POSITION OVERVIEW: As a
Project Manager at LJA
Transportation, you will be responsible for supporting the delivery of a large, complex real estate acquisition program for a major transit project. The position functions as a day-to-day extension of the Project Manager, with a strong emphasis on detailed execution, technical review, quality control, and Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act) compliance.
In addition to supporting daily coordination and issue resolution, this role contributes to development and strategic planning activities, including refinement of procedures, workflows, schedules, and risk mitigation approaches. The position is designed to offload day-to-day coordination from the Project Manager while strengthening quality, consistency, and forward-looking planning across the program.
Experience on large, federally funded programs is ideal. Familiarity with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) processes is beneficial.
A TYPICAL DAY MIGHT INCLUDE:- Supporting day-to-day delivery of a large real estate acquisition transit project
- Managing subconsultants, assuming responsibility for invoicing/payments
- Reviewing subconsultant submittals to ensure completeness and documentation of submittal
- Providing detailed technical review and quality control of acquisition and relocation work products
- Serving as a technical lead for Uniform Act compliance, including interpretation of requirements and consistency across documentation
- Assisting with implementation of client's real estate acquisition management plan, acquisition procedures, relocation procedures, and internal workflows
- Participating in short-term and long-range planning related to parcel sequencing, staffing needs, and schedule risk
- Coordinating acquisition and relocation activities across multiple parcels, disciplines, and consultants
- Reviewing schedules, trackers, and dashboards to ensure accuracy, completeness, and usability
- Coordinating with appraisal, appraisal review, negotiation, relocation, legal, environmental, survey and engineering teams
- Participating in internal and external project meetings, occasionally leading meetings or work sessions as delegated
- Assisting the Project Manager with issue identification, risk management, and resolution of day-to-day challenges
- Helping prepare for agency reviews, audits, workshops, and coordination meetings
- Providing technical guidance and leading/mentoring project staff
- Preparing presentations and reports and effectively communicating in a variety of mediums
- Assisting the Project Manager with financial analysis to track the project's profitability
- Tracking the project team's workload and evaluating potential staffing needs
REQUIRED EDUCATION/LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:- 4-year college degree
- International Right of Way Association (IRWA) SR/WA certification. Additional credentials are a plus.
- Texas Real Estate Sales Agent's or Broker's license (Texas law license may be substituted) or ability to obtain one through reciprocity with another state's real estate licensing agency
- Active Texas Notary, or ability to obtain notary status within two months of employment
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:- Minimum 10 years of experience managing or providing direct support for managing public infrastructure projects
- Demonstrated experience in working with, understanding, and interpreting the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies Act of 1970, as amended
- Experience working on large, complex public infrastructure projects with significant parcel counts and varied acquisition types
- Experience working on highly visible projects with aggressive schedules
- Strong experience performing detailed reviews of acquisition and relocation documentation for accuracy and compliance
- Familiarity with eminent domain processes and coordination with legal counsel on complex or contested acquisitions
- Experience working in dense urban or central business district environments involving partial acquisitions, access impacts, phasing constraints, and stakeholder sensitivity
- Familiarity with acquisition appraisal elements (such as USPAP) and methodology
- Proficient with MS Office Suite, especially Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint
- Proficient with using Sharepoint and client-based systems
- Valid Driver's License (good driving record and ability to travel as project needs required)
- Possesses strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to build and maintain strong internal and external relationships
- Ability to lead/manage a team of right of way professionals
IDEALLY, YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE:- Experience working on Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and light rail projects
- Experience supporting or developing a Real Estate Acquisition Management Plan (RAMP) or similar program-level plan for a large infrastructure program
- Knowledge of real estate and growth in the Austin metropolitan area
- Experience supporting multi-year, program-level projects with evolving scopes, schedules, and regulatory requirements
- Managed projects from schedule, financial, and contractual perspectives
- Experience coordinating complex acquisition and relocation programs involving multiple parcels and stakeholders
- Possess a degree in real estate, engineering, or related field
MIND/BODY ENDURANCE: - Critical thinking and problem-solving attributes
- Intraoffice and Interoffice mobility required to attend project meetings, client meetings, and meetings with team members and support staff
- Actively participate in meetings to follow up with team members and clients on action items
- Ability to accurately work under pressure to meet deadlines
- Capable of quickly evaluating accuracy in real estate acquisition documents
- Sit for extended periods of time working on a computer with various software applications
