Senior Land Manager & Corporate Counsel

Job Description

Job Specifications

The Senior Land Manager & Corporate Counsel will be responsible for the acquisition and divestiture of various real property assets and related commercial transactions including the preparation, review and assistance in the negotiation of a wide range of acquisition agreements, easements, permits, licenses, right of way agreements and associated access, surface use agreements, encroachments and other land rights. This position will also provide legal analysis for the land department and other project management related to property acquisitions necessary to accommodate the construction, operation, and maintenance of company facilities. This position will supervise company right of way agents and manage contract land professionals, as needed.   

SALARY RANGE: $105,050 - $173,450 (Determined by the experience, knowledge, skill and abilities of the applicant.)

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP: Director of Land

LOCATION: Our Company Headquarters in Rapid City, South Dakota. 

• A comprehensive relocation package is offered for this position! Details about this package will be shared during the interview and offer process. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Work with other legal department lawyers and outside counsel concerning land, real property rights, right of way matters, including condemnation actions.
• Assist the director of land and company leadership regarding legal issues and strategy for various business and development type projects, including electric and natural gas infrastructure, power generation, renewables and associated land needs.
• Budget, hire and maintain adequate staffing of right of way agents, including contract land professionals from time-to-time when projects require additional resources. 
• Prepare cost estimates and budgets associated with right of way and other land acquisitions.
• Review, prepare, analyze, and interpret land and right of way related agreements, easements, leases, permits, and licenses, as needed, from legal and business perspectives.
• Serve as a business liaison between internal departments, developers, cities, counties, etc., in support of right of way and land use activities. 
• Coordinate outside legal counsel, when needed, to assist the land departments needs and project activities. 
• Provide legal and business support for the resolution of encroachments, damage claims, landowner issues and complaints. 
• Responsible for critically important work involving complex projects performed with a broader technical, legal and business context.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support training and mentoring of right of way agents.
• Represent the company when appearing before planning and zoning committees, utility commissions, and other governmental boards, to advocate for approval of capital projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of (7) seven years of applicable work experience in title research, land and real property law, landowner negotiations, contracts, related legal matters, or other relevant experience is required.
• Juris doctor degree from ABA accredited law school is required.
• An active license to practice law in South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, or Arkansas with the ability to be licensed in South Dakota required. 

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Technical, financial and business knowledge in multiple subject areas and processes. 
• Strong working laws, regulations and corresponding legal provisions for easements and land use documents and legal knowledge of land and real property rights.
• Strong business systems knowledge.
• Strong analytical skills and logical thought processes, with the ability to identify and resolve sophisticated issues/problems.
• Ability to analyze business reporting information and recommend improvements.
• Ability to work with a team, lead land department staff, and implement leadership strategies. 
• Excellent attention to details following established procedures and meet established schedules and target dates
• Ability to organize, schedule and prioritize departmental and individual work to meet various schedules and objectives.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

MENTAL/PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:
The mental and physical descriptions are representative of the activities an employee in an office job performs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Mental descriptions: Understand, remember, apply oral and/or written instructions or other information, and communicate routine factual information. Apply common sense in performing job functions, usually within a set of rules or guidelines.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee continuously accesses, inputs, and retrieves electronic information and communicates regarding the information.  Employee frequently moves about the office space. Employee must be able to operate routine office equipment including computers and similar equipment. Must be able to routinely perform this work for an average of 6-8 hours per day and occasional extended hours as necessary. Must be capable of regular, reliable, and timely attendance.

Specific lifting abilities required by this job include: Sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or continuously to lift, carry, push, pull or sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if moving about is only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Work environment: Routinely perform work indoors in climate-controlled shared work area with moderate noise level.  Willing to travel up to 50% (e.g., 2 weeks or 10 days/month) by automobile (as driver and passenger), commercial airlines, rental vehicles and public transportation and be able to lodge in public facilities. Travel will be necessary to conduct the duties of this job and the employee must have proper licensing to operate a motor vehicle.

This description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, duties, and requirements for employees in this position. Job descriptions may and do change periodically. Where positions are covered by a collective bargaining unit agreement, the terms and conditions of the agreement will apply.

About our Company: We are a customer, growth and safety focused utility company that is dedicated to our communities. We improve life with energy as an energy partner of choice. Our diverse culture fuels unique perspectives, opening doors to new insights and possibilities. Based in Rapid City, South Dakota, we have over 3000 employees and serve 1.3 million natural gas and electric utility customers across eight states (South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Arkansas).

Enjoy our Comprehensive Benefits Package!  Annual incentive program, 401(k) (6% company match and up to 9% company retirement contribution), tuition reimbursement, paid time off, additional Veteran PTO, paid holidays and annual floating holidays, company paid short term and long term disability, paid maternity and paternity benefits, health and wellness program, and competitive medical, dental and vision insurance.

Candidates must successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check. 

Black Hills Energy does not sponsor applicants for work visas. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the US.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.