Sr. Land Acquisition Manager

Role Responsibilities

• Assist and support a comprehensive land acquisition strategy aligned with the organization’s renewable energy project goals
• Develop best practices and execute a comprehensive strategy for title tasks
• Manage the LRF process and team for title review and document preparation
• Cook up title curative efforts to ensure all documents are ready for development
• Collaborate with legal teams to structure land agreements that meet legal and regulatory requirements
• Conduct thorough due diligence on potential land acquisitions, including title searches, environmental assessments, and permitting requirements
• Cook up title curative efforts with legal and development to help prepare projects for development
• Build and maintain positive relationships with Land, Development, Legal, landowners, local communities, government authorities, and other stakeholders
• Understand relevant aspects of renewable energy projects and can successfully educate consultants and other stakeholders as needed
• Address concerns and provide information about project plans and benefits to Central Region Team
• Execute and follow process for onboarding land agents and/or brokers, creating work orders, tracking purchase orders, approving invoices
• Track land title expenses associated with land agents and 3rd party consultants
• Develop and execute comprehensive strategies aligned with the organization’s renewable energy project goals
• Aid development to identify suitable land parcels for renewable energy development through title support
• Lead negotiations for land acquisition, lease agreements and easements, ensuring favorable terms and conditions
• Cook up land agreements with legal teams to meet legal and regulatory requirements
• Conduct thorough due diligence on potential land acquisitions, including title searches, environmental assessments, and permitting requirements
• Evaluate landowner’s willingness to participate in renewable energy projects
• Build and maintain positive relationships with landowners, local communities, government authorities, and other stakeholders
• Understand relevant aspects of storage and renewable energy projects and can successfully educate landowners and other stakeholders as needed
• Address concerns and provide information about project plans and benefits to stakeholders
• Travel, as required, to facilitate land acquisition efforts and foster positive relationships with landowners and other stakeholders
• Identify and mitigate potential risks related to land acquisition, land use and project development
• Develop contingency plans for unforeseen challenges related to land assets
• Develop and manage budgets for land acquisition and management activities
• Monitor expenses and optimize land assets for cost-effective project development
• Manage third party land acquisition resources to achieve the land resource objectives through a combination of internal and external resources
• Lead and mentor a team of land acquisition professionals, providing guidance and support in their roles
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance work environment within the Land team and with Development
• Maintain accurate records of land agreements, permits and regulatory compliance
• Provide regular reports to senior management on land acquisition progress and issues

Job Requirements and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, real estate, environmental science or a related field (Master’s Degree preferred)
• Ten or more years of experience in land acquisition, real estate, land management, or a combination thereof, with a strong background in renewables (solar, wind and battery storage) preferred
• Thorough knowledge of land-use regulations, permitting processes and real estate law
• Exceptional negotiation and contract management skills
• Strong analytical and financial acumen for budgeting and cost optimization
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for stakeholder engagement
• Ability to lead and manage a team effectively
• Proficiency in geographic information systems (GIS) and related land management software
• Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to manage customer relationships
• Demonstrated desire to learn about the Company and the renewables space
• Excellent proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Strong leadership and communication, and ability to meet deadlines
• Strong organization skills and ability to coordinate multiple tasks and deliverables
• Ability to multi-task, while working independently and as part of a team
• Motivated self-starter, goal-oriented, and strong problem-solving abilities
• Proven ability to empathize, build relationships, and effectively communicate with people from a diverse set of backgrounds
• Responds well to direction, is easy to challenge and develop, and is coachable
• Detail-oriented, has strong business acumen, and a sound understanding of business concepts