Chief, Property Acquisition Section (Manager III, Grade M3)

About the Position

This is first level management work managing the day-to-day operation of the Property Acquisition Section in the Division of Transportation Engineering. The Property Acquisition Section consists of five or more employees whose responsibility is to acquire real estate interests necessary for the County’s construction of various transportation projects, and any other project requiring either a legal interest in or ownership of real estate for which there is a public purpose. Employee plans, implements, evaluates and exercises public policy influence within assigned area of responsibility. Employee must be able to communicate well both verbally and in writing and be able to speak in public forums, whether informally to groups of citizens or in formal settings testifying to the County Council, state legislatures, or the Courts. The position also requires supervision of processing of petitions to the County for the Abandonment or Closure of public rights-of-way, which have previously been dedicated to the County by way of plat or deed. This includes holding public hearings, writing and developing position papers, decision memoranda and making recommendations to the County Executive and County Council. As a manager/supervisor of unionized employees, this position has a responsibility for fostering a positive labor relations environment based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You are detail-oriented, organized, timely, and reliable
• You are self-sufficient and a problem-solver
• You convey information professionally and work well with people at all job levels, from field personnel to management
• You communicate technical and non-technical information effectively, both orally and in writing
• You can deal tactfully, effectively, and equitably with consultants, contractors and other interested parties.

What You'll Be Doing

• Able to communicate well both verbally and in writing and be able to present information both formally and informally in a public setting to groups of citizens, to personnel of other County departments or state agencies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: Five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in right of way acquisitions
• Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree.
• Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
• License: Possession and maintenance of a valid Class “C” (or equivalent) driver’s license from the applicant’s state of residence.

Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences

Interview preference will be extended to candidates who demonstrate:

• Experience in developing processes to successfully manage and monitor project schedules and budgets.

• Knowledge of Right of Way industry, including laws and regulations concerning the acquisition of property for public use.
• Experience as a right of way agent or other position involved in the acquisition of real property interests for public right of way.
• Experience in providing leadership and supervision of a professional staff of five or more employees.
• Experience responding, both orally and in writing, to Executive, Legislative, business, community, and individual customer issues related to public transportation policies and operational/enforcement concerns.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.