Realty Specialist IV

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) directs the worldwide overseas building program for the Department of State. Working with other offices and bureaus, foreign affairs agencies, and Congress, OBO’s challenge is to set worldwide priorities for the design, construction, acquisition, maintenance, use, and sale of real properties and the use of sales proceeds.

This position is in the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), Planning and Real Estate Directorate (PRE), Office of Real Property Leasing (RPL). RPL advises the PRE Managing Director on the formulation and implementation of leasing programs and policies for Department of State (DOS) and United States Government (USG) facilities abroad; manages the overseas leasing portfolio for civilian federal agencies of the United States; develops guidelines and procedures for performing economic analyses of leasing opportunities; and conducts negotiations with private landlords, public sector counterparts, and foreign countries related to the Department's real property rights and interests. RPL is comprised of multiple Divisions each with responsibilities for (1) conducting, managing, and overseeing all activities associated with entering into major leases, including fit-outs, build-to-lease, option-to-lease, and associated activities; (2) implementation of the Capital and Representational Facility Plans which projects schedules to address global leasing goals and requirements; (3) managing transactions, securing Bureau approvals, and establishing portfolio metrics; (4) developing and managing policies for the DOS leased portfolio; (5) administering the DOS waiver program for commercial and residential properties; (6) leading technical project teams to deliver leased facilities overseas; and (7) managing the bureau’s leasehold, ICASS and Marine leasehold accounts.

As a Senior Realty Specialist, the contractor performs a wide range of consultative and operational realty-related responsibilities in support of the acquisition and disposal of properties at specified overseas diplomatic posts throughout the world. In furtherance of these responsibilities, the contractor performs duties and assignments that typically include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following

• Plans, manages, and administers real property acquisitions (including purchases, leases, disposals, exchanges, gifts, and interagency transfers) regarding diplomatic properties overseas; provides assistance with negotiating and technical international realty guidance and instructions to other professionals within or outside of the Bureau, including U. S. Embassy and Consulate personnel and officials within the Department and in other foreign affairs agencies; assists with major property negotiations; and explores and investigates a wide range of property proposals;
• Assists with negotiations with foreign government representatives and private property owners of overseas real property for the acquisition and disposal by lease, purchase, exchange, or gift, in support of S. diplomatic missions; assists with negotiating price and terms favorable to the United States Government (USG) and within funding limitations established for each acquisition; drafts appropriate contract documents and contacts local attorneys in order to ensure that all transactions conform to local and U. S. legal requirements and practices; contacts local and municipal officials through Post to ensure the appropriate zoning is achieved or that waivers and variances are obtained where needed; and recommends appropriate actions and follows up to ensure that authorized proposals are properly implemented;
• Supports the official USG representative regarding real property transactions in meetings with foreign government and municipal officials, local attorneys, other real estate-related professionals, and Post officials including the Ambassador or Consul General, the Deputy Chief of Mission, the Management Counselor or Officer, and the General Services
• Maintains a working relationship with the Office of Area Management (OBO/OPS/AM) to review the utilization of current property holdings and assess the capacity of Posts and secure their support regarding real property transactions.
• Prepares, collects, and analyzes market data, property details, valuations, inspections, legal opinions, and information on local real estate and business practices in advance of all proposed transactions; and prepares action and information memoranda for the ultimate approval of the OBO Director, Under Secretary for Management, and other key Departmental officials discussing or recommending specific courses of action for the acquisition of real property.
• Maintains support from and guides S. Embassy or Consulate personnel in securing local real estate and legal services; and interviews attorneys, brokers, agents, inspectors, surveyors, and other professional private sector service providers in foreign countries to support real property transactions.
• Drafts language for official USG diplomatic notes to foreign governments dealing with property issues, property rights, reciprocity issues, and the payment of property taxes and government service fees.
• Conceptualizes, structures, and assists with negotiating agreements for complex international real estate acquisitions and disposals involving multiple U. S. agency occupants, unique diplomatic physical, and technical security issues, and government-to- government reciprocity agreements and issues, often in unsophisticated or underdeveloped real estate markets.
• Participates as a key player on project teams, and supports teams of professionals from other disciplines on projects involving real property searches, survey and evaluations, and contract negotiations; conducts briefings for post management while on travel, and represents the team’s interests and requirements; and translates the concerns and requirements of multi-disciplinary technical teams into contract conditions or contingencies during contract negotiations, resulting in effective acquisition and disposal agreements that protect USG interests;
• Assists with preparing comprehensive documentation, reports, and position papers on complex or controversial international real property issues for use by other agencies and senior Departmental officials, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and in response to Congressional and other Executive Branch
• Supports closing on transactions after all due diligence items are completed, including Congressional approval, host government approvals, and municipal approvals; arranges closing conference at Post and guides Post with local counsel through final steps to close on acquisitions or disposals, transfer funds, take or title, and proceed with registration of title in the name of the United States; and obtains all original transaction documents and title deeds from the post and delivers them to the Office of Real Property Leasing for permanent archiving; and
• Considers established priorities, program goals, and performance indicators in performing duties, and reports on transaction status and results in support of all reporting
• Must be a S. citizen
• Mastery of the principles, practices, and methodologies of real estate transactions as applied to the acquisition and disposal of overseas real property
• Specific knowledge of legislation and procedures of the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (SECCA) as well as other applicable Federal statutes and regulations that apply to the acquisition and disposal of real property in foreign countries
• Comprehensive knowledge of local laws and regulations concerning real estate transactions in various foreign countries and in the United States to protect the interests of the United States in such transactions
• Demonstrated expertise in negotiating fair and equitable terms for real property acquisition and disposal and in employing innovative approaches to the acquisition and disposal of real property holdings that preserve the interests of and are most advantageous to the United States
• Realty Specialist IV A bachelor’s degree and eleven (11) years of experience