Senior Consultant, Lead Title Agent

Lead Complex Title Projects That Shape Critical Infrastructure

Join ERM as a Senior Consultant, Lead Title Agent and play a pivotal role in delivering electric transmission and distribution projects that help power communities and support long-term infrastructure growth. Based in the Richmond, VA or Charlotte, NC area, this role is ideal for an experienced title professional who thrives on solving complex ownership challenges, leading high-performing teams, and providing the title expertise that informs major project decisions. You will serve as a trusted advisor, technical leader, and subject matter expert, helping clients navigate intricate title matters while ensuring project success from initial research through acquisition support.

Why This Role Matters

Accurate title research is foundational to successful infrastructure development. As a Senior Consultant, Lead Title Agent, you will help ensure critical projects move forward with confidence by delivering clear, defensible ownership information and identifying potential title risks before they become project obstacles. Your leadership, technical expertise, and strategic insight will directly support acquisition, permitting, valuation, engineering, and project development efforts across complex utility and right-of-way initiatives.

What Your Impact Is

In this role, you will lead title research and quality assurance efforts while providing technical oversight to title professionals and project teams. Your ability to analyze complex ownership structures, resolve title issues, and develop effective project execution strategies will help clients make informed decisions and mitigate risk. Beyond individual project delivery, you will contribute to operational excellence through mentorship, quality management, and the continuous improvement of title research processes and standards.

What You'll Bring

Required

• High School Diploma or equivalent required, or equivalent experience.
• 3-4 years of experience conducting title searches, title abstracting, title examination, right-of-way title research, real estate due diligence, or related title services.
• Demonstrated experience leading title teams, supervising personnel, assigning workloads, and reviewing the work products of others.
• Extensive knowledge of chain-of-title analysis, ownership determination, recording practices, and title examination methodologies.
• Advanced experience researching and resolving complex title issues, including heirship, probate, intestate succession, estate administration, trusts, corporate ownership, mergers, entity research, and multi-generational ownership chains.
• Strong working knowledge of real estate records, county recording systems, tax records, legal descriptions, parcel identification practices, and common title documents.
• Ability to read, interpret, analyze, and summarize deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, judgments, easements, plats, surveys, probate records, court filings, tax records, and other recorded instruments.
• Proven experience developing and implementing QA/QC procedures, title review protocols, quality management plans, and continuous improvement processes.
• Experience identifying title risks, ownership discrepancies, title defects, and curative requirements, and recommending appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical thinking, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple personnel, assignments, and project deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, PDF tools, online county portals, GIS viewers, title research platforms, and electronic document management systems.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound professional judgment, prioritize competing demands, and solve complex title-related issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain title findings, ownership opinions, title risks, and curative recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to produce accurate, defensible work products suitable for acquisition, permitting, appraisal support, condemnation preparation, and litigation support.
• Driver's License Required: This position requires a valid driver's license and/or the ability to operate a company vehicle due to the nature of job duties, which include frequent travel to various client locations across a large geographical area.
• This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

Preferred

• Bachelor's Degree preferred, or equivalent experience.
• Experience supporting utility, renewable energy, pipeline, transportation, infrastructure, or right-of-way acquisition projects preferred.
• Experience working across multiple states and jurisdictions with varying title standards, probate requirements, and recording systems preferred.
• Professional certifications such as SR/WA, RWA, CPL, Paralegal Certification, Title Insurance Licensure, or equivalent credentials are preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct title searches for residential, commercial, utility, infrastructure, and right-of-way projects using county, municipal, tax, GIS, and online public record resources.
• Research and document chain of title, current ownership, vesting, tax information, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, restrictions, covenants, plats, surveys, and other recorded instruments affecting real property.
• Review and interpret legal descriptions, parcel identification numbers, plats, assessor records, tax maps, tract indices, and recorded documents to confirm property boundaries and ownership history.
• Prepare accurate title search reports, ownership summaries, document lists, and supporting materials for title reviewers, project managers, attorneys, appraisers, land agents, and client stakeholders.
• Identify potential title issues, gaps, encumbrances, inconsistencies, or risks that may impact acquisition, access, permitting, project development, or real estate transactions.
• Coordinate with county recorder offices, clerks, assessors, treasurers, surveyors, title companies, law firms, and internal project teams to obtain records and clarify title-related questions.
• Maintain organized records of research activities, document sources, correspondence, findings, and deliverables in accordance with project requirements and quality control procedures.
• Support special assignments, including historical title research, parcel due diligence, document retrieval, condemnation support, curative research, and multi-county project work.
• Lead, assign, coordinate, and monitor title research activities performed by Title Agents, Title Specialists, and other project resources to ensure timely and accurate completion of deliverables.
• Perform comprehensive QA/QC reviews of title reports, ownership determinations, title commitments, title packages, and supporting documentation prior to client delivery.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for complex title matters, including heirship determinations, probate proceedings, intestate succession, estate administration, trust ownership, corporate ownership, and other ownership curative issues.
• Develop and implement project-specific title execution plans, quality management procedures, workflows, and production standards to support efficient project delivery.
• Establish work priorities, allocate assignments, monitor workloads, and provide technical oversight to ensure project schedules and client expectations are met.
• Train, mentor, and provide technical guidance to junior title staff, including coaching, review feedback, and professional development support.
• Analyze title risks and develop recommendations for ownership resolution, title curative actions, acquisition strategy, and project risk mitigation.
• Coordinate with attorneys, title companies, surveyors, land agents, appraisers, and project management personnel regarding complex ownership and title matters.
• Prepare and review title packages suitable for right-of-way acquisition, permitting, appraisal support, condemnation proceedings, and litigation support activities.
• Track team production metrics, monitor project status, identify resource needs, and report progress and risks to project leadership.
• Ensure compliance with company procedures, client requirements, applicable regulations, and industry best practices for title research and documentation.

For the Senior Consultant, Lead Title Agent position, the anticipated annual base pay is $81,900 $101,500 (USD). Actual pay will depend on factors such as education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs. In some cases, pay may fall outside this range. This role may be eligible for bonus pay (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability, AD&D insurance, 401(k) or RRSP/DPSP, and other applicable benefits to eligible employees.

Note: Bonuses, commissions, and other forms of additional compensation are not guaranteed and subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures.

Who We Are: As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world's leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.

At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world-class experts supports clients across the breadth