Land and Property Manager

Competitive salary and benefits
- Flexible and dynamic working environment
- Based in Sydney (Hybrid/ WFH) with frequent travel along the Sydney Ring project corridor
- Award winning organisation
- **Responsible for land and property management on $1bn+ projects**

**The Opportunity**

The Sydney Ring project increases the power system’s capability to supply the Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong centres through renewable energy, replacing supply capacity that will be lost on the closure of coal-fired power stations in the Newcastle area. It involves both a northern and southern 500kV option, the northern option being Bayswater to Eraring substations and the southern being Bannaby to Sydney West substations. When both options are delivered, this will secure the supply to Australia’s most populous geographic area.

As Land and Property Manager you will lead the Sydney Ring project’s land and property activities. The role is accountable for the strategic direction and management of the project’s non-network property and facilities, as well as the management of network property and easements, land information systems, policies, and standards and related environmental management and approvals.

The Land and Property Manager, Sydney Ring, is responsible for technical and strategic management of the Sydney Ring Land Access Officers, Property Officers and external consultants.

The position will report to the Sydney Ring Project Director.

The role will:

- Contribute to strategies and plans regarding the coordination of access to Sydney Ring landholders’ properties, including field teams, managing land access activities and programs, and responsibility for ensuring compliance with safety requirements.
- Coordinate land acquisition activities and documentation, including liaison with the Land Agent team, Property Portfolio and Legal regarding the acquisition of property interests for Sydney Ring.

**Duties and Responsibilities**
- Lead land and property planning access and acquisition responsibilities from the concept stage through appropriate development, approval, and compliance activities
- Management of government and agency consultation and relationships
- Ensure land access is available to the project team by the required due dates
- Project management of the assigned deliverables: schedule; financial; resourcing; risk
- Preparing and delivering project level and executive level reports
- People management of 5+ direct reports, as well as contractors and consultants,
- Land access coordination
- Provide clear strategies, plans and coordination of Sydney Ring land access requirements to the Sydney Ring Project team;
- Provide strong leadership to the land access coordinators to establish good relationships with landholders, and effectively and safely coordinate land access activities;
- Responsibility for obtaining site specific information for landholder/farm management plans and access protocols, and managing adherence to site specific requirements;
- Ensure safety induction requirements are complied with by field teams;
- Responsibility for accurate record keeping and reporting on land access activities;
- Contribute to the provision of technical instructions, training, development and mentoring of team members regarding relevant property issues (including legislation requirements and amendments, industry best-practice standards, and Transgrid governance processes).
- Land acquisition coordination
- Coordinate and manage land acquisition negotiations across land access coordinators, Land Agent team and Transgrid internal teams (including Property Portfolio, Legal, and Community and Stakeholder Relations);
- Work with the Land Agent team to provide strategies and plans for land acquisition negotiations, with a view to achieving negotiated outcomes wherever possible;
- Responsible for coordinating strategic acquisition negotiations across government entities, in consultation with Community and Stakeholder Relations, Property Portfolio and Legal;
- Responsible for managing due diligence, correct documentation (including offer letters and valuations), record keeping and reporting for all land acquisition activities;
- Responsible for meeting statutory requirements for compulsory acquisition of property interests where negotiated outcomes are not reached;
- Identify strategies, efficiencies, and innovations which can be made to reduce expenditure and maintain performance objectives for Sydney Ring land acquisition functions.

**Skills & Experience**

**Academic Qualifications & Experience**
- Tertiary qualifications at degree level in a property related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience;
- Solid demonstrated relevant professional land and property-related experience.

**Work Experience & Skills**
- Significant experience in land access negotiations and compulsory acquisition;
- Strong understanding and experience with the NSW and Commonwealth legislation, regulatory frameworks and procedures