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Civil Engineer VI - Land Acquisition Engineer - IPR#47446

Illinois Department of Transportation *
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Location: Ottawa, IL, US, 61350

Job Requisition ID: 39212

Civil Engineer VI - Land Acquisition Engineer - IPR#47446

 

Agency :  Department of Transportation 
Closing Date/Time: 07/09/2024 
Salary:  $7,298-$11,351 Monthly 
Anticipated Starting Salary: $7,298-$8,798 Monthly

Job Type:   Salaried 
County:  LaSalle 
Number of Vacancies:   1 
Plan/BU: NR916 Pro-Tech Teamsters

 

*This position is covered by the Revolving Door Prohibition Policy.

 

This position is a union position; therefore, provisions of the relevant collective bargaining agreement/labor contract apply to the filling of this position.

 

All applicants who want to be considered for this position MUST apply electronically through the illinois.jobs2web.com website. State of Illinois employees should click the link near the top left to apply through the SuccessFactors employee career portal.

Applications submitted via email or any paper manner (mail, fax, hand delivery) will not be considered.

 

Agency Mission Statement

The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking to hire a Land Acquisition Engineer.

 

The IDOT team works diligently to provide safe, cost-effective transportation for Illinois in ways that enhance quality of life, promote economic prosperity and protect our environment. We are problem solvers and leaders, constantly searching for innovations and improvements in support of our commitment to providing the best multimodal transportation system for Illinois.

 

Our team fosters a culture of inclusivity. We value diversity and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards as we work together for a common purpose. Team members frequently collaborate with colleagues and others outside the department to best meet customer needs.

 

The department offers extensive training and career advancement opportunities. Employees also receive a robust benefit package including:

  • Monday-Friday work schedule
  • Flexible work schedules in several program areas (flexible time, hybrid scheduling).
  • Health, Life, Vision, and Dental Insurance
  • Pension Plan
  • (12) Weeks paid Maternity/Paternity Leave
  • Deferred Compensation Program and other pre-tax benefit programs (Medical/Daycare)
  • Employees earn (12) paid Sick Days annually.
  • New Employees earn (10) paid Vacation Days their first year of service and can earn up to (25) paid Vacation Days annually.
  • Employees earn (3) paid Personal Days annually.
  • (13-14) paid holidays annually (based on start date)
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources

 

We invite qualified applicants to apply to become part of our team. We are confident that you will take pride in serving Illinois and its residents and visitors.

Job Responsibilities

This position is accountable for providing overall direction for the district’s land acquisition activities including acquiring the necessary rights-of-way required to successfully complete the district highway construction program, managing state-owned property, monitoring local agency acquisitions, managing relocations of property owners or businesses and directing highway and land surveys in the district.

 

This position reports to the Program Development Engineer. Reporting to this position are the Appraisal, Acquisition, and Plats and Plans Managers, Condemnation Engineer/Manager, Chief of Survey’s, and an Executive Secretary.


This position is responsible for ensuring those citizens who are displaced or affected by the state receive just compensation for their property, while equally ensuring the state does not overcompensate for its acquisitions. It supervises those involved in the management of state-owned property and ensures all surveys are completed in a timely manner, including geodetic, topographic, highway, and land surveys for the design of highway plans and control monuments for aerial surveys. The incumbent operates in an engineering environment and must therefore combine engineering, real estate, and management judgement to make sound decisions on land acquisition matters.

Typical problems confronting the incumbent are of a technical nature and concern such areas of complex appraisals, complex title problems, engineering and surveying problems, and human relations problems involved in negotiations. The greatest challenge is to acquire land in accordance with predetermined time schedules, established policies, and laws with minimal public dissatisfaction.

The incumbent personally performs such duties as consulting with attorneys, court officers, county, and state officials, writing and reviewing various types of agreements, initiating and answering correspondence, providing technical expertise within the district, researching agreements and documents to answer property questions both in-house and for the public, establishing priorities for the staff, attending pretrial conferences, developing trial strategy, monitoring work to ensure it is on schedule, making recommendations on new land acquisition policies, and ensuring staff members consider the possible impact of hazardous waste and asbestos on real estate to be acquired by the department. The incumbent personally participates in planning and scheduling the district’s Annual Construction Program and attends public hearing and informational meetings as an official Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) representative serving as district spokesperson on behalf of IDOT to the public on land acquisition matters. Additionally, the incumbent has authority to finalize negotiations for land acquisitions.

Job Responsibilities (continued)

The incumbent accomplishes goals thorough the following staff:

who is accountable for providing appraisal services, managing consultant contracts, and certifying local public agency ROW projects.

who is accountable for right-of-way by voluntary conveyance from landowners, assisting in relocation efforts and managing state-owned property.

who is accountable for preparing, reviewing for accuracy, and maintaining all plans, plats, legal descriptions, and associated documents used by the district for right-of-way appraisal and acquisition.

who is accountable for acquiring land through eminent domain proceedings, for providing engineering expertise in acquisition activities, for providing general acquisition services, and for supervising data input and retrieval utilizing the Land Acquisition System.

who is accountable for providing all district highway and land surveying services.

who is accountable for secretarial and administrative services for the bureau including timekeeping, correspondence, and processing incidental bill payments.

The incumbent has broad latitude for supervising all section functions. Superiors are consulted to discuss administrative and court settlements and whether to appeal unfavorable verdicts. The incumbent has authority to recommend personnel changes. The position operates under departmental policy, eminent domain laws, and various statutes.

Internal contacts include daily contact with district management for the purpose of exchanging information and coordinating activities and with the central Bureau of Land Acquisition for providing or obtaining information. Externally, the incumbent is in frequent contact with local government officials, county recorders, abstractors and title companies, court officials, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Attorney General’s Office for assistance with more complex problems. Real estate brokers, professional appraisers, surveyors, and acquisition firms are frequently employed to provide services. Travel throughout the district is required.

The effectiveness of this position is measured by the orderly accomplishment of the district’s acquisition program. The incumbent must meet the district’s schedule while providing utmost consideration for the people affected. Failure to meet all federal and legal requirements could result in loss of all federal participation in the total project costs.

Principal Accountabilities

  • Plans, organizes, and directs the work of the sections to acquire the necessary right-of-way to meet predetermined letting schedules.
  • Serves as a district spokesperson regarding the various programs administered by the bureau.
  • Accomplishes timely completion of eminent domain action through liaison with attorneys and court officials. Ensures that all highway and land surveys are completed on schedule.
  • Ensures that equitable administrative settlements are considered prior to condemnation actions.
  • Ensures that district junkyard control programs are accomplished on schedule and that state-owned property is properly managed.
  • Ensures the equitable administration of the district’s relocation program.
  • Supervises, coordinates, and evaluates outside firms providing services.
  • Trains, motivates, and evaluates subordinate personnel.
  • Performs duties in compliance with departmental safety rules. Performs all duties in a manner conducive to the fair and equitable treatment of all employees.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Position Requirements

  • Current registration as a Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Illinois.
  • Eight years of experience in civil engineering including three years supervising staff and managing engineering functions.
  • Valid driver’s license.
  • Frequent statewide travel.
  • Successful completion of a background screening.

 

Position Desirables

  • Comprehensive knowledge of the principles of civil engineering with specialized knowledge of public works engineering.
  • Extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of civil engineering with special emphasis on activities of the division involved.
  • Extensive knowledge of the modern methods and procedures of public works engineering.
  • Ability to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with staff and the public.
  • Ability to interpret and enforce divisional and departmental policies.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills.

*If you meet the qualifications for this position, please follow the link and apply today! https://illinois.jobs2web.com/job/Ottawa-LAND-ACQUISITION-ENGINEER-IL-61350/1182933900/

Work Hours:  8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Monday-Friday 
Work Location: 700 E Norris Dr, Ottawa, Illinois, 61350 
Office: Office of Highways Project Implementation/Region 2/District 3/Bureau of Program Development

Agency Contact: DOT.CONTACTHR@ILLINOIS.GOV

Posting Group: Transportation ; Leadership & Management; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

 

*If you have questions about the Job Responsibilities or Qualifications, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed above

*If you have questions about the application process, please reach out to DOT.Recruitment@Illinois.gov

Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (“OEIG”) or may be subject to a fine.