Senior Advisor, Real Property Valuation

The role

Reporting to the Director, Real Property Acquisition, Québec, the Senior Advisor, Real Property Valuation, serves as a senior technical expert and provides strategic valuation advice and technical leadership for valuation activities in support of Alto’s property acquisition program, primarily in Québec.

The Senior Advisor oversees appraisal assignments and external valuation service providers, reviews and challenges valuation reports, and provides independent valuation advice to support acquisition strategies, negotiations, approvals and dispute resolution. The position also contributes to the development and implementation of consistent, defensible and timely valuation methodologies, governance and quality-assurance practices.

Working closely with Real Property, Legal, Finance, Project Delivery and other internal and external partners, the Senior Advisor serves as a subject-matter expert on the valuation of real property interests affected by the project.

The responsibilities

• Lead and manage a high volume of complex valuation assignments supporting Alto’s property acquisition program, with a primary focus on properties and property interests in Québec.
• Act as the technical subject matter expert in the development and continuous improvement of valuation methodologies, standards, procedures, templates and quality-assurance controls.
• Manage appraisal assignments and provide technical oversight of external valuation service providers, including scope development, deliverable review, performance monitoring and issue resolution.
• Review and critically assess appraisal reports, valuation studies, market analyses and compensation analyses and property-related cost estimates for completeness, consistency, technical soundness and compliance with applicable professional standards.
• Provide valuation advice to acquisition teams throughout negotiations, including the analysis of competing valuation positions, property-owner submissions and proposed settlement parameters.
• Prepare valuation opinions, technical memoranda, briefing materials and recommendations to support acquisition strategies, internal approvals, negotiations and settlement decisions.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Project Delivery and other functions on complex valuation, compensation, acquisition and expropriation matters.
• Support the resolution of valuation disputes by reviewing expert evidence, coordinating with legal counsel and external experts, and contributing to mediation, hearing or litigation preparation, as required.
• Monitor valuation-program schedules, quality, service-provider performance and material risks, and recommend corrective or mitigating actions.
• Represent the Real Property team in internal committees, cross-functional working groups and discussions with external partners, governmental bodies and regulatory authorities.
• Contribute to knowledge transfer, guidance and mentoring on valuation matters within the Real Property function.
• Perform other related duties in support of Alto’s Real Property mandate.

The requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, real estate, urban planning or a related field.
• 8 years of progressively responsible experience in real property valuation, appraisal review or valuation advisory services, including experience with complex or high-value assignments.
• Member in good standing of the Appraisal Institute of Canada or Ordre des Évaluateurs Agréés du Québec and holder of the AACI or É.A. designation.
• Advanced knowledge of recognized real property valuation methodologies and professional appraisal standards.
• Strong knowledge of Québec real estate markets and the legislative and regulatory environment applicable to property acquisition and expropriation.
• Ability to critically review complex appraisal reports, market evidence, assumptions, financial analyses and technical documentation.
• Sound professional judgment and the ability to provide clear, defensible recommendations in situations involving uncertainty, competing opinions or incomplete information.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to work autonomously to meet deliverable deadlines, in accordance with project goals and objectives.
• Proven ability to independently lead valuation processes and reporting
• Ability to work effectively in both French and English, with professional proficiency in French and functional proficiency in English
• Experience with linear projects, agricultural properties and / or in the context of expropriations is considered an asset