Senior Property Rights Specialist

Portland General Electric•Portland, OR

12d

About The Position

Manages the company’s real property portfolio and responds to company, jurisdictional, and customer inquiries regarding real property. Acquires real property interests and permits needed for company operations, disposes of property interests designated for sale, disposition, or release, and maintains compliance with applicable land-use processes and permits. Conducts due diligence for company projects with a real property component, including IRP and RFP processes, and advises upper management. The position requires specialized depth or breadth of expertise, independent work with guidance in the most complex situations, and may involve leading functional teams or projects. The specialist prioritizes property-services workflows; evaluates and negotiates acquisitions and dispositions; oversees complex permitting; addresses escalated property-rights concerns and disputes; leads contract negotiations and research; and maintains property-related geospatial data. The role builds relationships with external entities and may represent the company at public meetings or hearings. Work takes place in office, plant, and field environments and includes frequent driving within the service territory, computer use, and walking over potentially rough or uneven surfaces. Employees may be required to assist during storms or other company emergencies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in real estate, business, finance, law, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Typically, ten or more years of experience in commercial real estate or a related field.
Valid driver’s license and a history of safe driving practices.
Intermediate knowledge of real estate laws, regulations, rules, principles, practices, and markets.
Advanced knowledge of contracting rules, regulations, and procedures.
Advanced ability to read and interpret property legal descriptions, plat maps, title reports, and appraisal reports.
Advanced property valuation skills.
Intermediate skills in department systems such as GIS and document management systems.
Intermediate knowledge of environmental laws, regulations, procedures, and processes.
Intermediate knowledge of the electrical utility industry.
Advanced analytical thinking, conflict management, decision-making, influence, interpersonal, negotiation, organization and prioritization, and project management skills.
Intermediate written and oral communication skills.
Ability to meet response times, deadlines, and time-sensitive tasks; follow accuracy standards; and complete decision-making tasks.
Ability to collaborate effectively, communicate and solve problems under stress, respond and adapt to frequent change, and apply feedback and learning to work.
Ability to maintain regular, reliable, predictable full-time attendance and adhere to established schedules, including start and stop times and breaks.
Ability to work long hours, variable schedules, shifts, and on-call schedules, and to report during severe inclement weather.
Ability to drive or travel frequently within the service territory, use a computer regularly throughout the work shift, maintain balance on unstable surfaces, and walk long distances over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or J.D.

Responsibilities

Prioritize team workflow and complete financial feasibility studies for property transactions.
Recommend acquisitions based on valuation, constraints, land-use classification, permitting, operational needs, and future growth.
Determine fair-market-value compensation or establish compensation rates; negotiate and acquire properties, easements, rights of way, permits, licenses, and consent agreements.
Sell real estate and grant easements as required; track transactions, manage data, report on transactions, and keep stakeholders informed.
Serve as a subject matter expert to the team.
Oversee permitting for difficult or complex permits and obtain permits from local, county, federal, state, and other agencies.
Identify and communicate permitting risks, timelines, and requirements; review and help prepare agreements, permits, applications for use, conditional-use permits, and similar documents; provide technical permitting guidance.
Respond to complex or escalated property-rights concerns and external requests, including those referred through executives.
Investigate, resolve, and manage disputes involving trespass, encroachments, and damage claims; maintain communication with internal clients.
Lead contract negotiations that meet regulatory requirements and coordinate survey, mapping, appraisal, and other Property Services contract work.
Review surveys and ownership information for accuracy and conformity with scope of work.
Lead research using title reports, GIS, surveys, appraisals, and other sources; identify land-right issues affecting route selection for transmission and distribution facilities.
Conduct zoning analysis, title review, and property valuation; create and negotiate easements and other agreements where precedent may not exist; prepare plats and legal descriptions.
Develop and maintain internal and external relationships to facilitate negotiations.
Maintain geospatial data for current and historical company property records; develop exhibits, maps, geospatial analyses, and reports as needed; troubleshoot geospatial data management systems as needed; monitor GIS trends and assess their application to company needs.
Build and maintain relationships with outside entities and, when needed, represent the company in public meetings or hearings concerning property rights and real estate transactions.
Adhere to scheduled hours and attendance standards; work long or variable hours, shift schedules, and on-call schedules; report and perform work during severe inclement weather.
Assist with storms or other company emergencies.