County Surveyor

Under administrative direction, plans, organizes, manages, and provides administrative direction and oversight for all functions and activities of the County’s Surveyor's Division; plans, organizes, and supervises the surveying operations and staff; reviews and approves various maps, records of survey, legal descriptions and other documentation; coordinates assigned activities with other County departments, officials, outside agencies, and the public;  provides highly responsible and complex professional assistance to the Community Resources Agency Director in areas of expertise; and to perform related duties as required.
 
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
 
Receives general direction from the Community Resources Agency Director.  Exercises direct and general supervision over professional, technical, and administrative support staff. 
 
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
 
This is a management classification responsible for planning, organizing, reviewing, and evaluating all of the County Surveyor’s operations and programs.  Responsibilities include developing and implementing policies and procedures for assigned programs, budget administration and reporting, and program evaluation.  Incumbents provide a professional-level resource for organizational, managerial, and operational analyses and studies and services as the appointed County Surveyor.   Performance of the work requires the use of considerable independence, initiative, and discretion within established guidelines.(Illustrative Only)
Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.
 

• Plans, organizes, and manages the County's land surveying activities including field operations, surveying record file maintenance, and the review of all survey and subdivision maps.
• Develops, directs, and coordinates the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the department; establishes, within County policy, appropriate budget, service, and staffing levels.
• Manages and participates in the development and administration of the department’s annual budget; directs the forecast of additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; procures and controls materials and equipment; directs the monitoring of and approves expenditures; directs and implements adjustments as necessary.
• Selects, trains, motivates, and directs department personnel; evaluates and reviews work for acceptability and conformance with department standards, including program and project priorities and performance evaluations; works with employees on performance issues; implements discipline and termination procedures; responds to staff questions and concerns. 
• Contributes to the overall quality of the department’s service by developing, reviewing, and implementing policies and procedures to meet legal requirements and County needs; continuously monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; assesses and monitors the distribution of work, support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identifies opportunities for improvement; directs the implementation of change.
• Coordinates office operations involving surveying operations, record file maintenance, map reviews, and related activities; maintains official record files of surveys performed, including copies of field notes and calculations made during the course of each survey.
• Reviews all survey and subdivision maps for accuracy, content, and validity before recording.
• Conducts surveys, including establishment and maintenance of benchmark monumentation; enforces County ordinances and policies insuring quality control in the areas of surveying.
• Directs the processing of tentative and final parcel maps, exhibits for re-subdivisions, mergers, lot line adjustment and records of survey for filing with the County Recorder as required by the Subdivision Map Act, Land Surveyor’s Act and local ordinances. 
• Directs the processing of various projects relative to special districts, city annexations and other entities; directs the processing of legal documents and necessary deeds relative to various projects, county properties, and road rights-of-way.
• Meets with private engineers and land surveyors to research subdivisions, surveys or relative to problems involving projects.
• Serves as a liaison for the assigned division to other County departments, divisions, and outside agencies; attends meetings, as necessary; provides staff support to commissions, committees, and task forces, as necessary; negotiates and resolves significant and controversial issues.
• Provides highly complex staff assistance to the Director; develops and reviews staff reports related to assigned activities and services; may present information to the Board of Supervisors and various commissions, committees, and boards; performs a variety of public relations and outreach work related to assigned activities.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of surveying; researches emerging products and enhancements and their applicability to County needs.
• Monitors changes in regulations and technology that may affect operations; implements policy and procedural changes after approval. 
• Receives, investigates, and responds to difficult and sensitive problems and complaints in a professional manner; identifies and reports findings and takes necessary corrective action.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:
 

• Administrative principles and practices, including goal setting, program development, implementation, and evaluation, and project management.
• Principles and practices of budget development and administration.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, either directly or through subordinate levels of supervision, including work planning, assignment, review and evaluation, and the training of staff in work procedures.
• Organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of programs, policies and operational needs.
• Principles, methods, procedures and equipment used in land surveying.
• Mathematics through trigonometry as applied to land surveying and pertinent standard engineering calculations.
• General principles and practices of civil engineering as applied to land surveying.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Methods and techniques for the development of presentations, business correspondence, information distribution, research and reporting. 
• Record keeping principles and procedures. 
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation. 
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and County staff.

 
Ability to:
 

• Develop and implement goals, objectives, policies, procedures, programs and ordinances.
• Evaluate complex codes, regulations, and environmental problems, and develop effective courses of action.
• Plan, organize, assign, review, and evaluate the work of staff; train staff in work procedures.
• Evaluate and develop improvements in operations, procedures, policies, or methods.
• Research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods, procedures, and techniques.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, policies, procedures, and other written materials.
• Analyze, interpret, summarize, and present administrative and technical information and data in an effective manner.
• Perform difficult land surveying work.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Conduct complex research projects, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective technical staff reports.
• Effectively represent the department and the County in meetings with governmental agencies, community groups, and various businesses, professional, and regulatory organizations and in meetings with individuals.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established policy and procedural guidelines.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. 

 
Education and Experience:
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be
 
Equivalent to completion of twelfth (12) grade and four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience as a Licensed Land Surveyor, including at least one (1) year of field supervisory experience and at least one (1) year of office supervisory experience.  Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Land Surveying, Geomatics Engineering, or closely related field is highly desirable.
 
Licenses and Certifications:
 

• Possession of a valid license as a Land Surveyor as issued by the California State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors or possession of a valid license as a civil engineer issued by the California State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors prior to 1982 which provides authorization to provide duties as outlined.
• Possession of a valid California driver's license and a satisfactory driving record.

Salary : $101,691 - $123,614