License

• Course work and/or experience in accounting, civil engineering, Texas real estate marketing, management, appraisal, Texas real estate law, and/or land surveying
• Senior Right of Way Agent (SR/WA) Designation from International Right of Way Association (IRWA)

• Self-motivated…