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.