Career Opportunity

Survey Associate - Surveying and Mapping - Public Works (5314 TPV) (158268)

Recruitment: RTF0158267-01144517

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 13, 2025
Application Deadline: Wednesday, August 20, 2025

*The application filing will be open at least through Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 5:00 PM and will close at any time thereafter.
Compensation Range:  $117,806 - $143,234 Annually
Recruitment ID: TPV-5314-158268, RTF0158267-01144517

Appointment Type: Temporary Provisional (TPV). This is not a permanent appointment. A provisional appointee must participate and be successful in a Civil Service examination for this classification and be selected through an open competitive process in order to be considered for permanent appointment. Provisional appointments may not exceed three (3) years.

San Francisco Public Works (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 two vacancies for the position of Survey Associate (5314).  

Join our Surveying and Mapping division's survey team and assume a supervisory role in both field and office survey work for a wide range of City projects. Your responsibilities may include conducting boundary, topographic, monument preservation, and geodetic control surveys. You'll provide essential contributions to our dedicated team of experienced surveyors, associates, and support staff delivering top-notch service to the public and the City of San Francisco.

Role description

Under general direction, the Survey Associate is responsible for supervising the work of a survey party. Essential functions include: following established surveying methods and procedures; planning, organizing, assigning, directing and reviewing the work of staff; planning and organizing survey work; training the survey party staff; interacting and discussing with department staff, contractors and others on survey needs and projects; reading and interpreting maps, drawings and prior survey notes; preparing and maintaining survey field notes; performing mathematical computations; tracking supply and equipment needs; and using personal computers and survey related applications. Performs other related duties as required. 

Important and Essential Duties: 
As a Survey Associate, your duties may include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Supervise the work of survey staff by planning, organizing, assigning, directing, and reviewing the work, including completing performance evaluations and administering disciplinary procedures when necessary. 
• Plan, organize, and determine logistics for conducting each survey.  Set and adhere to project deadlines and ensure that surveys provide necessary information and documentation. 
• Training staff to use surveying equipment and follow procedures to establish lines and grades for construction projects, perform topographical and other surveys, stadia work, cross-sectioning and contour line-setting, and establish and maintain precise monument and control lines, official elevations, survey lines, and boundary lines.  
• Remain up to date on current surveying techniques and equipment improvements. 
• Discuss survey needs and projects with departmental staff, contractors, and others to plan survey work. 
• Determine the extent of ground control necessary to provide all essential field data. 
• Act as technical advisor in pouching or assembling the maps and charts, field notes, tract maps, deed descriptions, quadrant sheets, and historical data necessary to conduct the surveys. 
• Read and interpret maps, drawings, and prior survey notes, such as subdivision, right-of-way, parcel, contour, hydrographic (Port), lease maps, and construction drawings to plan survey work. 
• Prepare and maintain survey field notes. 
• Performing mathematical computations to determine distances, elevations, angles, areas, traverses, and then interpret findings. 
• Tracking supply and equipment needs for survey staff. 
• Using related applications to check survey information and maps; may include the use of AutoCAD and/or Tripod Data System (TDS). 
• Drive a departmental vehicle to work sites to perform survey work. 

Working Conditions: 
The nature of the work will require some physical effort and manual dexterity occasionally lifting and carrying equipment 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, Education and Training: 
1. Six (6) years of verifiable surveying experience (either in the office or field) which must include two (2) years of experience in a position with duties comparable to those of Class 5312 Survey Assistant II ; OR 

2. Possession of a Bachelor of Science degree in Geomatics or related field AND two (2) years of experience in a position with duties comparable to those of Class 5312 Survey Assistant II; OR 

3. Possession of an Associate of Science degree with a concentration in Geomatics or a related field AND four (4) years of verifiable surveying experience (either in the office or field) which must include two (2) years of experience in a position with duties comparable to those of Class 5312 Survey Assistant II; OR 

4. Possession of a valid Land Surveyor-In-Training (LSIT) license issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors AND four (4) years of verifiable surveying experience (either in the office or field) which must include two (2) years of experience in a position with duties comparable to those of Class 5312 Survey Assistant II. 

Note: 
1. Related educational fields include Geography, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Math, and/or Civil Engineering. 

Special condition: 
Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license. 

*Applicants must possess 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.  

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify candidates advancing to the interview process and/or to identify job finalist(s) at the end of the selection process when referred for hiring. 

• Experience in reviewing maps for a public organization (Parcel Maps, Corner Records, tract Maps, Records of Surveys, etc.). 
• Professional experience resolving complex boundaries and preparing legal descriptions. 
• Experience performing post-processing: using 3D Laser Scanning, GPS Data, and Conventional Survey Control Data. 
• Proven professional experience using AutoCAD Civil 3D in survey work.  

What else should I know?

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/node/765.

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.

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. 

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores. 

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

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, Reshma Shelke at reshma.shelke@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.