Pipelines ROW & Land Acquisition Project Manager

What success looks like: (12–18 months) Acquisition plans and parcel-level execution are integrated with engineering/permitting/construction milestones; no "surprise" land-driven critical path impacts. External land firms deliver consistent, high-quality work product (title, easements, leases, ROEs, curative packages) with tight QC and clear escalation paths. Spend is controlled: land budgets are forecasted, tracked, and explained; change orders are managed, not "discovered."

Core responsibilities: (MECE) 1) ROW / Land acquisition delivery Lead acquisition execution from planning through closeout across assigned projects; maintain a parcel-by-parcel view of status, risks, and next actions. Support (and when needed, lead) complex negotiations with landowners/representatives on compensation, special conditions, access, and damages. Act as day-to-day owner of external land/ROW firms: scope clarity, deliverable standards, timelines, and performance management. Review/QC key work products (title reports, lease/easement docs, acquisition packages) and coordinate fixes rapidly. Build and maintain acquisition schedules aligned to engineering, construction, and permitting; run regular status cadence with internal/external stakeholders. Identify obstacles early (title defects, access constraints, stakeholder pushback) and drive mitigation plans to protect critical path. 4) Stakeholder + legal coordination Partner with Land & Legal on title issues, curative strategy, easement language/templates, and contract requirements. Represent WTG with landowners, counsel, local officials/agencies as required; communicate clearly and professionally under pressure. 5) Budgeting, documentation, and audit readiness Track acquisition budgets and vendor spend; manage forecasts/variance explanations; ensure complete, organized records across projects.

Requirements: Must-haves 5+ years in ROW/land acquisition in energy or linear infrastructure (pipeline/transmission/power/infrastructure) with strong Texas exposure. Proven experience managing external land agents/consultants and running multiple workstreams concurrently. Working knowledge of easements, leases/surface use, damages, title/curative coordination, and landowner negotiation dynamics. Strong project management discipline (milestones, risk logs, meeting cadence, escalation). Nice-to-haves CPL/RPL, SR/WA (or similar), PMP. GIS/land systems + standard PM tools proficiency.