Survey Party Chief

Salary : $73,344.81 - $103,203.51 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Career
Job Number: 015102-26-PW
Department: Public Works
Division: Construction Inspection & Survey
Opening Date: 01/07/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

THE POSITION
THIS POSTING WILL BE OPEN UNTIL FILLED
Application cut-off dates are the first and third Thursday of each month.

IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

The Department of Public Works, Engineering Services division is seeking a highly motivated, experienced individual to provide leadership and support in our Survey Section. Responsibilities include; supervising a crew of technical staff, managing design and construction surveying projects, preparing deliverables for City clients, and preparing legal descriptions and plats for right of way acquisitions. The ideal candidate for this position would possess extensive experience in general land surveying practices including; design topographic surveys, construction staking, boundary surveying, and preparation of legal descriptions and plats. The ideal candidate would be skilled at supervising and coaching survey technicians performing survey field work.
To perform supervisory and advanced technical surveying work and to be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the operation of a field party making land and engineering surveys.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Work of this class involves performing complex technical engineering survey work and direct supervision of a field survey party. Incumbents apply precise surveying knowledge and techniques.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Direction is provided by a higher level supervisory or management position. Responsibilities include the direct and indirect supervision of technical subordinates.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Direct a survey party in making a variety of surveys including land surveys to determine locations of property lines, boundaries, easements, and right-of-ways; topographic surveys to determine locations and elevations of existing improvements, structures, and topographic features; construction surveys for improvement projects; surveys to establish and adjust benchmarks; and surveys to establish and monument street centerlines.
- Keep accurate, orderly, and legible field notes of work performed showing lines, angles, distances, benchmarks, mathematical calculations, and other data pertinent to the field survey.
- Compute and adjust angles, distances, bearings, traverses, and elevations.
- Operate survey instruments and instruct other party members in their operations.
- Perform a variety of office surveying duties including researching existing records and compiling data required for current survey projects and computing data to be shown on maps.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate the performance of technical subordinates.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

- Surveying methods, practices, and techniques.
- Legal aspects of surveying.
- Algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
- Elementary principles and practices of engineering as related to surveying.
- Sources of information concerning previous land surveys.
- Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
- Personal computers, including surveying software.
- Current generation of field survey computers.

Ability to:

- Understand and interpret legal descriptions and record survey maps.
- Understand and interpret engineering plans, diagrams, and notes.
- Use and care for surveying instruments and equipment.
- Make accurate and legible field survey notes.
- Perform complex mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy.
- Plan and organize the work of a field survey party to achieve optimum efficiency.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate subordinate field survey personnel.

Experience:

Two years of experience comparable to an Engineering Aide II with the City of Sacramento.

OR

Three years of experience as a member of a survey party performing lead chain, rod and instrument operator duties.

License of Certificate:

Possession of a valid Land-Surveyor-In-Training Certificate in the State of California at the time of appointment. Land-Surveyor-In-Training Certificate must be verifiable.
PROOF OF CERTIFICATION
Proof of the required certificate and/or license should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver License:

A valid California Class C Driver License at the time of appointment. Loss of the Class C License is cause for discipline. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
THE SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.
1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the next posted cut-off date:

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  • If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
• Proof of certification and/or license should be submitted online with your application. Proof of certification and/or license will be required at time of appointment.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• If you're requesting Veteran's credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline. Information regarding the use of Veteran's credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule 4.9C.
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.

2. Training and Experience Exam: (Weighted 100%) - The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.

3.Eligibility: Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate's eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Survey Party Chief examination.

4. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at ;
• Send an email to ; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules:

Union Contracts:
Salary Schedule:
01

APPLICATION: I understand my application must meet the minimum qualifications for consideration of employment with the City of Sacramento. The experience I list in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section of the employment application will be used to determine if I meet the minimum qualifications as stated on the job announcement. A resume, responses to the supplemental questions requiring a narrative response, employment history listed elsewhere in the application or attachments will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section of the employment application. Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Applicant Resources Page for Screening Instructions: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment

• Yes

02

PROOF OF CERTIFICATION: I understand proof of certification, should be submitted with my application and will be required at the time of appointment.

• Yes

03

CERTIFICATION CONFIRMATION: I attest I possess or will possess a Land-Surveyor-In-Training Certificate in the state of California by time of appointment if I am selected for this position.

• Yes
• No

04

DRIVER'S LICENSE CONFIRMATION: I attest I possess or will possess a valid California Class C Driver's License at time of appointment if I am selected for this position.

• Yes
• No

05

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE: The answers to the questions below will be reviewed by the hiring department along with the information provided in your employment application. Therefore, your answers must be consistent with your employment application information (especially in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections), must be unambiguous, and must contain sufficient but concise detail and organization. A resume will not be accepted in lieu of completing this Supplemental Questionnaire. Lack of clarity, incomplete or inconsistent information, and/or disorganized presentation may negatively affect the hiring department's review of your Supplemental Questionnaire. I understand and agree to the above instructions.

• Yes

06

Describe your experience preparing and reviewing legal descriptions (e.g. acquistions, vacation of property or easements, etc.). In your response include the process you used to prepare and review the legal description.
07

Describe your experience as a lead worker or supervisor of a field survey party. Include in your response your role, the types of construction projects (i.e. water, sewer, storm, right-of way/improvement, etc.), and the size of the crew(s) you led or supervised.
08

List the survey, drafting, and computer programs (e.g. AutoCAD, Starnet, Trimble Business Center, Microstation, etc.), along with the version you are familiar with.
09

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION: The following questions are the Training and Experience (T&E) Examination. In addition to the City of Sacramento employment application, applicants must complete and submit online responses to the T&E questions. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. Therefore, your responses to the T&E Exam questions should be thorough and complete because the exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. In accordance with the City of Sacramento's Racial and Gender Equity Action Plan (RGEAP), this examination contains non-binary names and pronouns. For additional information regarding the City's RGEAP, please copy and paste the following link into a web browser: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/Divisions/ode/workforce-equity-documents/Full-RGEAP.pdfI understand and agree to the above instructions.

• Yes

10

Select the one option that best describes your experience using Global Positioning System (GPS) for project planning, site calibration, and/or post processing.

• Five years or more
• At least four years, but less than five years
• At least three years, but less than four years
• At least two years, but less than three years
• Less than two years

11

Select all the boxes that best describe the documents, factors, and data you have used to prepare and review legal descriptions for an acquisition, vacation of property, and/or easement.

• Junior/Senior water rights
• Proration of property lines
• Purpose of the project
• Gaps or overlaps between properties
• Responsible charge
• Determine where to locate documents
• Determine who may sign legal documents
• None of the above

12

Select the one option that best describes your experience using computer software equivalent to AutoCAD, StarNet, Trimble Business Center, or MicroStation to draft and complete property, construction, and/or topographic surveys.

• Five years or more
• At least four years, but less than five years
• At least three years, but less than four years
• At least two years, but less than three years
• Less than two years

13

Select the one option that best describes your experience providing direction to survey party members to achieve success in completing construction and/or property surveys.

• Five years or more
• At least four years, but less than five years
• At least three years, but less than four years
• At least two years, but less than three years
• Less than two years

14

Select the one option that best describes your experience reviewing and interpreting field notes to confirm the accuracy of mathematical calculations and angles recorded in historical and current surveys.

• Five years or more
• At least four years, but less than five years
• At least three years, but less than four years
• At least two years, but less than three years
• Less than two years

Required Question