Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent or Senior

Department:

Planning and Development Services

Start Here. Grow Here. Stay Here.

Sarasota County is hiring a Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent or Senior Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent to support impactful infrastructure projects that shape our community. In this role, you'll manage real property acquisition and disposition for a wide range of County projects (including roads, utilities, drainage, conservation, and recreation), working through the full project lifecycle. You'll collaborate with internal teams, property owners, and external partners while handling negotiations, research, documentation, and project coordination.

We're looking for a proactive, detail-oriented professional with a strong understanding of real estate principles, land acquisition processes, and property rights, along with excellent communication and problem-solving skills. This position offers a mix of office and field work, competitive placement based on experience, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact in a premier community. Apply today and help keep Sarasota County a place where people choose to live, work, and play.

About the Position

Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent:

• Investigate, negotiate, and secure property rights for County projects through purchase, donation, or other approved methods, working in compliance with County policies and applicable laws.
• Prepare, review, and process real estate and right-of-way documents, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and proper recording in public records.
• Draft clear, professional correspondence and legal documents related to property acquisition and disposition, including agreements, deeds, easements, and notices.
• Conduct thorough due diligence by reviewing plans, surveys, appraisals, title reports, and public records to confirm ownership, boundaries, and potential restrictions.
• Identify issues or conflicts affecting property rights and bring forward recommendations to support timely and effective resolutions.
• Maintain organized project files, track data and activities, and prepare accurate reports while documenting all communications with property owners and representatives.
• Serve as a knowledgeable point of contact for property owners, internal teams, and external stakeholders, clearly explaining project plans, requirements, and timelines.
• Support County property inventory efforts while demonstrating initiative, sound judgment, flexibility, and strong problem-solving skills.

Senior Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent:

• Lead and supervise lower-level staff while managing complex, high-cost, and sensitive real property acquisitions with minimal supervision.
• Oversee and coordinate advanced legal strategies with the County Attorney's Office, including eminent domain/condemnation actions, settlements, and closings.
• Draft and review highly complex real estate and development-related documents, including developer agreements and advanced acquisition and disposition instruments.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on complex ownership, title, boundary, and land-use issues, providing guidance on risk, conflicts, and remediation strategies.
• Act as a senior liaison and trusted advisor to County leadership, project managers, and external stakeholders on challenging acquisitions and negotiations.
• Research, analyze, and present recommendations on County-owned and prospective properties, including acquisitions, leases, and dispositions.
• Develop, plan, and implement policies and procedures related to the acquisition, management, and disposition of County-owned real estate.
• Prepare and present reports and recommendations to executive leadership, the Board of County Commissioners, and the public.

Please note that this job posting provides a general overview of the role and may be adjusted to reflect specific organizational needs or project requirements.

About the Schedule

• Full-Time, 40 hours per week.
• Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Work schedules may vary due to split shifts, rotations, on-call, emergencies, etc.

As a reminder, all county employees are considered essential and must be prepared to protect and support the community and its citizens. Each employee, without exception, will have a duty assignment and be required to work during a disaster or declared emergency.

E-Work/Hybrid Work: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home up to two days per week After your first six months, and based on job performance and departmental needs, you'll be eligible to take advantage of this great benefit.

About You

Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent:

To be considered for this role, you must have the following -

• Associate's degree with major coursework in Real Estate and Title Law with 3+ years of professional experience in Land Acquisition, Title Examination, and/or Searches, Real Estate Law, Appraisal Field, or other related fields.
• OR: Progressively responsible experience can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required college degree.
• Valid Florida Driver's License within 30 days of hire.

Senior Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent:

To be considered for this role, you must have the following -

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Real Estate, Real Estate Law, Business or Public Administration, Planning, Engineering, Appraisal and/or related field with 4+ years of related professional experience or successful completion of criteria identified in the

Right-of-Way Agent Level II checklist.
- Valid/Current Florida General State Certified Appraiser License.
- 5+ years of experience in title research and professional designation of Certified Land-Title Searcher (CLS) from the Florida Land Title Association or an equivalent designation from a similar professional association.
- Valid Florida Driver's License within 30 days of hire.

The ideal candidate has the following knowledge, skills, and/or abilities -

Please note that these are not requirements but bonuses for your consideration.

• Right-of-way training or certification (DOT, IRWA, or similar) with courses on chain-of-title research; Florida Notary preferred.
• Deep knowledge of real property interests, land acquisition processes, and legal procedures, including eminent domain/condemnation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to research, review, and interpret property records, plans, and legal documents independently.
• Leadership and collaboration skills, including supervising staff, negotiating effectively, and coordinating with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and tech-savvy, with proficiency in Microsoft Office, business writing, and project management tools to handle multiple priorities and deadlines.

Subject to Passing Substance Screening: This position is subject to passing a pre-employment substance screening. An applicant who fails to pass a required drug screening test shall be disqualified from employment for a period of five years.

Physical Demands: Employees in this role must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 lbs.

About Everything Else

Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent:

Starting Pay Range: $56, $57,000.00, based on experience.

Senior Right-of-Way Acquisition Agent:

Starting Pay Range: $58, $63,000.00 based on experience.

Our interview process could include phone interview(s), Microsoft Teams video interview(s), and/or in-person interview(s).

If you are selected to join our team,

please click on this link to review the Required First Day Documents

. You will need to present the following items on your first day:

1. I-9 Acceptable Documents to show your identity and authorization to work. Use this link to learn more and review the different document options:

• If your position requires a Florida Driver's License, this must be one of your documents. (Your Florida Driver's License can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List B Documents.)

• U.S. Social Security Card (signed, physical card). This is a requirement of our Payroll Department and failure to provide this document could jeopardize timely compensation. (Your U.S. Social Security Card can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List C Documents.)

Benefits:

• Enjoy great benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Florida Retirement System (FRS) and many, many more Choose one of three great medical plans, including one with a $0 premium option, with completed preventative visits
• Utilize our award-winning wellness program including free gyms at multiple Sarasota County Government locations.
• Enjoy 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days and 16 paid vacation days in the first year of full-time employment with increasing accrual rates with years of service. (That adds up to a possible 30 days off in your 1st year)

A different blend of voices prompt better conversations, choices and results for everyone. Sarasota County – Many Voices, One Team.

We celebrate and value the experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, talents and strengths that make us different.

Our vision is to attract, develop, retain and engage a talented workforce broadly representative of the citizens and communities we serve. To further value creativity, innovation, collaboration and great customer service – internally and externally.

A job applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the application/selection process is requested to make known the need for an accommodation to Human Resources or appropriate county staff members. For assistance with the application, please call

Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at (keywords: ADA Compliance).

Sarasota County Government is a Tobacco-Free/Drug-Free Workplace.