Land Acquisition Manager

CLS is looking for an experienced Land Acquisition Manager in the Northern IL region. Responsible for the Right of Way On-Site Management of a Project.

Oversee the activities of all project personnel. Experienced in all phases of Right of Way including an in-depth knowledge of title, acquisition, survey permitting, permitting, condemnation and construction support.

Able to administer feasibility studies, implement project procedures, prepare forecasting’s, maintain, and stay within budgets, develop schedules and milestones, and understand appraisal reports.

Responsible for assigning and assessing team member roles and responsibilities and oversees overall project status. Responsible for making recommendations on the hiring, firing, advancement, promotion, or any other change of status of project personnel.

However, the Project Manager does not make the final decision on agents being placed on a Project. This is a Staffing / HR / OIC decision.

Responsible for training, appraising, mentoring, and developing project staff members. Serves as the On-Site Manager working closely with the CLS Officer in Charge and / or Project Director, and often interfaces with Client Representatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to :

• Direct and manage project development and execution from beginning to end.
• Define project scope, goals and deliverables that support business goals in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.
• Assists in the development of full-scale project plans and associated communications documents.
• Assist in estimating the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals.
• Where required, coordinate with other CLS department managers for the acquisition of required personnel from within the company.
• Determine and assess need for additional staff and / or consultants and make the appropriate requests to the Staffing department as necessary during project cycle.
• Set and continually manage project expectations with team members and other stakeholders.
• Effectively communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion.
• Ongoing Liaison with all project stakeholders (as appropriate) ...
• Delegate tasks and responsibilities to appropriate personnel.
• Identify and resolve issues and conflicts within the project team, working with the HR Department and OIC / Project Director early in a problem developing,
• Coach, mentor, motivate and supervise project team members and contractors, and influence them to take positive action and accountability for their assigned work.
• Whenever possible, will assist in the Plan and schedule project timelines and milestones using appropriate tools (Gantt chart).

Additionally, oversees and manages the following in concert with directives from the OIC / PD :

• Track project milestones and deliverables.
• Identify and manage project dependencies and critical path.
• Develop and deliver progress reports, proposals, requirements documentation, and presentations.
• Determine the frequency and content of status reports from the project team, analyze results, and troubleshoot problem areas.
• Proactively manage changes in project scope, identify potential crises, and devise contingency plans.
• Define clearly and measurably project goals and objectives to involved parties throughout project life cycle.
• Build, develop, and grow any business relationships vital to the success of the project.
• Conduct post-project reviews to determine project successes and disappointments.
• Create a recommendation report to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements.
• Assist in developing best practices and tools for project execution and management.

Accountability : This position is responsible for the On-Site Management of the project according to strict deadlines and within budget.

This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of team members and third-party contractors or consultants to deliver projects according to plan.

The Project Manager will also manage the defined project’s objectives and oversee quality control throughout its life cycle.

Qualification Requirements (minimum and preferred requirements) : To perform this job successfully, an individual must have a working knowledge in all aspects of Right of Way and capable of performing all tasks as set forth in this document;

the requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required.

Education : Bachelor’s degree from four-year College or university, and ten or more years of Right of Way experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

At least 5 years of management experience.

Experience : 5 years direct work experience in a project management capacity, including all aspects of process development and execution.

• Extensive experience with and understanding of negotiation and acquisition principles, land title, Right of Way documents and CLS policies and operating practices.
• Solid working knowledge of MS Office, especially MS Word Excel, Google Earth and / or other map related applications.
• Demonstrated experience in personnel management.
• Experience at working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment is essential.
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Reacts to project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently.
• Flexible during times of change.
• Ability to read communication styles of team members and contractors who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines.
• Persuasive, encouraging, and motivating.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including upper management, clients, and other departments.
• Ability to defuse tension among project team, should it arise.
• Ability to bring project to successful completion through political sensitivity.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Adept at conducting research into project-related issues and products.
• Must be able to learn, understand, and apply new technologies.
• Customer service skills an asset.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment is crucial.

Licensing :

• Must have valid driver’s license.
• Must maintain minimum automobile liability insurance in the amount of $100,000 / $300,000 / $100,000.

Language Skills :

• Requires excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
• Must be able to write clearly and concisely to prepare reports, specifications, and correspondence.

Mathematical Skills :

Ability to utilize advance mathematical skills to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, percentages, and decimals.

Reasoning Ability :

• Must be able to apply advanced reasoning skills in 360-degree format to manage various stakeholders’ needs.
• Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several variables in standardized situations.

Other Skills and Abilities :

• Intermediate or above computer skills and familiarity with general PC operation.
• Intermediate or above software skills with Microsoft Office applications, with emphasis on Excel, Outlook and Word.
• Ability to quickly learn and use CLS’s proprietary software.
28 days ago