Right of Way Agent II

Right of Way Agent II

Salary

$38.82 - $49.55 Hourly

Location

Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave, OR

Job Type

Regular

Job Number

2026-00732

Bureau

Portland Bureau of Transportation

Opening Date

08/24/2026

Closing Date

9/8/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

The Position

Job Appointment: Full-Time, Regular

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 am-5 pm. An alternate schedule may be available.

Work Location: Hybrid, In-person work is at 1120 SW 5TH AVE, PORTLAND OR 97204. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington. For more information, click here.

Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of the benefits for this position.

Union Representation: Professional Technical Employees (PROTEC17). To view current labor agreements, please visit https://www.portland.gov/bhr/employee-relations/labor-relations/labor-agreements.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland's online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume. Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.

Position Summary:

The City of Portland is looking for a Right of Way Agent II to join the Right of Way Acquisition Section within PBOT's Real Property Services Division.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is seeking a skilled and detail oriented Right of Way Agent II. This position supports PBOT's real estate and property management functions by conducting right of way negotiations, performing property and title research, preparing documentation, and coordinating with community members, internal partners, and external agencies. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong analytical abilities, clear communication skills, and experience working with real property transactions or right of way processes.

In this position, you will join a team of right-of-way professionals supporting capital project delivery across transportation and environmental services. Your work will focus on right-of-way acquisition activities that advance complex public infrastructure projects. These activities include acquiring temporary and permanent property rights through eminent domain, securing rights of entry, conducting non-complex property valuations to determine fair market value, analyzing title reports, maintaining real estate records, and completing other real-estate transactions essential to project success.

You will collaborate with a wide range of internal and external partners-including project managers, planners, designers, engineers, landowners, and community members.

In this role, you will:

• Support capital project delivery teams for transportation and environmental services projects.
• Utilize your knowledge of federal, state, and local laws pertaining to Eminent Domain and the public acquisition of property rights.
• Assemble and maintain right-of-way- project files, prepare offer benefit packets and ensure timely cleaning and closing of project files.
• Work directly with property owners and the public to acquire private property rights associated with the City's local and federally funded infrastructure projects.
• Perform non-complex property valuations to determine the fair market value of needed property rights.
• Review and analyze title reports, maintain real estate records, and perform other real-estate transactions.
• Preform property research by accessing land records using GIS systems, conducting title searches and reviewing government databases.

Who you are:

• Balanced: Skilled at managing a multitude of tasks and navigating various situations in a fast-paced environment.
• Communicator: A strong communicator who conveys complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Detailed: A strong organizer and planner who thrives on accuracy, consistancy and attention to detail.
• Empathetic Negotiator: Skilled in negotiation, with the ability to be empathetic to the impacted community and can effectively de-escalate difficult situations through potentially challenging interactions.
• Problem solver: Able to develop creative solutions to support program and policy objectives.
• Relationship Builder: Values partnerships and forms strong working relationships to achieve results.
• Reliable: Capable of meeting strict deadlines and understanding the importance of managing a dynamic and workload.
• Team oriented: Enjoys contributing to team success through collaboration.

About the Bureau:

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is a community partner in shaping a livable city. PBOT plans, builds, manages, and maintains an effective and safe transportation system that provides people and businesses with access and mobility. We keep Portland moving. For more information about the Portland Bureau of Transportation, please visit www.portlandoregon.gov/pbot.

Questions:

Tami Larison

Senior Recruiter

Tamara.Larison@portlandoregon.gov

To Qualify

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

• Experience utilizing strong customer service skills and the ability to implement effective conflict resolution techniques.
• Experience and ability to handle several projects at once while meeting assigned deadlines.
• Knowledge of public records researching tools to locate deeds, easements, maps, plats, and GIS systems.
• Experience reading and interpreting maps, engineering drawings, title reports, appraisals, surveys, legal descriptions, and reports relating to real property.
• Knowledge of applicable laws and regulations related to basic principles of right of way acquisition, real property law, contract law, real property appraisal, and negotiations.

Applicant must also possess:

• A valid driver's license and acceptable driving record
• An Oregon Notary Public Commission at the time of hire: more information on how to obtain here
• Must place any active real estate appraisers or brokers licenses on inactive status before the first day to avoid conflict of interest.

Although not required, you may have:

• Strong negotiating skills
• Direct experience or transferable experience in the acquisition or disposition of property rights.

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1: Apply online between August 24, 2026 to September 8, 2026

Required Application Materials:

• Résumé

• Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.

• Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Optional Application Materials:

• Veteran's Preference documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) must be submitted by the closing date.
• Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans' Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members. If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.
• Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.
• To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.
• How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act. Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
• Do not attach any additional documents. Do not attach a cover letter, it will not be reviewed.
• All applications must be submitted via the Citys online application process by the closing date and time.
• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage using AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of September 7, 2026

• An evaluation of each applicants training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their résumé and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
• Your résumé and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of September 14, 2026

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list. (Update if a Ranked list or other type of list is used)

Step 4: Selection (Interview): Late September to Early October

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview

Step 5: Offer of Employment: October 2026

• Some positions will require those offered employment to complete and sign a criminal background statement before being considered for employment. (Include if requires an in-depth background investigation.)

Step 6: Start Date: October to November 2026

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.
• Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations

A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to

• Health Care (Medical, Vision and Dental)
• Carrot Fertility
• Wellness Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), including contributions to the PERS IAP plan paid by employer
• Family Medical Leave
• City Paid Parental Leave

AND SO MANY MORE!

Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and employment status. Click here to review the many different benefits the City of Portland offers.

01

Thank you for considering joining the City of Portland. We sincerely value your time and hope to make your application experience as positive as possible.

The following supplemental questions are an important step in the examination and selection process to assist us in determining if you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in the posted vacancy.

A lack of a complete and thorough response to each of the supplemental questions in the space provided may result in disqualification from the examination. In addition, the selections you make and responses you provide in the questionnaire must accurately reflect what is documented in your resume.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

• Yes
• No - If you have any questions, please contact the recruiter on the announcement.

02

Where did you first learn about this job opportunity? (If on a website or job board, please specify which one)

03

The City of Portland sometimes gets requests for public records. Please choose the response that best fits your preference:

(Your choice will not affect your application process.)

• I want my application to stay private. I understand that the City of Portland will keep my information confidential unless required to share it by law.
• I allow my application to be shared. I understand that by choosing this option, my information is no longer private.

04

Do you have experience utilizing strong customer service skills and the ability to implement effective conflict resolution techniques?

• Yes
• No

05

Provide a detailed example(s) of your experience utilizing strong customer service skills and the ability to implement effective conflict resolution techniques.

In your response, include details that clearly reflect how you meet this minimum qualification. Such as:

• Tell us about a time you used this skill, knowledge or ability. This could be something you did at work, during an internship, while volunteering, or from your personal life.
• What was your role or the problem you had to solve?
• What steps did you take to handle it? Include any training, past experience, or skills you used.
• What happened as a result? What did you learn?
• How does this experience help you succeed in future jobs?

06

Do you have experience and ability to handle several projects at once while meeting assigned deadlines?

• Yes
• No

07

Provide a detailed example(s) of your experience and ability to handle several projects at once while meeting assigned deadlines.

In your response, include details that clearly reflect how you meet this minimum qualification. Such as:

• Tell us about a time you used this skill, knowledge or ability. This could be something you did at work, during an internship, while volunteering, or from your personal life.
• What was your role or the problem you had to solve?
• What steps did you take to handle it? Include any training, past experience, or skills you used.
• What happened as a result? What did you learn?
• How does this experience help you succeed in future jobs?

08

Do you have knowledge of public records researching tools to locate deeds, easements, maps, plats, and GIS systems?

• Yes
• No

09

Provide a detailed example(s) of your knowledge of public records researching tools to locate deeds, easements, maps, plats, and GIS systems.

In your response, include details that clearly reflect how you meet this minimum qualification. Such as:

• Tell us about a time you used this skill, knowledge or ability. This could be something you did at work, during an internship, while volunteering, or from your personal life.
• What was your role or the problem you had to solve?
• What steps did you take to handle it? Include any training, past experience, or skills you used.
• What happened as a result? What did you learn?
• How does this experience help you succeed in future jobs?

10

Do you have experience reading and interpreting maps, engineering drawings, title reports, appraisals, surveys, legal descriptions, and reports relating to real property?

• Yes
• No

11

Provide a detailed example(s) of your experience reading and interpreting maps, engineering drawings, title reports, appraisals, surveys, legal descriptions, and reports relating to real property.

In your response, include details that clearly reflect how you meet this minimum qualification. Such as:

• Tell us about a time you used this skill, knowledge or ability. This could be something you did at work, during an internship, while volunteering, or from your personal life.
• What was your role or the problem you had to solve?
• What steps did you take to handle it? Include any training, past experience, or skills you used.
• What happened as a result? What did you learn?
• How does this experience help you succeed in future jobs?

12

Do you have knowledge of applicable laws and regulations related to basic principles of right of way acquisition, real property law, contract law, real property appraisal, and negotiations?

• Yes
• No

13

Provide a detailed example(s) of your knowledge of applicable laws and regulations related to basic principles of right of way acquisition, real property law, contract law, real property appraisal, and negotiations.

In your response, include details that clearly reflect how you meet this minimum qualification. Such as:

• Tell us about a time you used this skill, knowledge or ability. This could be something you did at work, during an internship, while volunteering, or from your personal life.
• What was your role or the problem you had to solve?
• What steps did you take to handle it? Include any training, past experience, or skills you used.
• What happened as a result? What did you learn?
• How does this experience help you succeed in future jobs?

14

Do you have or are you able to obtain an Oregon Notary Public Commission at the time of hire?

• Yes
• No

15

Do you have a valid state drivers license and an acceptable driving record?

• Yes
• No

16

Do you understand and are you willing to place any active real estate appraisers or brokers licenses on inactive status before the first day to avoid conflict of interest?

• Yes
• No

17

Please note the following question will not be considered during minimum qualification review. The information provided will be reviewed during the selection process.

Although not required, please provide information for any of the following preferred qualifications:

• Strong negotiating skills
• Direct experience or transferable experience in the acquisition or disposition of property rights.

(Enter N/A if you do not have relevant experience)

Required Question

Employer City of Portland

Address 1120 SW 5th Ave, Room 987

Portland, Oregon, 97204

Website http://www.portland.gov/jobs