Survey Party Chief

Survey Party Chief

Location: Carnegie, PA

Company: KERAMIDA Inc.

About KERAMIDA

KERAMIDA is an established environmental, engineering, and sustainability consulting firm committed to technical excellence, regulatory compliance, and responsive client service. We are seeking an experienced Survey Party Chief to lead field operations and support our multidisciplinary project teams with high-quality surveying services.

Position Summary

The Survey Party Chief is responsible for leading field survey crews, managing day-to-day survey operations, and ensuring the accuracy, efficiency, and integrity of all field data collected. This position supports KERAMIDA’s environmental, civil, and infrastructure projects through construction staking, boundary and topographic surveys, wetland and OCRM delineations, and related services.

This role requires strong technical proficiency, leadership capability, regulatory awareness, and a commitment to safety and quality.

Key Responsibilities

Field Survey Operations

• Lead and perform construction staking, as-built, boundary, title, right-of-way, control, topographic, and cross-section surveys.
• Determine and implement appropriate surveying methods and techniques for each project.
• Operate GPS equipment, robotic total stations, and electronic data collectors to gather accurate survey data.
• Perform mathematical calculations, field checks, and raw data adjustments.
• Identify and mitigate sources of measurement error.
• Interpret plans, specifications, grading plans, plats, deeds, legal descriptions, and easements.
• Download, process, and adjust field data using AutoCAD Civil/Survey software.
• Ensure final survey maps and documentation accurately reflect field conditions and meet regulatory and client standards.
• Maintain accurate field notes, daily logs, travel records, and required documentation.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise, mentor, and train Survey Technicians and crew members.
• Organize daily workloads and delegate tasks effectively.
• Ensure crew adherence to KERAMIDA’s safety standards, OSHA regulations, and company policies.
• Promote a culture of accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Client & Project Coordination

• Serve as a field representative of KERAMIDA when interacting with clients, engineers, contractors, utility companies, public officials, and property owners.
• Collaborate with internal Project Managers and Professional Survey Managers to maintain project timelines and quality standards.
• Complete timely and accurate time and expense reporting.

Equipment & Compliance

• Maintain and oversee daily inspection and calibration of survey equipment and company vehicles.
• Ensure proper documentation and adherence to environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Work independently when necessary to meet client deadlines, including single-person GPS or robotic total station assignments.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of land survey experience.
• Associate’s Degree in Surveying, Civil Technology, Engineering Technology, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Proficiency with GPS systems, robotic total stations, and electronic data collectors.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD Civil/Survey software (1–3 years preferred).
• Strong understanding of land surveying mathematics and coordinate geometry.
• Ability to interpret deeds, plats, legal descriptions, and construction drawings.
• Knowledge of OSHA and field safety requirements.
• Strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Self-driven with the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record.
• Willingness to enroll in OSHA and company compliance programs.

Physical & Work Environment

• Ability to work outdoors in varying and extreme weather conditions.
• Ability to navigate rough terrain and active construction sites.
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and lift up to 75 pounds.
• Combination of fieldwork and office-based data processing.