Right-of-Way Specialist

Delta Oaks Group•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

Delta Oaks Group is seeking a Right-of-Way Specialist to support our fiber and linear infrastructure projects, including right-of-way (ROW) acquisition and coordination across public and private corridors. The successful candidate will independently drive corridor due diligence, landowner engagement, and negotiations to secure land rights, easements, access agreements, and ROW/encroachment permissions, ensuring timely delivery of acquisition and permitting inputs required for construction. Ideal applicants will have hands-on experience securing permanent and temporary easements, navigating DOT/municipal ROW requirements, coordinating with utilities and third-party stakeholders (including railroads where applicable), and maintaining accurate acquisition documentation and trackers. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of ROW acquisition workflows, landowner negotiations, and route feasibility assessments for fiber deployments. You will serve as the primary point of contact for landowners, agencies, legal/title teams, and internal stakeholders throughout the acquisition lifecycle. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential, as the role involves coordinating with internal teams, clients, and regulatory agencies – often across multiple jurisdictions and schedule-critical milestones. Due to the nature and limited timelines of most projects, the selected individual should be willing and capable of exhibiting the work ethic and social ability to succeed in a fast-paced environment where communication with co-workers and strategic partners is paramount.

Requirements

Experience in site acquisition, ROW, land rights, or real-estate negotiations, preferably within fiber, telecommunications, utilities, or energy sectors.
Proven track record negotiating easements, access agreements, and license agreements, including experience with TCE/PUE concepts and restoration provisions.
Demonstrated experience preparing acquisition documentation packages with accurate mapping, ownership research, parcel summaries, due diligence findings, and land-use/ROW considerations.
Proficient in route/site selection methodologies and evaluating candidate alignments against technical, financial, and regulatory criteria.
Familiarity with local, state, and federal land-use regulations and permitting processes, including ROW/encroachment requirements where applicable.
Skilled in researching and interpreting zoning districts (where relevant), parcel records, title records, and GIS information for properties in various jurisdictions.
Experience interpreting preliminary route exhibits, site plans, or construction drawings depicting civil development of fiber and/or related infrastructure.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Detail-oriented with excellent organizational and analytical abilities.
Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Microsoft Excel
Adobe Acrobat
ArcGIS Map Viewer
Google Earth
Local Jurisdiction GIS systems
ROW/Parcel tracking tools
Associate degree in urban planning, construction management, project management, or a related field. Applicants without a degree and with over 5 years of applicable experience will also be given consideration.

Responsibilities

Identify and qualify prospective fiber routes and project locations through mapping tools, public records, and field reconnaissance, including parcel-level ownership research.
Conduct detailed feasibility and constructability screening, evaluating ROW availability, access, restoration requirements, environmental constraints, and utility conflicts, including civil design considerations.
Initiate and manage outreach to landowners, brokers, HOAs, and property managers to secure site selection and ROW rights required for construction.
Draft, review, and negotiate landowner agreements, including permanent utility easements (PUEs), temporary construction easements (TCEs), access agreements, license agreements, and consent letters.
Coordinate with public agencies and corridor stakeholders (municipalities, counties, DOTs, utilities, and railroads as applicable) to support ROW/encroachment permitting and crossing permissions, escalating constraints proactively.
Collaborate with legal and title teams to obtain title commitments and resolve encumbrances (existing easements, restrictive covenants, access limitations, or ownership complexity).
Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of acquisition activities, including parcel/contact logs, status trackers, correspondence, and closeout documentation (executed agreements, exhibits, and recording status where applicable).
Proactively identify and address acquisition challenges (ROW constraints, permitting issues, landowner concerns, access/staging limitations, restoration requirements). Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop solutions such as reroutes, design adjustments, or alternate agreement structures.
Demonstrate a strong understanding of zoning and building review procedures where they impact fiber-related appurtenances, and the ability to comprehend Civil/A&E/Environmental deliverables, assessing materials for accuracy and clarity in the acquisition process.
Cultivate positive relationships with planning departments, ROW offices, utilities, landowners, and community stakeholders. Represent the company in stakeholder meetings, agency coordination calls, and public-facing discussions as needed.
Work closely with internal teams to coordinate site acquisition and ROW aspects of projects, ensuring compliance with applicable local, state, and federal requirements and client standards.