Land Administration Manager

This position is open for hire in or near any of our office locations in Ludington MI, Pittsburgh PA, or Oklahoma City OK.

Job Summary:

The Land Administration Manager leads Land Administration projects and teams responsible for back-office, administrative, data management, records management, reporting, and stakeholder support services. This position oversees strategic planning, project execution, client relationships, operational excellence, quality assurance, team development, and business growth initiatives.

Job Responsibilities:

• Coach, mentor, and develop Land Administration team members across WLS offices and remote locations, building their Land Administration expertise, industry knowledge, and leadership capabilities.
• Recruit and hire top talent; lead onboarding, performance reviews, and performance-related conversations in collaboration with HR.
• Set clear expectations, conduct regular 1:1s, and run team meetings and training sessions that sharpen skills and build cohesion.
• Manage workload distribution and staffing across active projects and regions, balancing quality, deadlines, and team capacity.
• Foster a culture of accountability and ownership where problems surface early and solutions move fast.
• Ensure staff development aligns with WLS Talent & Leadership Systems Initiative.
• Oversee day-to-day Land Administration (BPO) operations, supporting WLS project managers, department leaders, clients, and partners with timely, high-quality deliverables.
• Lead teams responsible for data management, document preparation & control, recording, payment processing, mailings, reporting, owner relationsand other administrative support functions.
• Support design, maintenance and enforcement of quality control standards for BPO databases and process.
• Forecast & manage project costs, budgets, and timelines.
• Review and approve staff timesheets and invoices.
• Administer and optimize overall quality and timeliness of team output, with a focus on minimizing risk for project managers and clients.
• Work across aisles/departments to optimize workflows & processes.
• Ensure compliance with client requirements and company standards.
• Management of project profitability & accounts receivable.
• Reinforce development, maintenance, and evolution of BPO technologyroadmap, aligning with Western’s AI-Enabled Operations & Tech Initiative.
• Regularly assess existing technology and processes against available alternatives to optimize efficiency and maintain best-in-class status.
• Support implementation plans for new technologies, working with outside consultants where necessary and ensuring team members are trained.
• Partner with IT Director to optimize tech performance & resolve techissues.
• Identify automation and tooling opportunities.
• Stay apprised of industrytrends to ensure WLS remains an industry leader.
• Maintain and grow existing client relationships while actively supporting outreach to prospective clients.
• Assist with presentations, demonstrations, and preparation of proposals/bids.
• Present Land Administration findings and insights to clients, executives, and project teams in clear, business-focused language.
• Provide ongoing input into Land Admin-related marketing needs and positioning.
• Partner with regional leadership to align Land Admin capabilities with business priorities and pipeline growth.

Required Skills & Abilities:

• Proven experience leading sizeable virtual or distributed teams.
• Demonstrated experience supporting land services: acquisition, due diligence, title, curative, land administration, etc. (across various industries).
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities without sacrificing quality.
• Clear, direct communicator who can translate data into decisions.
• Strong computer, problem-solving, & organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) & various land systems (Quorum, LandFolio, Bolo, Salesforce, etc.) preferred.
• AI integration / application experience preferred.
• Microsoft (Copilot Studio/Power Automate/etc.) or Odoo application experience preferred.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education & Experience:

• Bachelor degree preferred in Business, Operations, Project Management, or related field.
• Multi-industry experience: oil & gas, renewables, right-of-way, utilities, government, natural resources, or real estate.
• Sr. Project Manager/Project Director candidates will have 8+ years of Land Administration experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity for larger scale teams.
• Project Manager candidates will have 5+ years of Land Administration experience, specifically in the Oil & Gas industry, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity for larger scale teams.