LUT- Contract for Land Admin

McDermott•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Contract for Land Admin serves as the primary liaison between the client and landowners across renewable project operating portfolios. The role explains rent and royalty payment calculations and timing, manages changes of ownership from intake through records updates, and resolves inquiries with empathy, accuracy, and professionalism. It involves interpreting leases and related land agreements and maintaining meticulous records in land systems, while collaborating with Legal and Asset Operations to ensure payments and contractual obligations are met. The position requires a strong customer-service mindset, the ability to de-escalate difficult conversations, and precision in handling payment, ownership, and land information. It also supports audits, regulatory inquiries, community relations, project operations, and process improvements.

Requirements

Associate or bachelor's degree in business, Real Estate, Energy Management, Paralegal Studies, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 2 years of experience in land administration or lease administration, title, right of way, minerals, or real estate operations, including support for landowner relations and payment processing.
Ability to read and interpret leases, easements, and related agreements.
Working knowledge of real estate law concepts, including title chains, deeds, legal descriptions, probate and estate matters, trusts and LLCs, powers of attorney, and recording and notary requirements.
Understanding of rent and royalty calculations, owner decimal interests or division orders where applicable, and basic accounting concepts; awareness of unclaimed property and tax reporting implications.
Proficiency with land management databases and document control; familiarity with ticketing and financial systems.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including lookups and pivot tables, and Word skills; accurate data-entry ability.
Exceptional customer-service, active-listening, and de-escalation skills; ability to explain complex terms in plain language and produce clear, professional correspondence.
Strong prioritization and time-management skills to handle a high-volume queue and meet contractual requirements while maintaining attention to detail and confidentiality.
Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Project-management and stakeholder-management skills.
Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including use of software for analyses and advanced modeling.
Ability to work in cross-functional, multi-departmental teams.
Self-motivated and able to work effectively with minimal direction in structured and unstructured environments.
Ability to maintain and enhance customer relationships.
Ability to lead and support complex negotiations.
Ability to multitask and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Ability to foster and help create a collaborative working environment.
Ability to speak, read, and write English proficiently.

Responsibilities

Provide courteous front-line support to landowners by phone, email, and mail, explaining rent and royalty statements, payment schedules, and calculations in plain language.
Administer the landowner web portal and use it to respond to inquiries and provide forms and guidance.
Research and resolve payment issues, including calculation variances, missing or stale-dated checks, address or banking changes, and tax withholding; coordinate corrections and reissues with Settlements and Accounting.
Manage change-of-ownership requests from intake, validate supporting documents, and accurately update payee records and ownership interests.
Read and interpret leases, easements, surface-use agreements, and option agreements to resolve inquiries and support compliance.
Maintain organized records in the land management system; scan and index documents, track owner communications, and ensure data integrity and version control.
Partner with Legal to draft and issue professional correspondence, including payment explanations, ownership-change packets, consent and estoppel letters, and notices within contractual obligations.
Work with Legal, Development, Asset Operations, and Finance to cure title defects, resolve boundary or acreage discrepancies, and address damage claims; provide internal teams with land information.
Monitor and report case metrics, including volume, cycle time, aging, and root causes; recommend and help implement process improvements, SOP updates, and knowledge-base articles.
Support internal and external audits and regulatory inquiries by compiling documentation and responding promptly.
Participate in landowner meetings, open houses, and occasional site visits to support community relations and project operations.
De-escalate confrontational conversations with empathy, set clear expectations, and escalate appropriately.
Ensure compliance with applicable real estate laws, privacy and PII requirements, tax reporting considerations such as 1099s, and company policies.
Perform additional duties as required.