Right of Way Specialist

Job description

**We are looking for a talented Right of Way Negotiator to join our team in Illinois.** The selected candidate can be based out of any of our offices in the greater St. Louis area - St. Louis, Belleville, IL, or Edwardsville, IL. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing firm known for its excellent workplace culture, great career opportunities, and recognition as one of the Illinois Best Places to Work. This position will facilitate the acquisition of property rights necessary for infrastructure projects by preparing legal documents, negotiating with property owners, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Its impact will be critical in securing clear property titles, mitigating project delays, and maintaining positive relationships between stakeholders. Lochmueller Group is a growing multi-state engineering consulting firm with an emphasis on infrastructure.  We provide multi-disciplined services for a variety of public agencies and private entities, including transportation design; water resources design; environmental analysis & permitting; construction engineering & inspection; traffic engineering & transportation planning; surveying; and land acquisition & appraisal. For over 40 years, Lochmueller Group has helped communities reinvent their future through thoughtful, actionable planning and design. Our dedication to building a team that demonstrates our corporate values (CARDIA) is what sets us apart: **CARDIA: C**reativity; **A**ccountability; **R**espect; **D**edication; **I**ntegrity; **A**chievement Lochmueller Group provides an excellent workplace culture established by our people who share these values. We are a 100% employee-owned company, and our people are invested in the success and continued development of each other and the firm. This is a great place to build a career and grow with a company that is dedicated to quality and service. ### In this position, the candidate will: - Prepare legal documents (deeds, easements, releases, receipts, affidavits, etc.) for obtaining clear property titles for projects. - Review and analyze property appraisals and preliminary title commitment reports and secures title updates. - Arrange and conduct meetings with property owners, presenting written offers, negotiating settlement offers, and securing necessary signatures. - Interpret construction plans and explain project details to property owners. - Act as a liaison between property owners and clients, addressing concerns and clarifying project impacts. - Prepare written correspondence and reports and perform data entry into various databases. - Manage multiple property acquisition assignments, schedule meetings efficiently, and ensure timely property acquisition. - Assist with business development efforts. - Track project status, milestones, deadlines, and report assignment status to supervisors and management. - Perform tasks at county courthouses, including recording conveyance documents, researching property ownership, and obtaining copies of records. - Create, file, and maintain all documentation required by clients. - Conduct quality control checks on colleagues' work. - Perform other duties as assigned. ### Minimum qualifications for this role: - High school diploma or GED - Ability and willingness to obtain a notary public commission in the state of Missouri - Ability to take initiative, think critically, and be creative - Highly organized with strong written and verbal communication skills and strong attention to detail - Ability to organize work-flow priorities to complete work within an established schedule - Proficiency with Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint - Ability to work individually or as part of a team - Willingness and ability to travel locally with occasional overnight travel - Valid driver's license ### Preferred qualifications: - Education or training in real estate and/or right of way acquisition - Registration with the Missouri Division of Professional Registration (Appraiser, Real Estate Broker/Sales) strongly preferred - General real estate experience, or experience in right-of-way acquisition for transportation and utility projects ### What we offer: - **Health & Wellness:** medical, dental, vision, disability, EAP, HSA, FSA, and basic life insurance w/ option for additional voluntary life insurance - **Work/Life Balance:** vacation, holidays, sick leave, paternal leave - **Wealth-Building:** 401k w/ company match, 401k student loan repayment benefit, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) at no cost to you, competitive compensation package - **Professional Benefits:** professional membership dues, career & educational development