What are the responsibilities and job description for the Survey Manager/Professional Land Surveyor position at Chastain & Associates LLC?
CHASTAIN AND ASSOCIATES
Land Surveyor – Survey Project Manager
Full Time | Decatur, IL | $125,000 – $150,000 Annually
About Chastain and Associates
Chastain is a civil engineering and surveying firm focused on transportation, site development, and infrastructure. We build places where people live, work, and move — and we invest in the people who build them with us. That means competitive pay, real flexibility, a path to grow, and a team that has your back.
Role Summary
We’re looking for an experienced Land Surveyor to take on a Project Manager role on our Decatur office. You’ll run a wide range of survey projects — boundary, topographic, ALTA/NSPS, right-of-way, construction staking — and serve as the go-to person for clients, agencies, and field crews. This role comes with a path to senior management for the right candidate. We prefer Decatur-area candidates but are open to relocation.
Responsibilities
- Lead boundary, topographic, ALTA/NSPS, construction staking, and as-built surveys across commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects.
- Direct field crews — review data, check calculations, and keep quality high from field to final deliverable.
- Prepare plats, legal descriptions, and easement documents in line with Illinois statutes and local requirements.
- Be the main point of contact for clients, title companies, attorneys, and agencies on your projects.
- Process field data and produce deliverables in Civil 3D and Trimble Business Center (TBC).
- Research deed records, plats, and public land survey records to establish and resolve boundary conditions.
- Support project scoping, proposals, and scheduling; help solve complex boundary and title challenges.
- Mentor junior surveyors and crew members and help prepare them for licensure.
Qualifications
Experience
7 years of land surveying experience at a U.S. firm, with solid hands-on work in boundary, topographic, ALTA, and construction surveys, subdivision platting, right-of-way, transportation, and utility corridor work are a plus. Crew chief or project lead experience matters.
Education
Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Surveying, Geomatics, or Civil Engineering preferred.
Licensure
Illinois PLS required (out-of-state PLS with a path to reciprocity may be an acceptable alternative). Additionally, Indiana licensure, as well as licensure in neighboring states is desired as well.
Software & Tools
Experience and proficiency with Autodesk Civil 3D and Trimble Business Center (TBC), and with Trimble GPS/GNSS equipment and data collectors is all preferred, familiarity with these systems is essential. Experience with Bentley OpenRoads Designer (ORD) or MicroStation knowledge is a plus. Microsoft 365 proficiency expected.
People Skills
You can manage client relationships, communicate clearly with engineers and attorneys, and lead a small team while still rolling up your sleeves on complex deliverables.
Growth & Development
- As Survey Project Manager you’ll take on increasing ownership of client relationships, project budgets, and team direction as you grow with the firm.
- Mentorship from registered land surveyors and senior firm leadership on every project, with regular feedback and a genuine interest in your advancement.
- Exposure to a wide project mix — ALTA/NSPS, boundary, subdivision platting, right-of-way, infrastructure corridors — so you build depth across survey disciplines, not just one niche.
- The opportunity to build and own your client relationships over time, with a view toward associate or principal-level responsibilities for the right candidate.
What We Offer
- 401(k) with generous company match and annual pay increases.
- PTO based on total industry tenure.
- Four medical insurance plan options, plus medical reimbursement and dependent care benefits.
- Company-paid dental insurance and short-term/long-term disability coverage.
- Employee and employee-plus-family life insurance options.
- 7 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday.
- Relocation assistance available.
- Cell phone reimbursement, annual boot allowance, and Verizon wireless employee discount.
- Sam's Club and Costco membership reimbursement.
We review applications on a rolling basis — apply today. Don't meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply anyway. Chastain is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, and you may be the right fit for this or another role on our team.
Chastain and Associates LLC is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.
Salary : $120,000 - $150,000