County of Alameda

Chief Right of Way Agent (#2520)

Bargaining Unit: CEMU - Civil Engineer Mgmt (R30)
$66.93-$81.48 Hourly / $5,354.40-$6,518.40 BiWeekly /
$11,601.20-$14,123.20 Monthly / $139,214.40-$169,478.40 Yearly

Notify Me when a Job Opens for the above position(s)

DESCRIPTION

Under general direction, plans, directs, and supervises the right of way and land management work of the Right of Way section of the Public Works Agency (“Agency”); organizes and assists in difficult appraisal studies and property negotiations, relocations and relocation studies; handles the more responsible and complex work connected with the acquisition of rights of way and the management of Agency and related County-held real property; and does related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

The classification of Chief Right of Way Agent is located in the Agency’s Right of Way section and reports to the Deputy Director, Public Works. The employee of this single-position classification has total administrative responsibility for the appraisal and negotiation of rights of way related to the acquisition management and disposal of property for the Right of Way section of the Agency.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each employee in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

Plans, directs, and supervises preparation appraisals, cost estimates, and relocation studies; assists with difficult studies and appraisal work.
Plans, directs, and supervises negotiations for the acquisition of property, easements, detours and rights of entry; performs difficult negotiations and relocations; and assists as necessary in the performance of all rights of way work.
Confers and corresponds with representatives of the County Counsel's Office, title companies, and other agencies to resolve questions of legality, procedure, value, and policy related to the acquisition of right of way.
Examines, investigates, and interprets policy on matters such as clouded title, donated property, joint use agreements, exchanges of property, condemnation proceedings, contracts, and real property legal documents.
Plans, organizes, directs, and supervises the management of real property held by the Agency; rents, leases, sells or otherwise provides for appropriate use of such property; oversees and supervises the procedures necessary to manage those properties, including the development and updating of an electronic filing system which can link to the geographic information system (GIS).
Prepares and supervises the preparation of resolutions, ordinances, deeds, escrow instructions to title companies, leases, and other documents necessary to implement the acquisition, sales, leasing and management of real property.
Reviews title reports to determine ownership; coordinates escrows; and assists engineers in the preparation of property descriptions.
Meets with tenants and property owners to explain projects requiring property acquisition and participates in public meetings.
Supervises and directs the work activities and training of subordinate professional staff; assigns and explains work; interviews and assists in the selection of personnel; and supervises and evaluates performance of staff.
Coordinates with design and construction engineering personnel on right of way needs for engineering projects.
Develops section budget and yearly goals and objectives.
Prepares and administers consultant services contracts.
Acts as witness in court cases on behalf of the County.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EITHER I

Experience:

The equivalent of two (2) years of full-time experience as an Assistant Chief Right of Way Agent or three (3) years of full-time experience as an Associate Right of Way Agent in the Alameda County classified service.

OR II

Education:

Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public or Business Administration or a closely related field, plus completed coursework in Real Estate Principles and Practices, Real Estate Law and Real Estate Appraisal.

AND

Experience:

The equivalent of five (5) years of increasingly responsible full-time experience in the appraisal and acquisition of real property for public use, one (1) year of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

License:

Valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

Possession of a certificate of registration as SR/WA from the International Right of Way Association or equivalent. If a candidate does not have such certification, they must attain it within six (6) months of hire.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act and State eminent domain law.
Legal aspects of easements.
Methods and practices used in the appraisal of the most complex types of real property.
Economic and environmental factors influencing real property values.
Costs of and problems involved in relocating real property improvements.
The procedures and documents used to transfer title or real property.
The laws and practices governing right of way acquisition and the relocation assistance program.
The principles and practices of personnel supervision and employee training.
Computer applications, such as MS Office, databases and GIS.

Ability to:

Coordinate, supervise, and conduct difficult and complex negotiations and relocations by use of tactful persuasion.
Plan, direct, organize, coordinate, and supervise all phases of a real property appraisal, acquisition, relocation assistance, and management program.
Supervise the work and training of subordinate right of way personnel.
Read property descriptions, interpret maps, legal documents, and engineering plans, analyze complex data, and draw logical conclusions.
Analyze situations accurately and adopt effective courses of action.
Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with persons and agencies contacted in the work.
Prepare correspondence and write reports.
Speak before public and technical groups.

CLASS SPEC HISTORY

Old document: 0275H

FW:nw

Revised 1/18/77

BL:kb

Revised 8/22/77

Revised 5/3/78

DF:sw

Revised 11/8/93

New document: Jobspecs/2520

ys/1/01

CSC Date: 11/17/93

MAH:cs Revised 10/8/12

CSC Date: 10/31/12

IL: saa Revised 06/24/24

CSC Date:07/24/2024

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being. These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
Vision or Vision Reimbursement
Share the Savings
Basic Life Insurance
Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
County Allowance Credit
Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
Short-Term Disability Insurance
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

12 paid holidays
Floating Holidays
Vacation and sick leave accrual
Vacation purchase program
Management Paid Leave**
Catastrophic Sick Leave
Pet Insurance
Commuter Benefits Program
Guaranteed Ride Home
Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
Child Care Resources
1^st United Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.