Sr. Right Of Way Agent

Job Announcement

Join the Park Authority and our nationally recognized team of professionals! You will work as part of one of the most highly regarded park systems in the country. With more than 25,000 acres of parkland, nine RECenters, eight golf courses, three lakefront parks, and more, FCPA is an exciting organization to be a part of and there are many opportunities for staff to make a difference at every level.

Works under general supervision of the Planning and Development Real Estate Services Branch Manager. Negotiates, coordinates, and executes the acquisitions of real property for the Park Authority in support of the Capital Improvement Program and Park Bond Referendum. Provides real estate expertise on property evaluation, market listings, and offers for purchase. Performs research on title, deed restrictions, property conditions, liens, utilities, existing land encumbrances, and legal issues. Scopes, contracts, and reviews outside and in-house appraisals to determine appropriateness and accuracy. Writes sales contracts, coordinates settlement proceedings, financing, and related work as required for difficult acquisitions and real estate transactions. Reports on completed acquisitions and prepares presentations for the Park Authority Board. Interprets and determines the applicability of various federal, state and county statutes, codes and ordinances including those related to Virginia Department of Transportation, Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration, Public Facilities Manual, and Zoning Ordinance. Performs land records research, interprets real estate valuation principles, engineering plans, and construction drawings to process fee simple acquisition and easement documents for infrastructure and land development projects. Serves as the intake for Telecommunications inquiries on Park Authority owned property, manages telecommunications requests, and coordinates staff review of telecommunications proposals. Assists with the negotiating and writing of leases and agreements for telecommunications, rental property, or other agency assets. Conducts special investigations and issues reports as needed. Assists with updating park ownership records and documents.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

• Handles the more difficult and/or sensitive purchases of real property for the County;
• Serves as team leader, coordinates project assignments, and provides technical expertise to Right-of-Way Agents and Engineering Technicians;
• Coordinates training for the Division and provides training to professional and technical staff;
• Researches legal records to determine real estate ownership;
• Interprets and determines the applicability of various federal, state, and County statutes, codes, and ordinances such as the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act and the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance;
• Coordinates relocation activities with the Department of Housing and Community Development;
• Interprets real estate valuation principles, engineering plans and construction drawings;
• Reviews and edits correspondence and legal documents to ensure compliance with codes, regulations, and procedures;
• Reviews outside and in-house appraisals to determine appropriateness and accuracy and chairs the Appraiser Selection Committee;
• Coordinates the gathering of data in preparation for public hearing and condemnation proceedings;
• Coordinates legal issues with the County Attorney’s Office;
• Testifies in court regarding condemnation matters;
• Conducts special investigations and issues reports;
• Meets with the professional and technical staff, compiles project updates and disseminates data at twice-monthly project status meetings;
• Coordinates the automated project management/project tracking systems;
• Writes and updates Land Acquisition Division procedures for the various types of projects;
• Acts for the Director in the Director’s absence regarding all acquisition projects or issues.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of real property acquisition for public purposes;
• Knowledge of the law governing condemnation or disposal proceedings;
• Knowledge of the legal instruments involved in real estate transactions;
• Skill in negotiating the purchase of real property;
• Ability to interpret real estate valuation principles;
• Ability to lead and instruct other employees in the land acquisition process;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with property owners, the public and other County officials;
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally;
• Ability to prepare correspondence and write reports.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for “Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to”)
A bachelor’s degree in real estate or a related field from an accredited four-year college or university; Plus, four years of experience in real property negotiation, disposition and/or evaluation.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with telecommunication leases and transactions
• Experience with complex right of way or land acquisition related work
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point)
• Experience negotiating and documenting real property transactions (acquisition, easements, agreements, etc.) for public purposes
• Experience managing complex projects and diverse project teams
• Experience preparing and presenting reports to senior/executive management, citizens, boards, and Commissions
• Experience with GIS for spatial analysis and detailed mapping of information and interpreting engineering plans
• Knowledge of Virginia State Real Estate laws, Tax Administration, Public Facilities Manual and Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Driver's license (required)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, child protective services registry check and, driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Primarily sedentary with ability to conduct field visits and traverse unimproved terrain. All duties may be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview; may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

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