Salary : $83,795.42 - $112,028.56 Annually
Location : Ventura and may require travel throughout Ventura County, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 1002PWA-26AA (KF)
Department: Public Works Agency
Opening Date: 06/23/2026
Description THE POSITION Under general direction performs progressively complex and varied work in the practice of Real Estate as it relates to the appraisal, acquisition, management, leasing, relocation assistance and disposal of real property for public use. Identifies utilities in conflict with proposed public projects and coordinates their timely relocation, including determination of prior rights and preparation of relocation agreements. Depending upon assignment, may administer the County service area and franchise administration functions. May serve as a lead to lower-level Real Property Agents. Senior Real Property Agent is the advanced journey/lead classification in the Real Property Agent series.
Examples Of Duties Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Negotiates terms of property acquisitions and lease agreements for public use.
- Prepares permits, licenses, deeds, agreements, leases, contracts, conveyances and other legal documents.
- Coordinates proposals and other legal aspects of transactions with County Counsel's Office.
- Conducts the more sensitive, complex and difficult negotiations with officials and representatives of other governmental agencies.
- Prepares and/or reviews narrative appraisals for purposes of acquisitions.
- Checks title to real property.
- Relates project proposals and goals to property owners or their representatives.
- Prepares Board letters and reports on current acquisitions and condemnations. May be required to present information before the Board of Supervisors.
- Maintains records on project assignments.
- Appraises property and property improvements in order to prepare cost estimates and for acquisitions.
- Provides escrow functions for completing the recording of deeds, clearing title and disbursing funds.
- Serves as a lead to lower-level Real Property Agents.
- Conducts investigations to determine the location of utility lines which may conflict with proposed construction.
- Coordinates with utility companies in relocating utility facilities.
- Performs other related duties as required.
Senior Real Property Agent is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Typical Qualifications These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCEExtensive experience in appraisal, acquisition, management, leasing, relocation assistance service and disposal of real property for a public entity. The required knowledge, skills and abilities can also be obtained by:
- Possession of a Bachelor's degree in real estate, business, economics, public administration or a related field; AND
- One (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the classification of Real Property Agent II at the County of Ventura; AND
- Successful completion and passage of four (4) discipline exams in areas such as Appraisal, Asset Management, Negotiation/Acquisition, Relocation Assistance, Environmental, Law, Engineering, Uniform Act offered by the International Right of Way Association OR successful completion of the Capstone Comprehensive Exam.
Substitution: The Bachelor's degree may be substituted with year-for-year related work experience in appraisal, acquisition, property management, property leasing and relocation assistance service with a public agency, consulting firm or private company.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS- Must possess and maintain a valid California driver's license;
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. Skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
DESIRED- Member of the Appraisal Institute or possession of any designation recognized by the Appraisal Institute; and
- Senior Right of Way Professional (SR/WA) designation issued by the International Right of Way Association (IRWA).
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES Thorough knowledge of: the principles and practices of real estate acquisitions, appraisal and property management for public entities; the laws, legal codes, governmental regulations applicable to real estate and eminent domain.
Some knowledge of: the basic principles of civil engineering as they relate to the acquisition of right-of-way for public projects.
Skill in: time management; complex problem solving; active listening; judgment and decision making; negotiating/reconciling differences; and effective written and verbal communication.
Ability to: read and interpret plans, specifications and construction drawings as they relate to the acquisition of right-of-way for public projects or utility relocation; develop and maintain constructive and cooperative working relationships with others; resolve conflicts; interact effectively with the public; and make decisions and solve problems.
Recruitment ProcessFINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested in it. Your application must be received by the County of Ventura, Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.
To apply online, please refer to our website at If you prefer to fill out a paper application, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura, Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualification. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application; however, it/they may not be substituted in lieu of the application.
NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click for additional information.
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam at the time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.
APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the recruitment process.
TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.
NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Examination, which may be preceded by or replaced with a score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.
ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.
If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.
ELIGIBLE LIST: Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill present and future Regular (including Temporary, and Fixed-term), Extra Help and Intermittent vacancies.
There are currently two (2) Regular vacancies.BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: The selected candidate may be subjected to a thorough post-offer, pre-employment background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record.
For further information about this recruitment, please contact Kelli Fitzgerald by email at .
YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE