General Purpose of Job  

This position will provide land rights recommendations and collaborate with engineering to evaluate existing easement rights and identify additional rights required for various projects. It will oversee easement negotiations, potentially managing external vendor resources when necessary, and coordinate major initiatives with a focus on easement rights and needs. The Land Rights Specialist II serves as an analytical resource, leading efforts to assess complex real property information and supporting decision-making to drive project success. This position will provide leadership and guidance to the Land Rights Specialist I, offering support on tasks such as processing No Objection Requests and handling other easement-related matters. Interacting with members, developers, municipalities, and internal departments, the Specialist II demonstrates a strong understanding of platted easement rights. They manage negotiations related to easement acquisitions, encroachment resolutions, and compliance tracking with minimal supervision, ensuring proper documentation and successful outcomes.

Minimum Required Qualifications and Competencies

The following includes the minimum job requirements and essential duties for this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Some job requirements may exclude individuals that cannot be reasonably accommodated or who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.

Education

• Minimum of High School Diploma or GED.
• Preferred two (2) year associate degree in real estate, land rights or relevant field.
• Preferred four (4) year bachelor’s degree in business administration, or related discipline (e.g., Land Use).

Experience

• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience in Right of Way or relevant field.
• Preferred four (4) years of progressive experience in real estate, land rights, or relevant field.
• Preferred two (2) years of progressive experience in real estate, land rights, or relevant field
• Preferred IRWA experience.
• Preferred experience or similar work with an electric utility or related industry.

Education and/or experience Notes

• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Other Requirements 

• Ability to operate a variety of office equipment, including a personal computer, printers, copy machines, and telephone.
• Ability to work irregular hours for assignment completion and flexibility to change scheduling and report to work on short notice during emergency situations.
• A valid Florida driver’s license for regular driving privileges of a company vehicle; must have and maintain an acceptable driving record as determined by SECO Energy.
• Frequent business travel to all areas of service territory required.
• Normal work hours shall be eight (8) hours between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
• Successful completion of pre-employment background check, physical and drug screen.

Driving Requirements: Yes. Valid Florida Driver's License.

Core Competencies

• Safety: Follows safety procedures diligently, identifies potential hazards, and takes appropriate action to maintain a safe working environment.
• Member Commitment: Provides exceptional service to members, actively listening to their needs and ensuring their satisfaction.
• Honesty & Integrity: Acts with honesty and integrity in all tasks, maintaining transparency and ethical standards.
• Work Ethic: Demonstrates a strong work ethic by consistently meeting deadlines and achieving high performance in all tasks.
• Inclusive Culture: Contributes to an inclusive culture by respecting and valuing diverse perspectives and collaborating effectively with all team members.
• Accountability: Takes responsibility for their actions and decisions, ensuring they meet commitments and deliver high-quality work.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with team members, sharing information and supporting collective goals.

Job Specific Competencies 

• Real Estate Knowledge & Legal Expertise: Knowledge and understanding of Florida statutes and real estate; the principles, practices, processes, and procedures for acquiring and disposing of real property or property rights; federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to the acquisition and divestiture of real property and property rights. Interpret legal descriptions for real property transactions; processes and procedures involved in the execution of deeds, permits, and easements.
• Negotiation & Contract Management: Negotiate real estate contracts and acquiring easements, including adequate rights for standard easement clearing and property for utility services; ability to acquire permits for construction of utility substations.
• Presentation & Project Management: Prepare and present effective presentations to clearly explain maps and diagrams of geographical areas of interest, manage and lead complex acquisition projects from inception to completion, ensuring timelines, budgets, and legal requirements are met.
• Analytical: Strong analytical skills to assess complex information to support decision-making.

Verification

The above qualifications and competencies for this position may be verified through a combination of education, experience, interview questions and technical skills exercise(s).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty required of the position given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of management to assign, direct and control the work of employees under supervision. The listing of essential duties and responsibilities shall not be held to exclude other duties that may be assigned based on the needs of the cooperative. 

Project Management & Coordination

• Coordinate and manage major projects, particularly transmission and major improvement projects, with a focus on easement rights and needs.
• Develop and implement timelines, ensuring effective utilization of available resources.
• Analyze and prepare reports, presentations, and documentation related to project status, specifically as it pertains to easement acquisition and compliance.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for project updates, progress, or issue resolution related to land rights matters.

Land Rights Acquisition & Documentation

• Acquire various property rights, including easements, license agreements, and use permits, and prepare necessary documents.
• Meet with members when necessary to obtain necessary easements or assist with land rights questions/issues.
• Keep informed about legal requirements and legislative changes related to legal contracts and the acquisition of easements.
• Assist with the review and research of recorded easements and deeds to determine if utility rights are present.

Collaboration with Internal Departments

• Aid the Engineering Department with various projects, including plat reviews to ensure that all necessary utility easements and corresponding language are properly documented.
• Assist the Vegetation Department with land access rights issues, including drafting letters to members.
• Assist with preparing board-related materials for department approval by SECO Energy Board of Trustees.

Process Improvement & Workflow Optimization

• Assess and identify opportunities to improve project workflows and communication.
• Recommend process improvements to the Land Rights Supervisor and assist in the implementation of new methodologies.

Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide oversight to Land Rights Specialist I with No Objection Requests review and processes, ensuring all tasks are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Provide guidance and support and assist in the training and development of the Land Rights Specialist I.

Stakeholder Relations & Communication

• Create and maintain professional working relationships with local governments, county zoning offices, development firms, and all departments within the Cooperative.

Flexibility & Additional Support

• Assist with additional tasks or projects as assigned.

 Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by or those an employee encounters to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Some requirements may exclude individuals that cannot be reasonably accommodated or who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to walk, sit, stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The work of this position is performed in a standard office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. 

About Seco Energy

SECO Energy is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving over 230,000 homes and businesses across seven counties in Central Florida, making SECO the third-largest electric co-op in Florida and the seventh largest in the nation. One of the most important distinctions between other types of utilities and SECO is that we are member owned. Our members have a voice in the co-op’s decision-making process. They elect a nine-member Board of Trustees, who meet monthly to monitor the financial status of the Cooperative and make policy decisions in the best interest of the membership. SECO’s wholesale power provider is Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc., one of the largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the nation, serving 1.9 million consumers in Florida. Seminole is owned by nine electric distribution cooperatives, and SECO Energy is one of those nine member-owners.

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