Career Opportunity

Chief Surveyor - Surveying & Mapping - Public Works (5216)

Recruitment: REF55002H

Published: August 14, 2025

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Specific information regarding this recruitment process is listed below.

Application Opening: Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
Application Deadline: Please apply immediately. The application filing will be open at least through Wednesday August 20th, 2025, and will close any time thereafter.
Compensation Range: $151,034 to $197,834 annually
Recruitment ID: PEX-5216-EXEMPT, REF55002H

Appointment Type: Permanent-Exempt (PEX), Category 18. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer and shall not exceed 36 months.

San Francisco Public Works has a far-reaching portfolio with a $453 million annual operating budget, an active capital portfolio that exceeds $3 billion and a workforce of 1,700-plus employees. The department operates around the clock, touching every neighborhood in San Francisco. The staff designs and manages the construction of civic buildings and streets; cleans and greens the right of way; maintains civic buildings; manages multi-million-dollar bond programs; trains people for jobs; keeps the right of way free of hazards; paves the roads; repairs bridges and public stairways; expands accessibility; and works at the forefront addressing some of San Francisco’s biggest challenges. With a mission to enhance the quality of life in San Francisco for residents, visitors and business owners, Public Works is committed to providing outstanding public service through an equity lens.

Please visit the “About Us” section of our website at https://www.sfpublicworks.org about to learn more about the department’s core values, Racial Equity Initiative, leadership team, history, budget and more.

Public Works currently has a vacancy for the position of Chief Surveyor (5216).
This is an opportunity to join the leadership team of the Bureau of Surveying & Mapping and lead field and office survey operations in support of a vast array of City projects. Your work may include performing and directing boundary, topographic, monument preservation and control surveys, subdivision map review, legal lot and title analysis, and complex right-of-way dedication and vacation processes. You will join a team of dedicated, experienced surveyors, associates and support staff working together to provide the highest level of service to the public and the City & County of San Francisco.

Role description

Under general direction, as a Chief Surveyor, you will manage a section or division by planning, assigning, directing, and reviewing the work of a group of technical and professional staff engaged in land survey activities.  You will have technical and administrative responsibilities for defining objectives, conducting, implementing, and evaluating surveys in an assigned geographic or functional area, and making decisions regarding legal and record boundary determinations by State law, Federal instructions, and precedent established through the courts.

Important and Essential Duties:
Your duties as a Chief Surveyor may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manage a survey group by planning, assigning, monitoring, and evaluating staff work.
• Review surveying or map requirements and resolve problems as needed.
• Examine areas to be surveyed and assign the appropriate survey staff.
• Check field survey or map work in progress and direct staff as necessary.
• Perform surveying or map processing operations when necessary to assist staff in challenging situations.
• Manage the budget (including revenues for map processing) for survey staff to ensure adequate staffing, supplies, and equipment.
• Collect and review survey notes or map applications for completeness and accuracy.
• Supervise the preparation and maintenance of official records, maps, and survey reports.
• Coordinate with other city agencies on requests for service, time schedules, and cost estimates.
• Assist the bureau leaders with revising programs, objectives, and goals.
• Interact with the public, other departments, contractors, private surveyors, and outside organizations relative to municipal mapping and survey practices and procedures.
• Prepare legislation to change official street legislation, approve subdivision maps, and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.
• Represent the department at public hearings before the Board of Supervisors and various commissions.
• Drive a city vehicle to work sites and meetings when necessary.

Working Conditions:
The nature of the work will require some physical effort and manual dexterity occasionally lifting and carrying over 50 pounds and working in adverse weather or working conditions such as working in streets or roads in heavy traffic, in cold and rain.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:
Experience:
Four (4) years of experience supervising survey parties.

*Note: At least one (1) year of experience in county subdivision mapping is required for the position located in the Bureau of Street Use and Mapping at the San Francisco Public Works in addition to the Minimum Qualification above.

Licenses:

• Possession of a valid California Professional Land Surveyor License, or a valid California Civil Engineer license (issued in 1981 or before).
• Possession of a valid California driver's license (at least Class C).

Condition of Employment
*Valid Driver’s License: Applicants must possess and maintain a valid California Class C driver’s license with no restrictions that would prohibit them from legally performing the essential functions and duties of the role. 

What else should I know?
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications. 

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. 

Note: Falsifying one's education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Selection Procedures:
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process.

The selection process will include an evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Depending on the number of applicants, the department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the department will move forward in the recruitment process.

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates may be required to complete an MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all of the steps in the selection procedure.

What else should I know?

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Raquel Knighten, at raquel.knighten@sfdpw.org.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.