Survey Crew Chief

Job Description
This role leads field survey operations for boundary, topographic, and construction staking projects across transportation, municipal, and public building sites. The survey crew chief works closely with professional surveyors and small field crews, using modern survey equipment to deliver accurate data and support successful project delivery. This position offers a clear growth path into a future director role with the opportunity for ownership and team building.
Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee field survey activities for boundary surveys, topographic surveys, and construction staking projects.
• Plan and execute daily field operations for 1-2 person survey crews, ensuring work meets project specifications and schedules.
• Work alongside professional surveyors to collect, verify, and document survey data for public site plans, transportation projects, and land development.
• Utilize Trimble equipment and Robotic Total Stations to collect accurate field measurements and capture plot information.
• Interpret and apply construction plans, site plans, and related documents to perform precise layout and staking in the field.
• Perform topographic surveys, including collection of existing ground features, utilities, and site conditions for design and documentation.
• Conduct boundary surveys, including identifying property corners, lines, and easements in coordination with licensed surveyors.
• Complete construction staking for roads, utilities, buildings, and other infrastructure to support contractors and project teams.
• Communicate effectively with contractors, adjacent landowners, municipal representatives, and other stakeholders regarding project scope, progress, and site conditions.
• Ensure field work complies with applicable standards, project requirements, and safety practices.
• Support coordination with office staff, including drafters and engineers, by providing clear field notes, sketches, and digital data.
• Mentor and guide field crew members to develop their technical skills and support their professional growth.
• Contribute to a culture of quality, reliability, and customer service to support long-term relationships with recurring clients.

Essential Skills

• At least 4 years of current, relevant experience in surveying, including construction staking, boundary surveying, and topographic surveys.
• Minimum 2 years of experience leading survey crews or managing survey projects.
• Strong experience in land surveying, including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, and construction-related survey tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with 1-2 person field crews in a variety of project environments.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting construction plans, public site plans, and other related technical documents.
• Hands-on experience with Trimble survey equipment and Robotic Total Stations for field data collection.
• Knowledge of topographic surveying methods and land survey practices.
• Effective verbal communication skills to interact with contractors, adjacent landowners, and community members.
• Ability to collaborate with professional surveyors, engineers, and drafters to support project delivery.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, reliable survey data.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Topcon or similar survey instruments is beneficial.
• Exposure to transportation, municipal, and public building projects is an advantage.
• Familiarity with land development, public site planning, and infrastructure projects.
• Interest in leadership opportunities, including progressing into a director role and building a survey team within approximately five years.
• Desire to contribute to a growing office and help shape processes, standards, and team culture.
• Professional licensure (PLS) or progress toward licensure is a plus.

Work Environment
The role supports a growing office that focuses on public site plans, transportation projects, and land surveying assignments typically located within a two-hour radius of Des Moines and extending into nearby states. The team includes professional engineers, licensed land surveyors, multiple field survey crews, and drafting professionals, creating a collaborative environment that blends field and office expertise. Projects come from a strong base of recurring clients, offering steady, diverse work and long-term relationships. Field work relies on modern survey technologies, including Trimble equipment and Robotic Total Stations, and may also involve other contemporary survey tools and software. The organization offers a benefits package that includes nine paid holidays, 40 hours of paid time off, and access to a company vehicle when needed for project work. The culture emphasizes growth, leadership development, and the opportunity to advance into a director-level role with ownership and the ability to build and lead a team.experience
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Des Moines, IA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $28.00 - $40.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Des Moines,IA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 2026.
About Actalent


Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.


The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.


If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.



San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.



Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.



Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.