The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) is a political subdivision established by Chapter 1230 of the 2020 Acts of Assembly. VPRA is responsible for promoting, sustaining, and expanding the availability of passenger and commuter rail services in the Commonwealth, including all administrative and fiduciary responsibilities for Virginia's state-supported passenger rail services. The VPRA also funds Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and administers all capital expansion projects, infrastructure, and land acquisitions related to the $3.7 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, which will double Amtrak and VRE service in Virginia over the next decade. The VPRA acts as a responsible public entity for acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining, or operating a qualifying transportation facility under the Public Private Partnership Act of 1995.The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is seeking a dynamic and multi-faceted Right of Way Specialist to assist with VPRA's acquisition of real property rights in support of VPRA's Transforming Rail in Virginia program. This position is critical to VPRA's success because it supports the acquisition of parcels needed for VPRA's capital projects, which must be accomplished timely to keep each project on track. The position will report to VPRA's Director of Right of Way and work closely with VPRA's legal team. The acquisitions will often be under threat of VPRA's condemnation authority pursuant to Va. Code § 33.2-293 and other procedural statutes. The Right of Way Specialist will, among other things, review plats, appraisals, and title reports and assist with landowner negotiations.ResponsibilitiesUnder the direction of the Director, Right of Way, the Right of Way Specialist will:
- Assist VPRA's Right of Way Director with the acquisition of 300+ parcels in support of Transforming Rail in Virginia and other VPRA initiatives
- Regularly interact with VPRA executive team, general counsel's team, project managers, schedulers, designers, project contractors, railroads, and other project stakeholders
- Support and assist with landowner negotiations
- Review acquisition plats, including performing quality control on them
- Review appraisals and recommended offers of just compensation to landowners
- Conduct a preliminary review of title reports for completeness and preparation for attorney review
- Assist with utility relocation coordination
- Assist with document management
- Support VPRA's right-of-way acquisitions as requested by Director, Right-of-Way
Education and ExperienceRequired Education:
- Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
Required Experience:
- Knowledge of public procurement practices
- Knowledge of public construction project phases
- Knowledge or experience related to public acquisition of real property in support of capital projects
Preferred Experience:
- Experience assisting a public condemning authority to acquire real property in support of complex railroad construction projects
- Experience managing outside consultant contracts
- General knowledge of VPRA's condemnation authority or condemnation law in Virginia, generally
- Experience managing or working on railroad construction projects
Are you interested in this position, but you don't meet every single requirement? At VPRA, we are dedicated to building a talented team and an inclusive, authentic workplace. So, if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other positions.Applicants must fully and accurately represent their qualifications and work history on the application or resume. The decision to interview an applicant is based on the information in the application, resume, or other relevant documents; therefore, applicants must supply detailed information. Submitting an incomplete application/resume or an application/resume lacking in detail may impact your interview eligibility. This website will confirm receipt when the application is submitted successfully. Reasonable accommodations are available to disabled individuals during the application and interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. VETERANS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AMERICORPS, PEACE CORPS, AND OTHER NATIONAL SERVICE ALUMNI ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Equal Opportunity Employer