Survey Crew Chief

Job Description

Job Description

If you are looking for a place to grow your career and make a difference – RICK is the place for you! As a Land Survey Crew Chief in Tucson, Arizona you will have an opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary team on meaningful, landmark projects. As a RICK team member, you will help clients and communities turn their dreams into reality. You will learn from and work alongside industry-leading experts, and together shape the future of tomorrow. At RICK you will find an abundance of opportunities for mentorship, growth, and (of course) fun! Learn more by visiting

The Land Survey Crew Chief leads a field crew performing boundary, topographic, control, and construction surveys for civil engineering, land development, right of way (ROW) and utility corridor projects in the Tucson and throughout the southern Arizona region. This position plans daily fieldwork, directs and develops crew members, checks the accuracy of field data, and coordinates with project surveyors, engineers, contractors, and clients.

This role is well suited for a survey professional who enjoys active construction sites, solving field problems, and applying new geospatial tools. The Crew Chief works under the direction of a licensed land surveyor and has opportunities to expand skills in digital data collection, reality capture, and other evolving survey methods.

Duties

• Lead a survey crew performing boundary, ALTA/NSPS, topographic, right-of-way, utility, control, as-built, and construction-staking surveys.
• Plan daily field assignments; review plans, plats, control information, staking requests, and site conditions before starting work.
• Perform construction layout for grading, buildings, roads, drainage, underground utilities, and other site improvements. Prepare and check offsets, elevations, grades, and cut sheets.
• Establish and verify horizontal and vertical control. Perform field calculations and independent checks of measurements and layout.
• Operate robotic total stations, GNSS receivers, levels, data collectors, field tablets, and related equipment. Maintain organized electronic field files.
• Locate and document monuments, boundary evidence, existing improvements, and site features for evaluation by the project surveyor or licensed land surveyor.
• Review collected data, feature codes, photographs, sketches, and field notes for completeness and accuracy before leaving the site.
• Identify conflicts between plans and field conditions, communicate them promptly, and coordinate survey activities with contractors, inspectors, engineers, and property owners.
• Train and mentor Survey Assistants in equipment use, construction layout, documentation, quality checks, and safe field practices.
• Maintain survey vehicles, equipment, tools, and supplies, and lead the crew in following company and jobsite safety requirements.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Stand for eight (8) to ten (10) hours per day.
• Swing an 8 lb. sledgehammer.
• Work is performed primarily in outdoor environments, construction sites, roadways, and often in remote and rugged locations and subject to varies weather conditions.
• Physical demands include standing for extended periods, walking on uneven/steep terrain, and carrying equipment.
• Position will require periodic out of town work. Typical travel is 2-3 days once every 3 months. There is opportunity for extended out-of-town work and recommend applying if this is of interest. 

Qualifications  

• Progressively responsible land surveying experience, including experience leading a field crew or taking primary responsibility for field assignments.
• Experience with construction staking and land development projects is strongly preferred.
• An associate degree or technical training in surveying is preferred. An equivalent combination of survey experience, training, and related construction experience will be considered.
• Experience in civil construction or a skilled trade—particularly grading, utilities, roadway construction, concrete, or building layout—is valued when paired with survey field experience.
• Experience using modern survey instruments and electronic data collection systems. Familiarity with Trimble Access or comparable field software is a plus.
• Arizona Land Surveyor in Training status, professional registration, or relevant survey certification is a plus, but is not required.
• Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record. Ability to perform outdoor fieldwork on construction sites and uneven terrain, lift and carry survey equipment, and travel periodically for project assignments.

Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to read and interpret construction plans, grading plans, plats, legal descriptions, staking diagrams, and survey control information.
• Working knowledge of coordinate geometry, traverses, leveling, elevations, slopes, offsets, horizontal and vertical control, and field quality checks.
• Sound judgment in planning fieldwork, recognizing discrepancies, documenting boundary evidence, and elevating issues that require review by a licensed land surveyor.
• Ability to organize digital field data and communicate clear, complete information to office survey and civil engineering teams.
• Strong crew leadership, teaching, communication, and construction-site coordination skills.
• Working knowledge of field safety practices around traffic, heavy equipment, excavations, utilities, and changing site conditions.
• Interest in developing skills with emerging geospatial methods, such as 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, GIS, and point-cloud data collection.

What We Offer

• Generous Benefits Package
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Profit Sharing, 401K, and Life and Disability Insurance and Personal Leave
• Company Events
• Holiday Parties, Team Building Activities and Events and Alternative Work Schedule

Rick Engineering Company (RICK) is an Equal Opportunity 

Rick's employees are protected by laws designed to protect employees from discrimination on the bases of race, religion, color, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or any other non-merit based factor. These protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring practices, appraisal systems, promotions, and training and career development programs. Rick's employees are also protected against retaliation if they engage in a protected activity, whistleblowing, or the exercise of any appeal or grievance right provided by law.