Real Estate Manager

Frederick County Government•Division of Public Works - Frederick, MD

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Real Estate Manager oversees the acquisition, management, and disposition of County-owned and leased properties. The position negotiates and administers leases, easements, memoranda of understanding, and other property agreements, and directs property operations and facility programs to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant use of County assets. The role supervises staff and consultants, supports capital projects, and manages property-related contracts, records, and transactions. Supervision is received from the Department Head, Office of Real Estate. The position coordinates property acquisition and disposal with County departments and outside agencies; manages facility use and space planning; develops land-management and facility strategies, budgets, policies, and procedures; and negotiates and administers real estate transactions. It oversees staff, appraisals, title verifications, easement documentation, acquisition records, and surplus-property sales. The manager also participates in project presentations, advises engineering personnel on property matters, and serves in an acting capacity in the absence of the Department of Professional Services Department Head. This is an exempt, full-time position scheduled for 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Partial telework may be available under Division policies. The position may also require varied evening and weekend hours to accommodate meetings and special events, and the employee must provide their own transportation as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, public administration, civil engineering, construction management, or a related field, plus at least 7 years of work experience in public works operations, maintenance, or infrastructure management, including at least 3 years supervising or managing staff.
Education and experience substitutions: an associate degree plus 9 years of the specified work experience, including 3 years supervising or managing staff; or a master’s degree plus 5 years of the specified work experience, including 3 years supervising or managing staff.
Current Maryland Notary Public certification, or ability to obtain it within six months of hire.
Advanced knowledge of real estate principles and best practices; legal-document requirements for real estate transactions; and real-property appraisal methods and techniques.
Knowledge of real estate, title, and valuation principles and procedures, and prevailing real estate values and recent land sales.
Skill in negotiating with property owners to achieve desired acquisitions.
Knowledge of and ability to use software programs for tracking land-acquisition and leasing activities.
Strong spoken and written English communication skills, including ability to write legal contracts and agreements and clear correspondence and reports.
Skill in supervising and managing employees.
Ability to manage tasks, organize work, set priorities, and complete duties with minimal supervision.
Ability to interpret and explain construction plans and real estate plats in lay terms.
Ability to interpret and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, budgets, and contracts.
Ability to arrange frequent travel to meetings, work locations, and events, including occasional urgent or time-sensitive situations.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with property owners, public officials, County coworkers, and the public, and to act with discretion.
Ability to meet the stated physical and working conditions: constantly sit and work indoors, and occasionally walk and work outdoors.
Ability to provide own transportation as needed for meetings and other commitments.
Availability for varied evening and weekend work hours to accommodate meetings and special events.

Nice To Haves

Current Maryland Notary Public certification.
Experience preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents for real estate transactions.
Experience working with real estate titles, valuation, and land-record documentation.
Experience working on projects involving federal, state, or local government property-acquisition requirements.
Experience interpreting and explaining construction plans or real estate plats.

Responsibilities

Coordinate real property acquisition and disposal efforts with County departments, the City of Frederick, State agencies, private developers, and municipalities.
Manage the use and operation of County facilities by employees and the public.
Establish short- and long-term land-management and facility needs and recommend initiatives.
Negotiate with tenants and landlords to procure, renew, and manage leases and rental agreements for County-owned and leased properties.
Review, process, and approve requests to access County properties and use County-owned facilities.
Develop land-acquisition and operational budgets during annual CIP preparation; analyze acquisition costs and benefits, lease and construction costs, and estimated facility-asset values.
Research and prepare reports to support resolution of County property and easement disputes.
Manage disposition of County-owned fixtures, furnishings, and equipment during demolition, renovation, and relocation activities.
Prepare, procure, and administer contracts for land acquisition and disposition work, including consultation, legal services, appraisals, surveys, and environmental assessments.
Negotiate with property owners to secure deeds, easements, permits, options, agreements, leases, and property purchases for public works and other County projects.
Help identify and prioritize potential land acquisitions using funding criteria and master-plan recommendations.
Support space assignments by assessing space needs and conducting space-allocation studies; facilitate department relocations with affected agencies and project staff.
Develop, implement, and update real property acquisition and management policies, practices, and procedures.
Draft, execute, and record easement documents and maintain agreements for property transfers, easements, temporary rights of entry, rights-of-way, and related transactions.
Review contracted appraisals and prepare in-house estimates of real-property values as needed under County policies.
Verify titles and records of deeds, easements, and permits; advise engineering personnel on right-of-way plats and construction plans related to acquisition or land use.
Maintain records of Public Works-related County properties and property transactions.
Participate in County project presentations to citizens and government officials.
Supervise staff responsible for property negotiations, acquisitions, and coordination across County divisions.
Oversee staff preparing easement documents, plats, and acquisition records for capital projects; provide final review and approval of appraisals, agreements, and title verifications.
Manage surplus-property petitions and coordinate marketing and sale of County-owned assets.
Advise on land-management strategies and supervise relocation and space-planning efforts.
Lead coordination of memoranda of understanding and special projects with internal and external stakeholders.
Supervise lease administration, facility-use approvals, and operational policy development.
Serve in an acting capacity in the absence of the Department of Professional Services Department Head.
Perform other related duties as required.

Benefits

11 days of vacation leave, increasing after 2 years of employment.
15 days of sick leave with unlimited annual carryover.
11 paid holidays and 2 additional floating holidays.
Day-one coverage of comprehensive medical insurance plan options, including a County Health Savings Account contribution for those enrolled in the high-deductible plan.
Dental insurance.
Vision insurance.
Flexible Spending Account.
Employee Health Center offering no- or low-cost primary and urgent care.
County-paid group term life insurance equal to 2 times annual salary and Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit.
County- and employee-funded defined benefit pension plan, with vesting after 5 years of service.
Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, and other qualifying service.
Employee Assistance Program.
Employee Wellness Program.
Tuition reimbursement program.
Optional employee-paid Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, and Long Term Care plan.
Full benefits are offered; the posting describes the package for full-time benefited employees.