Principal Property Specialist (Law)

About the Role

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (the “Port Authority”) Law Department seeks an experienced property specialist to join its Manhattan-based 100+ person team. The successful applicant will act as a corporate real estate specialist, is a crucial position within the Law Department.

A property specialist is a critical position within the Law Department. This role bridges the gap between complex legal regulations and practical day-to-day property operations. They manage risks associated with large-scale assets, ensuring that transactions, leases, and land use align with our property ownership, operations and jurisdiction within the Port District. They assist in the formulation of legal opinions on title for real property and other property matters. Further, they participate in depositions and testify on behalf of the Port Authority. The position will be reporting to the Supervising Property Specialist.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Supervising Property Specialist in advising the Law Department, client departments, and external consultants on real property title matters and legal property documentation.
  
• Prepare and revise Record Property Maps and legal exhibits for facility-related property matters using AutoCAD Civil 3D and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  
• Review agreements to determine the Port Authority’s property interests in connection with litigated matters.
  
• Calculate and produce technical data required for legal descriptions supporting acquisition and disposition of property interests in compliance with Administrative Policy AP25.
  
• Verify deed boundary closures, acreage, square footage, and property boundaries using mapping and geospatial tools including AutoCAD, Google Maps and Nearmap.
  
• Serve as CAD Manager, overseeing CAD software operations, related equipment, and technical support for the Supervising Property Specialist.
  
• Manage the centralized digital property records archive, by scanning, organizing, and maintaining electronic files and large-format documents using standardized naming conventions.
  
• Conduct in-house property title and deed research to support line departments, appraisal reviews, and real estate transactions.
  
• Retrieve and analyze tax maps, deeds, and property information using online databases and internal records systems.
  
• Maintain and support specialized hardware and software, including plotters, printers, scanners, and mapping systems, ensuring efficient production of property maps, reports, and legal exhibits.
  
• Testify in legal proceedings when the property’s ownership, operation, and/or control are at issue.
  
• Participate in depositions and provide testimony on behalf of the Port Authority as required.
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; or, alternatively, at least fifteen years’ relevant experience.
  
• Must have at least ten years of progressively responsible experience within the legal field with respect to real estate and property-related matters, educational major or concentrated studies in Surveying, Engineering, Architecture or related discipline (along with knowledge of producing via CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) and Adobe Acrobat (Surveys, Mapping, Lease Exhibits, as well as Plotting/Printing Production).
  
• Ability to work collectively and ethically, considering multiple stakeholder viewpoints and various client interests.
  
• Ability to engage colleagues, internal clients and external contacts in a collegial and business-friendly manner.
  
• Applicants must meet all performance and attendance standards and have completed all probationary periods.
  

Desired Qualifications

• Detail-oriented with strong analytical and drafting skills (CAD), accompanied by outstanding communication skills.
  
• Maintain confidentiality, handle all information with high level of discretion and professionalism.
  
• Thorough knowledge of legal documents and their function.
  
• Demonstrated ability to complete assignments with minimal supervision, handling conflicting priorities and working under pressure while meeting tight deadlines.
  
• Strong interpersonal, oral and communication skills.
  
• Solid working knowledge of legal terms, databases and following given guidelines in the delivery of workload assignments.
  
• Self-motivated, take initiative and prioritize.
  
• Handle multiple assignments concurrently and within tight deadlines.
  
• Work independently and analyze situations in making responsible decisions specific to novel / complex legal matters.
  
• Knowledge of case/matter management systems, document management system, PC applications (Microsoft Office 365 Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and Lexis-Nexis/Westlaw), and AutoCAD.
  
• An understanding of how governmental agencies work and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances and needs.