Salary: $31.15 - $48.27 Hourly
Location : 2011 Fay St., Durham, NC
Job Type: Temp without benefits, (less than 1000 hours)
Job Number: 26-06035
Department: General Services
Opening Date: 07/22/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
Position Description
Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham
Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.
Hiring Range: $31.15 - $48.27 Hourly
Work Day/Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. /Monday - Friday
The innovative, highly qualified, service-oriented individuals support the City we love. Building and maintaining city facilities and public spaces is what we do. Promoting our enviable quality of life and serving as a foundation of a healthy economy is why we do it. If you're interested in applying your unique skills to meaningful work while growing in your career, our team is for you!
The General Services Department's Real Estate Division is seeking an experienced right-of-way acquisition specialist for a six-month assignment to support real estate acquisition activities for the City's capital improvement projects. This position acquires property rights needed for City projects and works closely with project managers, engineers, attorneys, consultants, and property owners throughout the acquisition process. The position requires someone who can work independently and manage multiple acquisition projects. The assignment may be extended based on business needs.
Duties/Responsibilities
- Acquires easements, fee simple interests, and other property rights in accordance with established policies and procedures; negotiates with property owners and other interested parties.
- Prepares option agreements, acquisition documents, reports, records, and correspondence; maintains databases and project tracking systems; ensures accuracy and compliance with applicable policies and procedures.
- Coordinates with project managers, engineers, surveyors, appraisers, attorneys, consultants, property owners, residents, businesses, and external agencies; responds to requests, inquiries, and complaints; prepares acquisition files for referral to the City Attorney's Office when condemnation is necessary.
- Reviews project plans, plats, surveys, legal descriptions, and related engineering documents to understand proposed acquisitions and identify potential issues affecting property rights.
- Coordinates approvals through City Council, as required.
- Utilizes Microsoft Office, GIS, Register of Deeds records, Tax Assessor records, CityWorks, and other public resources to research property information and maintain accurate project records.
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's Degree in business administration or a directly related field
- One year of real estate experience
- Valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license "or" if you currently have another states driver's license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire
Additional Preferred Skills
- Active North Carolina Real Estate Broker License.
- Experience with municipal right-of-way acquisition.
- Experience with NCDOT and/or federally funded right-of-way projects.
ADA and Other Requirements
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
ADA-Sedentary Work
- Positions in this class typically require: reaching, standing, walking, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS
Sedentary Work
- Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Walking and standing are required only occasionally.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Work is performed in an indoor, office and/or outdoor environment.
- May be expected to travel to external organizations and locations.
Benefits - General Full-Time Employees
- 12-13 paid holidays per year
- 13 standard work days of vacation per year
- 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
- 2 weeks paid military leave per year
- Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
- State and City retirement plans
- Short and long term disability plans
- Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
- City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
- Paid funeral leave
- Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
- Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
- 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
- 4 hours parental leave each year
- Workman's Compensation Insurance
- 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)
- 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
- State retirement plan
Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)
- 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
- State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
- Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
- Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
- Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service
01
Where did you first hear about this opportunity?
- City of Durham Website
- Walk in
- Job fair
- Employee referral
- Professional organization ***Please list the organization in "other" box below***
- Internet posting ***Please list the specific web site in the "other" box below***
- Craig's List
- Facebook
- LinkedIn
- GlassDoor
- governmentjobs.com
- Monster.com
- Indeed.com
- Employment Security Commission
- Magazine/Newspaper
- Other
02
If you listed "other" above please give specific web site, organization, or publication.
03
Please select your highest level of COMPLETED education.
- Less than a High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
- High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
- Associates Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
- Master's Degree
- Doctoral Degree (PhD, Juris Doctorate)
04
Do you have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license? (If you have a valid license from a State other than North Carolina, you must be willing and able to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days of hire).
- I have a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license.
- I have a valid license from another State and I am willing to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days.
- I do not have a valid, unrestricted driver's license.
05
How many years of real estate experience do you have?
- No related experience
- Less than 1 year of related experience
- 1 year but less than 5 years of related experience
- 5 years but less than 9 years of related experience
- 9 or more years of related experience
06
8. How would you describe your experience with right-of-way acquisition?
- No experience
- Limited experience (less than 1 year)
- 1-3 years
- More than 3 years
07
How would you rate your experience preparing or reviewing plats, surveys, legal descriptions, option agreements, contracts, or other real estate acquisition documents?
- No experience
- Limited experience (less than 1 year)
- 1-3 years
- More than 3 years
08
How would you describe your experience negotiating the acquisition of real property or property rights?
- No experience
- Limited experience
- Moderate experience
- Extensive experience
09
Which best describes your experience with NCDOT or federally funded right-of-way projects?
- No experience
- Worked on municipal right-of-way projects only
- Worked on NCDOT or federally funded projects
- Extensive experience with NCDOT and federally funded projects
10
How would you rate your experience researching property ownership using Register of Deeds records and Tax Assessor databases?
- No experience
- Beginner level
- Intermediate level
- Advanced level
- Expert level
11
How would you rate your proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook?
- No experience
- Beginner level
- Intermediate level
- Advanced level
- Expert level
12
This position may require travel to external organizations and locations. Do you understand this statement?
Required Question