Right-of-Way (ROW) Agent I, II, III or Sr.

JOB SUMMARY/PURPOSE

In this role the Right-of-Way (ROW) Agent, hereinafter referred to as Agent, will support the Manager of Transmission ROW within Entergy’s Power Delivery (PD) business unit. The Agent will assist in the: development of contract-labor & property-acquisition cost/schedule estimates, development of project specific scopes of work, development of contract releases and contract-change-requests, and the tracking/reporting of project specific financials. In addition, the Agent will support the Transmission Maintenance organization’s one-off requests including but not limited to letters of no objection, ingress/egress matters, and transmission-system-tie requests. The Agent will interface and partner with internal stakeholders including Transmission ROW Agents, Project Management, Construction Management, Project Controls, Legal, Environmental, Engineering, Telecom, Industrial Accounts, Supply Chain Representatives, Customer Service Representatives, and their counterparts in Distribution ROW. The Agent is also expected to actively participate in corporate, business unit, workgroup, and incident-management (i.e., storm recovery) initiatives as requested by the Manager of Transmission ROW.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Substation:
• Develop labor and acquisition cost estimates for transmission projects including MISO Transmission Expansion projects via Entergy’s Transmission Project Development group, projects brought forward through Entergy’s Large Project Services group, and projects formally assigned to the Power Delivery business unit for execution.
• Utilize labor cost estimated to develop contract releases for the purpose of on-boarding contract resources.
• Assist in substation site selection.
• Coordinate permissions for boundary survey(s), soil borings, environmental assessment, and cultural assessment.
• Interpret market analysis, i.e., comparable sales data provided within limited appraisals.
• Develop initial compensation offers.
• Oversee and provide quality assurance/quality control for purchase options & purchase agreements.
• Coordinate property sale/closing activities.
• Coordinate necessary information to obtain permits
• Issue payment to landowner for property purchase.
• Oversee the recordation of easements with Parish/County clerks of court and ensure recordation documents are uploaded to Entergy’s document management system.
• Produce project status reports for key customers
• Verify invoicing from contract partners and assist in the processing of invoice/payments.
• Ability to develop key internal and external relationships to ensure project success.
• Transmission Line:
• Develop labor and acquisition cost estimates for transmission projects including MISO Transmission Expansion projects via Entergy’s Transmission Project Development group, projects brought forward through Entergy’s Large Project Services group, and projects formally assigned to the Power Delivery business unit for execution.
• Utilize labor cost estimated to develop contract release for the purpose of on-boarding contract resources.
• Assist in route selection, open house if applicable, and project team in determining final route.
• Develop cost estimate, and refine/revise project scope and schedule if necessary
• Support Acquisition Specific Activities:
• Boundary Survey/Soil Boring/Environmental/Cultural Access Permission
• Perform preliminary courthouse title research on each tract
• Perform internal archive research utilizing Entergy’s document management system
• Boundary Survey Development
• Comparable Sales/Market Analysis Report/Representative Appraisals
• Develop initial compensation offers
• Preparation of documentation for landowner including Landowner Bill of Rights where applicable
• Preparation of right of way instruments/agreements for acquisition, peripheral agreements, finalize negotiation with landowner
• Preparation of Final Offer Letters
• Issue payment to landowner for easement purchase.
• Coordinate necessary information to obtain permits
• Support Pre-construction activities.
• Produce project status reports for key customers
• Oversee the recordation of easements with Parish/County clerks of court and ensure recordation documents are uploaded to Entergy’s document management system.
• Assist in landowner damage claims as necessary​​ including but not limited to negotiation and payment processing/review.
• Verify invoicing from contract partners and assist in the processing of invoice/payments.
• Ability to develop key internal and external relationships to ensure project success.
• Responsibilities as a member of the Power Delivery business unit:
• Actively participate in safety related initiatives, continuous improvement initiatives, and Diversity and Belonging (DIB) initiatives
• Participate in all business unit and work group specific staff meetings and conferences.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum education required of the position

• High school diploma or equivalent work experience.
• Preferred:
• Bachelor's Degree in Real Estate, Land Management, or Business.

Minimum experience required of the position

ROW Agent I:

• 0-3 years of experience, internal or external
• Responsible for performing basic right-of-way acquisition duties, such as researching property ownership, assisting in the preparation of legal documents, and coordinating property inspections
• May assist in negotiations with property owners for the acquisition of property rights
• Shows potential for developing key internal and external relationships to ensure project success
• Requires a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as some related experience or training

ROW Agent II:

• 3-5 years of experience, internal or external
• Responsible for coordinating with contract partners, property appraisals, negotiating with property owners for the acquisition of property rights, and preparing legal documents
• May provide guidance and training to ROW Agent 1
• Verify and process invoices from contract partners
• Verify and process payments to customers and service providers
• Ability to develop key internal and external relationships to ensure project success
• Requires a bachelor's degree and/or several years of related experience

ROW Agent III:

• 5-7 years of experience, at least 2 internal
• Responsible for managing complex right-of-way acquisition projects, including coordinating with project managers, contract partners, and ensuring compliance with all regulations and laws
• Ability to assist in distribution line site selection
• Ability to produce estimates including all costs associated with DROW
• Provide guidance and training to ROW Agent 1 & 2
• Oversee property appraisals, negotiate with property owners for the acquisition of property rights, and prepare legal documents
• Verify and process invoices from contract partners
• Familiarity with condemnation process and applicable regulations
• Ability to resolve conflict in contentious circumstances with landowners
• Requires a bachelor's degree in a related field and/or extensive related experience

Senior ROW Agent:

• 7+ years of experience, at least 4 internal
• Responsible for overseeing the entire right-of-way acquisition process including resource management, estimating, and reporting.
• Ability to produce estimates including all costs associated with DROW
• Leadership role in development and execution of continuous improvement initiatives
• Established key internal and external relationships with a track record of project success
• Advanced ability to resolve conflict in contentious circumstances with landowners
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of condemnation process and applicable regulations
• Mentor ROW Agents 1-3 and provide guidance and training as needed
• Verify and process invoices from contract partners
• Identify and recruit additional contract resources as needed for workload distribution
• Requires a bachelor's degree in a related field and/or extensive related experience, including leadership experience

Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the position

• History of safe performance, active safety involvement and participation and strong desire for a safer workplace.
• Strong Negotiation, Interpersonal & Group Communication skills.
• Strong Planning\Organization\Time Management skills.
• Strong Computer skills and proficient in Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel & Outlook, Power Point).
• Basic knowledge of electric transmission-line/substation lay-out and design concepts as well as construction & maintenance practices.

Any Certificates, Licenses, etc.:

• Preferred:
• Training or education in leadership, project management, real estate, property law, property appraisal, negotiating, persuasive writing, interpersona