Senior Land & Right of Way Agent

Job Description

Primary purpose:

To provide land services, including the acquisition, maintenance, and disposition of real property and other rights for all business units relative to the construction, operation, and maintenance of company pipelines and facilities.

Responsibilities

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Participate in, coordinate, and supervise the acquisition, maintenance, administration, and disposition of real property rights and interests, including easements, leasehold, fee interests, licenses, and permits. Support the construction, operation, and maintenance of company pipelines and facilities in gathering, transmission, processing, storage, carbon sequestration, water, and telecommunications activities.
• Participate in, coordinate, and supervise land services in collaboration with other company disciplines e.g. Project Management, Environmental Health & Safety, Operations, etc. for existing assets and new construction, including but not limited to, route and site selection, title examination, and curative, land rights negotiation and acquisition, landowner relations, damage and claim settlement, project schedule and budget management, cost estimation, zoning and other land use permitting.
• Coordinate and supervise third-party services, e.g, contract land agents, and civil survey services.
• Participate in and/or conduct public meetings and community outreach relative to land activity in support of business unit projects or other activities, including but not limited to land use hearings, FERC open houses, and stakeholder engagement meetings.
• Provide support and assist counsel in defense of all types of litigation as needed, including coordination of and/or participating in eminent domain proceedings.
• Research, secure, and process easements, leases, licenses, permits, fee interests, and other types of conveyances of property rights and interests.
• Review, research, and answer questions from federal, state, or local government agencies, landowners, other external stakeholders, and internal customers as needed.
• Report observations on performance metrics and the projected practical impacts to management concerning any issues affecting performance and make recommendations to address problems.
• Participate in, coordinate and supervise land due diligence efforts in support of potential mergers and acquisitions.
• Interact internally and externally with a wide variety of people with tact, courtesy, and professionalism.
• Maintain a high standard of ethical conduct in all work activity and company matters of every kind.
• Speak, both in person and by telephone, using a high level of verbal skills and careful listening.
• Maintain regular, dependable attendance and a consistently high level of performance.
• Will work non-traditional hours as needed.
• Maintain a high regard for personal safety, the safety of company assets and employees, and the general public.
• Other daily, weekly, monthly, or special project duties as identified and defined.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Business, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of five (5) years of direct work experience in land acquisition and management in the energy sector may be considered as a substitute for a degree

Experience/Specific Knowledge:

• Knowledge of real property law, business law, commodity pricing, title examination standards and procedures, agricultural and ranching practices, and general pipeline and facility design and construction activity.
• Knowledge of legal terminology and engineering terminology, drawings, and maps.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, tribal, and local governmental laws and regulations relative to acquisition, maintenance, and management of property interests.
• Knowledge of applicable company standards for title sufficiency documentation, common pipeline and facility construction, project accounting and tracking, typical pipeline operations & maintenance procedures concerning land, land activity status reporting, etc.
• Knowledge of land-related computer applications.
• Intermediate proficiency level in MS Office applications that may include but are not limited to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Project, and Outlook.

Certifications, Licenses & Registrations:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and a driving record satisfactory to the company and its insurers (for travel).
• Must possess and maintain valid authorization as a notary public for the state within which the job is located.

Competencies, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills are necessary to work with superiors, peers, and subordinates including supervision of independent land contractors.
• Must be able to perform all essential and marginal functions of the job.
• Must be able to work with a team, take direction from management, adhere to required work schedules, focus attention on details, and follow work rules.
• Ability to successfully perform multiple tasks concurrently with strict deadlines and minimal supervision.
• Ability to take appropriate initiative within guidelines to achieve objectives as well as organize and prioritize daily work.
• Job level commensurate with experience and skill sets; position will be filled depending on qualifications, experience, and skillsets of the successful candidate.

Physical Demands:

All of the physical requirements listed below are those that may be necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sitting; standing; walking or moving throughout the facility; driving; talking; seeing (specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus); hearing; feeling; bending or stooping; squatting or crouching; reaching; kneeling; pushing; pulling; lifting up to 25 lbs.
• Minimal safety hazards; general office working conditions.
• Must be able to sit for prolonged periods.
• The employee is regularly required to use hands to type, touch, handle, or feel. The employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk and climb or balance. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions:

• Occasional overnight travel may be required.
• May be required to carry a cell phone and be available to respond during working and non-working hours.
• The successful candidate will be required to clear a drug screen and a complete background check, including a credit report for certain positions, after an offer has been extended and before being employed.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• None

PREFERRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

Above the minimum requirements; not required but advantageous in this position:

• Paralegal certification, law degree, appraiser certification or training, energy management degree, farm & ranch management or agronomy related degree, training or experience, IRWA Sr. Agent certification (SR/WA), knowledge, training or experience in pipeline & related facility regulatory permitting processes & requirements (e.g. FERC) and including associated stakeholder communications.
• Knowledge of and prior experience with land related computer applications, such as Google Earth, ESRI, Quorum, and SteelShire.
• Knowledge of and prior experience with oil and gas well permits generally, as well as Class II and Class VI injection well permits in states with primacy.
• Knowledge of oil and gas lease agreements, pooling and unitization agreements, operating agreements, farmout agreements, and other agreements typically used in oil and gas exploration activities.
• Knowledge of and prior experience estimating land related costs and providing direct supervision and management for complex linear infrastructure projects.
• Familiarity with land related regulatory requirements for interstate pipelines.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed. This position may perform other duties as assigned.

• Industry competitive pay
• Health insurance package options that include Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts
• Infertility Coverage
• Parental Leave
• 401(k) with up to a 6% match that vests immediately plus an employer discretionary contribution of up to 4%
• Wellness Programs and Mental Health Resources
• Employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage
• Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• Vacation, sick days, paid caregiver leave, volunteer and bereavement paid time off
• Identity theft protection
• Annual discretionary bonus
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Company-paid holidays and floating holidays
• Company vehicle (if applicable)
• Employee discounts; vehicles, tires, cellular plans, and more
• Networking and employee engagement events
• Personal development to grow your career with us based on your strengths and interests

Application Deadline: Recruiting timelines vary by position; however, all Tallgrass positions accept applications for at least five business days from the posting date. This position is open and still accepting applications.

Compensation: Compensation ranges are provided in good faith based on what we anticipate when researching wages for this position at the state and national levels. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.

Notice to External Search Firms: Tallgrass does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies. Unsolicited referrals and resumes are considered Tallgrass property; therefore, Tallgrass will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited referral. Approved vendors may be invited to refer talent for specific positions at Tallgrass's request only. A fully executed agreement with Tallgrass must be in place and current in these cases.