Job Description

Posting number: 26-00871

Department: Planning and Public Works

Division: PPW OCE (ENG)

Job classification: Right-of-Way Agent 2

Posting type: Open

Categories: Administration, Building & Safety, Building Maintenance, Code Enforcement, Engineering, Environmental Services, Planning and Development, Public Relations, Public Works, Risk Management, Trades, Transportation, Management, Agriculture, Airports, Fire & EMS, Land Use, Safety, Natural Resources, Wetlands, Wastewater, Maintenance, Transit, Utilities, Purchasing, Real Estate, Project Management, Organizational Development, Records Management, Forestry, Hydrogeology, Grants Administration, Geology/Hydrology, Building & Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance, Construction Trades, Architecture, Wildlife, Audit, Geographic Information Systems, Stormwater

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Examples of duties

Why It's a great opportunity: As a Right-of-Way Agent 2 with the Office of the County Engineer, you will be procuring the necessary property for transportation projects across the county. You will be interpreting engineering plans, appraisals, and legal descriptions to clearly communicate with citizens, vendors, contractors, and Pierce County staff. You will apply the principles of negotiation, appraisal, and real estate law to complex real-world scenarios every day. Tasked to navigate the challenges of delivering the needed property rights for a project according to budget, deadline, and applicable regulations, you will draw upon your critical thinking skills and depend upon your team-building skills. Your excellence here will ensure that transportation projects in Pierce County work for all members of our communities.

Why It's a great department: PPW stewards a healthy and vibrant community by collaboratively planning and investing in our people, infrastructure, systems, and policies. PPW’s team has more than 800 members that collaborate, innovate and inspire in performing essential services to the community. The department is responsible for the County road and levee systems, sewer systems, airports, ferries, building permits, environmental review, sustainability, community planning, and code enforcement - just to name a few!

Learn more about Planning and Public Works here.

How to be successful in the role: Your success will come from your desire to learn, solve problems, and apply your knowledge of real estate processes to execute leases, rights of entry, acquisition, disposition of real property, and other processes related to real property. Your ability to cultivate and maintain working relationships with various internal and external stakeholders will be essential. Your strong negotiation, coordination, research, communication, facilitation skills, and strong writing skills to convey information clearly and concisely will further ensure your success.

Your future in this role: In this position you will join a team of knowledgeable right of way professionals who will help you acclimate to Pierce County's standards and processes. There is variety in the projects you will work on, each with its own unique set of challenges and solutions to develop. You will have the opportunity to work on sidewalk projects near schools, major road widening projects, bridge replacement projects, and projects that construct new roadways. The following are links to a few of the various projects that a Right-of-Way Agent 2 might work on:

https://www.piercecountywa.gov/CRP5763https://canyonroadconnection.org/https://www.piercecountywa.gov/CRP5887https://www.piercecountywa.gov/4375/Rhodes-Lake-Rd-E-SR162-to-Falling-Water

Our department also supports participation in the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) and its continuing education and certification programs. Pierce County offers professional development through robust online learning and other training opportunities throughout your career to ensure your success.

Core daily responsibilities:

• Negotiate for purchase or lease of land parcels or file report with Prosecuting Attorney for Public Use and Necessity Hearing and condemnation.
• Appraise real property and serves as review appraiser; determine property damages and prepare required reports and documents.
• Prepare Project Funded Estimates to include estimates of property damages and preparation of required documents.
• Effect claims settlements with property owners for the acquisition of land and improvements; inform owners of their rights, applicable laws, and regulations.
• Review right of way strip maps, commissioners' records, plat books, engineers' reports and other records or materials. Make, or acquire, title searches.
• Inspect property to be acquired; contact property owners and obtain permission for a variety of County activities, such as right of way staking or temporary construction permits.
• Write legal property descriptions of rights of way and draw scaled plats for filing of deeds.
• Prepare and review exhibits and documents for presentation to elected officials and the general public; represent department's position at council and public meetings.
• Arrange for the maintenance, protection, sale and removal of buildings within acquired rights of way; provide relocation assistance to individuals affected by proposed construction.
• Conduct extensive research efforts, using all government and private resources available.
• Provide extensive research assistance to the public and other government entities.

A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found here.

Qualifications

• Additional experience or education may be substituted for the recruiting requirement.
• One year of related experience is required AND
• Graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in real estate or related discipline
• A resume and cover letter are required for this position. Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid driver's license within thirty days of employment.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a Washington State Notary Public Commission within thirty days of employment.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental information

How to apply:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting “APPLY” above or visiting www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs
• If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and include the job number and title.
• Individuals who need accommodation in the application or interview process may contact Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.

Our Recruitment Practices: This is a competitive and meritorious selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the positionPierce County understands applicants may use AI tools when preparing application materials. We recognize these tools can make the process easier; however, we ask that everything you submit genuinely reflects your own experience, skills, knowledge, and writing style.

During the interview process, you may be asked to demonstrate your skills, including writing and subject knowledge, and to speak to your experience in your own voice. Applicants should be prepared to respond to interview questions without relying on AI-generated responses or reading prepared answers from a screen. Any misrepresentation may result in disqualification or separation.

Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County’s needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews.

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.

Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment: Pierce County is committed to fostering a Welcoming Workplace where employees are supported, respected, and able to thrive. We believe a strong public workforce is representative of the community it serves and that fair and just access to opportunity strengthens public service.

Guided by the County Executive’s Forward Together mission, Pierce County works to build communities that are safe, welcoming, and connected. This same commitment shapes how we recruit, develop, and retain our employees. County employees make a direct and visible impact in the lives of residents every day, and we invite you to join us in helping keep Pierce County a place people are proud to call home.