City Surveyor at City of Burlington NC – Burlington, North Carolina

The Engineering Department provides many services to the public and other departments within the City government. The staff is comprised of engineers, surveyors, construction inspectors, technicians and office personnel.

What you will do:
This position involves overseeing and managing land survey functions, ensuring compliance with survey laws, City policies, and best practices. The employee supervises the survey crew and serves as the City Surveyor, providing surveying and mapping services for various City projects. Responsibilities include preparing maps and documentation for City properties, setting control points for annexations, identifying right-of-ways, creating easements, and maintaining City infrastructure records. The role also involves preparing acquisition documents, conducting boundary surveys, reviewing maps for subdivisions and condominiums, and consulting with development teams to ensure regulatory compliance. Additionally, the employee provides information to citizens, engineers, and other surveyors.
Surveying Operations Oversight:

• Oversees the City’s surveying operations and property acquisition document reviews.
• Serves as the City Surveyor, ensuring accurate and efficient survey execution.
• Evaluates survey field data, making professional judgments on property boundaries.
• Trains land survey staff on work standards and policies, and technical aspects of surveying.

Survey Drafting & Recordation:

• Drafts documents for property transfer and prepares suitable plats for recordation.
• Affixes the registered land seal to plats and documents as the surveyor of record.
• Monitors survey recordkeeping to ensure compliance with NC General Statutes.

Survey Crew Management:

• Assigns work to the survey crew based on priorities and project needs.
• Provides technical guidance and instructions to the survey crew.

Data Collection & Report Preparation:

• Collects and analyzes data from plats, tax maps, and other relevant sources.
• Prepares detailed reports and communications on survey project progress.

Survey Equipment & Supply Management:

• Monitors survey equipment and supplies, making recommendations for purchases within City policy and budget limits.

Surveying & Mapping Services:

• Provides essential surveying and mapping services for various City functions.
• Prepares maps for City properties, including control points for annexations.
• Identifies new and existing right-of-ways, and prepares legal descriptions and easements.

Infrastructure & Property Records Management:

• Maintains City infrastructure and property records with up-to-date information.
• Prepares acquisition documents, boundary surveys, and establishes new boundary lines.
• Prepare and maintain records for survey section corners, monuments, control points, and benchmarks.

Regulatory Compliance & Consultation:

• Reviews plats and maps for property development, subdivision, recombination, construction projects to ensure compliance with City regulations.
• Interprets and applies surveying manuals, engineering standards, and plans to ensure compliance with requirements.
• Consults with the development review section to ensure mapping compliance.
• Provides information to citizens, engineers, and surveyors as needed.
• Collaborates with City staff, consultants, engineers, attorneys, developers, and general public to ensure compliance with mapping regulations.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Performs other duties related to surveying functions as required.

Surveying & Engineering Expertise:

• In-depth knowledge of surveying practices, General Statutes, civil engineering principles, and techniques.
• Expertise in advanced mathematics, including complex geometric calculations required for surveying tasks.

Technology & Software Proficiency:

• Proficient in CAD software, GPS and GIS mapping tools, electronic data collectors, and office software like Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Skilled in utilizing various surveying computer software applications and survey instruments.

Project Management & Supervision:

• Strong ability to plan, organize, and direct work independently or in a team setting.
• Capable of applying supervisory skills to prioritize tasks, assign work, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Proven experience in training, managing staff, and handling hiring, termination, and disciplinary matters.

Effective Communication & Collaboration:

• Excellent communication skills for interacting with employees, supervisors, public officials, engineers, contractors, attorneys, and the public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships across departments, contractors, and the community.

Attention to Detail & Organizational Skills:

• Highly organized, with an ability to schedule and manage tasks efficiently, ensuring high-quality results.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on precision and accuracy in all aspects of work.

Practical Experience & Legal Expertise:

• Experienced in using surveying data collection equipment, including conventional and GPS surveys.
• Skilled in developing legal descriptions for parcels and easements.
• Proficient in using CAD software for drafting, computations, and survey data analysis.
• Well-versed in the use of MS Office applications for documentation and reporting.

Minimum Qualifications:

• North Carolina License as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) certification.
• High School Diploma or GED equivalency with 5 years’ survey experience with increasing responsibilities.
• Valid North Carolina Driver License

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience working with a municipality or other public agency
• Experience using Carlson Survey Software

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Work in this class is described as medium and frequently requires physical exertion to complete tasks and move objects.
• Work will regularly require carrying 25lbs while traversing uneven ground and will require good stability.
• Work typically involves the ability to physically perform the basic life operational functions of climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, walking, fingering, grasping, hearing and repetitive motions.
• Employees must have visual acuity to read small gauges, levels, and other instruments.
• Employees are subject to hazards, including a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, exposure to chemicals, oils, noise, and atmospheric conditions.
• The employee is subject to both inside and outside environmental conditions.

FLSA Status: Exempt
Inclement Weather Classification: Non-Essential

This job description in no way implies that the duties listed are the only ones the employee may be required to perform. The employee is expected to perform other tasks, duties, and training as requested by their supervisors.