Railroad Right-of-Way Specialist
Location:
Pomona, CA – Hybrid (Monday/Tuesday onsite)
Contract:
12 months
Schedule:
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Railroad Right-of-Way Specialist to serve as a subject matter expert and lead within the Railroad team. This position will support a broad portfolio of utility infrastructure projects by managing railroad requests, right-of-way acquisitions, clearances, agreements, safety requirements, payments, and project schedules.
The successful candidate will work closely with internal operating units, project management teams, contractors, and railroad agencies to ensure required approvals, land rights, and clearances are obtained accurately and on schedule.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage approximately 50+ new railroad projects, including standard requests involving UPRR, BNSF, and other railroad entities.
- Oversee more than 100 pre-construction railroad projects, coordinating follow-up activities, railroad safety training, flagging services, payments, and other requirements.
- Serve as a subject matter expert and primary point of contact for internal partners regarding railroad processes, requirements, timelines, and approvals.
- Lead railroad projects and requests from initial scope through acquisition and clearance, advising on timing, requirements, constraints, and potential encroachment concerns.
- Review project plans, easements, land rights documents, and related materials to identify railroad requirements and potential issues.
- Meet regularly with railroad agencies to review project status, address concerns, resolve outstanding issues, and facilitate approvals and clearances.
- Ensure existing utility rights and prior rights are appropriately recognized by railroad entities and help prevent unnecessary fees for standard operations and maintenance activities.
- Support major rail expansion and utility infrastructure projects by working with Project Management teams to appropriately scope work during planning and design.
- Project manage, negotiate, and schedule bus bridging activities associated with utility projects.
- Submit non-purchase-order payments for railroad acquisitions and line rents as required.
- Prepare senior leadership routing memoranda for non-PO payments requiring authorization in accordance with applicable approval and delegation requirements.
- Support access and user issues associated with the Railroad SharePoint site, ensuring internal operating units can submit requests and accurately track progress through the Railroad Tracker.
- Coordinate railroad safety training for utility crews working within railroad rights-of-way.
- Process payments associated with railroad agreements, invoices, flagging services, safety training, acquisitions, and other project-related fees.
- Attend project team meetings and provide guidance to internal and external stakeholders regarding acquisition requirements, schedules, costs, and budgets.
- Develop detailed acquisition plans, project schedules, and follow-up actions to ensure commitments and milestones are met.
- Coordinate multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining accurate records, timelines, and stakeholder communication.
- Participate in planning and evaluation meetings and prepare meeting minutes, action items, and follow-up documentation as required.
- Adapt quickly to changing project requirements and communicate changes effectively to project teams and stakeholders.
- Coordinate with project resources and other functional teams as necessary to support successful project delivery.
- Lead or participate in web-based and face-to-face meetings, training sessions, and stakeholder discussions.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in railroad, right-of-way, utility real property transactions, land acquisition, or real estate acquisition.
- Experience working directly with railroad agencies, preferably including UPRR and/or BNSF.
- Experience with railroad or utility right-of-way acquisition and real property transactions.
- Experience acquiring and interpreting easements, license agreements, rights of entry, conditional clearance memoranda, and other land-rights documentation.
- Ability to review plans, easements, and land-related documents and identify potential constraints, conflicts, or encroachment concerns.
- Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of concurrent projects.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with technical, operational, project management, leadership, and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to make timely, informed decisions using sound judgment while involving appropriate stakeholders.
- Strong customer-service orientation with the ability to build productive relationships with both internal and external customers.
- Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively within a team environment.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- High school diploma required; an Associate or Bachelor's degree is preferred, particularly in real estate, business, engineering, construction, project management, or a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
- 5–7 years of railroad agency, utility, right-of-way acquisition, real property transaction, or real estate acquisition experience.
- Direct experience working with UPRR, BNSF, SBCTA, OCTA, LA Metro, SCRRA, or other railroad/transit agencies.
- Experience supporting utility infrastructure, transmission and distribution, construction, or large-scale capital projects.
- Experience coordinating railroad safety training, flagging services, railroad agreements, and related project payments.
- Experience working with SharePoint, project tracking systems, or similar platforms.
- Experience managing project budgets, acquisition costs, schedules, and stakeholder deliverables.
What We're Looking For
The ideal candidate considers safety a top priority and brings strong knowledge of railroad and right-of-way processes. You should be comfortable managing multiple projects at different stages, working directly with railroad agencies, interpreting land-rights documentation, negotiating requirements, and communicating complex information to different audiences.
You will be expected to demonstrate sound judgment, accountability, adaptability, and a strong commitment to delivering results while maintaining positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
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