Senior Survey Project Manager

Job Description
Senior Survey Project Manager / Survey Department Lead

Full Time

San Diego, CA

Salary Range: Open

If you are looking for a leadership role where you can make a significant impact and help shape the direction of a growing surveying practice, this is an opportunity to join a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team working on complex and landmark projects across Southern California.

This role is designed for a senior-level professional who will take ownership of strategic project delivery, client relationships, and team leadership while driving operational excellence across surveying and construction staking functions. The position offers strong visibility with executive leadership, along with meaningful influence over process, people, and project outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all aspects of surveying operations, including project execution, staffing, and workflow management
• Manage key client relationships and serve as the primary point of contact for high-value projects
• Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and technical oversight to survey teams and project staff
• Oversee project planning, budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation across multiple concurrent projects
• Review and approve proposals, cost estimates, and project scopes
• Ensure quality control across all deliverables, including CAD drawings, legal descriptions, boundary analysis, and survey documents
• Coordinate with public agencies, consultants, and contractors to ensure project compliance and success
• Drive process improvements and efficiency across survey operations
• Support business development efforts, including client engagement and proposal strategy

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop survey staff across multiple teams
• Set performance expectations and oversee workload distribution
• Manage staffing plans, project assignments, and production schedules
• Support hiring, training, and performance management initiatives
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture

Requirements
Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in land surveying, with significant exposure to both private land development and public works projects in California
• 4+ years in a leadership or senior management capacity overseeing teams and/or departments
• Strong knowledge of California surveying standards, jurisdictional requirements, and municipal processes
• Proven experience managing large-scale or complex survey projects from initiation through completion
• Strong client-facing and business development capabilities
• Expert-level proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D and related survey/engineering tools

Technical Skills

• AutoCAD Civil 3D (advanced proficiency)
• Bluebeam Revu
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Trimble Business Center (preferred)
• Carlson Software (a plus)

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Profit Sharing, Life and Disability Insurance, and Personal Leave
• Leadership-level growth opportunity within a highly respected engineering and surveying environment
• Company events, team-building activities, and executive engagement opportunities