LAND SURVEYOR III - SURVEYOR CREW CHIEF - IPR#45815

Job Responsibilities

This position is accountable for supervising technical personnel in obtaining accurate survey measurements for the purpose of preparing plans for roads, bridges, and culverts, and for the preparation of land acquisition plats and documents. 

Staff:                                       Permanent – 2; Temporary – 2-3 
Number of Surveys:               50 – 100 surveys of .5 mile to 20 miles in length throughout 10 counties
Value of Design Contracts:    $50,000 - $20 Million
Survey Equipment Value:      $25,000 - $100,000 

This position reports to the Chief of Surveys. Reporting to this position are the senior surveyor and the surveyor positions, as well as additional technicians assigned on an as-needed basis. 

This position heads a crew which provides surveying services for project reports, design plans, land acquisition, locating right-of-way lines, existing centerline calculation, and other survey needs for the district.  To accomplish this, the incumbent receives requests for survey services from the chief of surveys, determines types of survey to be conducted, man-hours required to accomplish the work, equipment needed, and schedules work assignments to meet due dates established by the requester. The incumbent utilizes state-of-the-art, highly sophisticated equipment to obtain extremely accurate measurements. This position is unique in that the survey work performed by the crew provides a basis for critical decisions for design plans, land acquisition, construction, and maintenance operations. 

Typical problems encountered include maintaining work schedules and minimizing delays; obtaining approval of homeowners for surveys conducted on private property; and ensuring that all safety procedures are adhered to, and surveys are completed within established time schedules. A major challenge of this position is to complete assigned surveys in a timely manner in accordance with a prescribed schedule and in compliance with accepted surveying principles, legal requirements, and departmental policies. The single greatest work challenge of this position is sustaining a disciplined and efficient workforce and simultaneously maintaining a cordial relationship among the crew members as they perform their assigned tasks. 

(Job Responsibilities continued)

The incumbent is personally responsible for assigning, evaluating, and supervising the activities of a survey crew which includes operating and maintaining highly complicated electronic surveying and computing instruments; establishing existing centerlines of highways; running control levels to establish elevations; locating, describing, measuring, and obtaining elevations of all topographical features; staking right-of-way; preparing field books computations, sketches, and reports; and maintaining survey equipment. The incumbent is also responsible for placement of targets as control points for aerial photography for the purpose of making aerial surveys. Further responsibilities include researching and preparing data necessary for field surveys such as existing road plans, right-of-way plats, NGS horizontal and vertical control, and maintaining a Geodetic file; and researching the records of counties, abstract offices, and those available from private land surveyors for land title survey plats and other information necessary for locating property lines and section corners. The incumbent assists the chief of surveys in allocating survey crew personnel among the various survey projects and takes the place of the chief of surveys during his/her absence.

This position is unique in that it requires the incumbent to be an Illinois Registered Land Surveyor. 

The incumbent accomplishes accountabilities through the senior surveyor and the surveyor who provide assistance in staking, grading, and recording instrument readings. These regular survey crews are supplemented by additional engineers and technicians borrowed from construction during the winter months and by temporary hourly personnel during the summer/fall months. 

This position receives assignments from and operates under the general direction of the chief of surveys and in compliance with departmental policies, legal requirements and procedures, and accepted surveying principles.  Problems involving survey projects which are not being accomplished according to schedule would normally be referred to the chief of surveys for resolution. This position is responsible for evaluating survey crew personnel, merit increases, timecards, overtime hours, travel expenses, and leave requests. Additionally, this position has the authority to reschedule his/her personnel to meet the emergencies or to adjust to changing situations. 

This position has regular contact with the Bureau of Program Development personnel regarding survey requirements and techniques and maintains frequent contact with the central Bureau of Operations, Aerial Surveys, and the Bureaus of Operations and Project Implementation regarding surveys. External contacts include property owners to obtain permission to access property, county superintendents, city engineers, and private surveyors for the purpose of obtaining information to proceed with survey assignments. 

Performance of this position can best be measured by the volume and quality of work that is completed in a timely manner and the care that is given to the equipment. 

Principal Accountabilities

1.    Obtains accurate survey measurements in a timely manner.
2.    Ensures that all surveys are conducted according to requirements and policies.
3.    Ensures that surveys are in proper formats and to the appropriate levels of completeness for the purposes intended.
4.    Provides for the optimum use of electronic and computerized survey techniques in the conduct of surveys and coordinates with in-house and consultants to assure compatibility.
5.    Assists the chief of surveys in preparing work schedules and determining the distribution of survey crew personnel among the various county projects.
6.    Researchers records and plans to obtain stationing and monuments for reference and starting points.
7.    Maintains and repairs survey instruments and equipment.
8.    Directs, trains, and motivates staff.
9.    Performs duties in compliance with departmental safety rules.  Performs all duties in a manner conducive to the fair and equitable treatment of all employees.
10.  Provides training for consulting firms regarding the department’s coding and procedures.

Qualifications

Position Requirements 
•    Valid Driver’s License;
•    Current registration as a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in Illinois
•    Four (4) years of experience in the practice of land surveying.

Position Desirables 
•    Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and Access.
•    Ability to maintain harmonious relationships with employees, agency officials and the general public.
•    Strong oral and written communication skills.