Land Surveyor Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established November 18, 1986

Scope

This series specification describes the Land Surveyor classes used within State service. These classes are used for positions which are assigned technical responsibilities of land surveying. Land surveying includes surveying conducted in the field and office in addition to specialized activities such as photogrammetry.

Definition of Series

This series is available for use throughout State service. Incumbents determine and establish boundaries of State-owned lands; establish high-order�vertical and horizontal control; provide photogrammetric mapping and underwater topography; prepare and read maps; plan and direct the work of a staff in field surveys or office assignments; make technical studies and investigations pertaining to land or engineering surveying, property titles, descriptions, and deeds; write memoranda and prepare reports; and do other related work.

Entry Level

Entry into this series is typically through the class of Assistant Land Surveyor. The class of Assistant Land Surveyor is the entrance level for both�college graduates and technicians possessing a land surveying in-training�certificate.

Factors Affecting Position Allocation

Exercise of responsible charge for Land Surveyors as defined by the Land Surveyors' Act, supervisory control exercised, and administrative direction exercised over other positions.

Definition of Levels

Assistant Land Surveyor

This is the entry, developmental and first working level into the professional surveyor series. Incumbents are nonlicensed and perform a wide variety of surveying tasks of average difficulty in surveys, photogrammetry, or right of way surveying; and may lead a survey party engaged in routine, less complex survey activities where exercise of responsible charge as defined by the Land Surveyors' Act and direct supervision are not required.

Associate Land Surveyor

This is the first professional qualified level which requires licensing as a land surveyor. Incumbents are full journey workers who independently perform difficult and complex professional land surveying work involving responsible charge duties in the field or office. They work under little direct supervision and may also lead a group of subordinates in survey activities where exercise of responsible charge as defined by the Land Surveyors' Act is required.

Land Surveyor Supervisor

This is the first professional qualified supervisory level requiring licensing as a land surveyor. Incumbents perform a wide variety of difficult and complex professional surveying work and exercise independent professional judgment in responsible charge assignments. This is the first level assigned administrative supervision of professional and technical staff in the performance of survey work in the field and office. This level functions as a survey party chief or supervisor over a right of way or survey office assignment.

Chief of Land Surveys

This is generally the second professional qualified supervisory level which requires licensing and responsible charge duties. Incumbents have charge of varied and difficult field and/or office surveying work involving the supervision of two or more survey parties or office teams engaged in land surveying, engineering surveying, construction surveying and/or photogrammetry. This level may supervise, as a first line supervisor, a district or department right of way surveying function consisting of professional and technical staff and/or a group of Photogrammetrists�II.

Senior Land Surveyor

This is the program supervisor and administrative level of the series. Incumbents are over a program element of the largest departmental surveying operation, such as field surveys, photogrammetry, or right of way surveying. Under general direction, incumbents investigate, negotiate and advise concerning complex surveying projects. They will plan, organize, and supervise a staff engaged in land surveying, property title analysis, or preparation of property description. They will also serve as an advisor to executive staff relative to land or engineering surveying matters and represent the State on technical matters as required.

Supervising Land Surveyor

This is the managerial level of the series. Within the largest surveying programs, incumbents, under administrative direction, plan, organize and direct land, photogrammetry and right of way surveying projects, and provide expert advice to top management on the most critical and complex land photogrammetry and right of way surveying projects. This level will function as the Chief Surveyor for a department or as head of surveys in large districts of large departments (i.e., Caltrans).

Minimum Qualifications

Assistant Land Surveyor

Either I

Graduation from a four-year curriculum in surveying or surveying engineering accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology. (Registration as a "Senior" in such a curriculum will admit an applicant to the competition, but applicants must produce evidence of graduation before being considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Possession of equivalent qualifications may be demonstrated by graduation from a surveying or engineering curriculum which includes the basic surveying courses normally covered in a standard four-year surveying curriculum, and by qualifying in a written examination covering basic surveying. (Registration as a "Senior" in such a curriculum will admit an applicant to the qualifying examination, but the applicant must produce evidence of graduation before being considered to have met the "Minimum Qualifications".)

(Possession of a valid certificate as a Land Surveyor in Training issued or accepted by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors may be substituted for the required education under either Patterns�I or II.)

Associate Land Surveyor Level and Above

Possession of a valid California Land Surveyor's license. (A Certificate of Registration as a Civil Engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors prior to January�1, 1982, satisfies this requirement.) (Applicants who do not possess the required license or certificate will be admitted into the examination, but must secure the license or certificate prior to appointment.)

Land Surveyor Supervisor

Either I

One year of experience performing duties equivalent to an Associate Land Surveyor in the California state service.

Or II

Two years of experience performing duties equivalent to Assistant Land Surveyor in the California state service.

Or III

Two years of field or office surveying experience equivalent in responsibility to the Associate Land Surveyor level in the California state service.

Or IV

Three years of field or office surveying experience equivalent in responsibility to the Assistant Land Surveyor level in the California state service.

Chief of Land Surveys

Either I

One year of experience performing duties equivalent to a Land Surveyor Supervisor in California state service.

Or II

Two years of experience performing duties equivalent to a Photogrammetrist�II or Associate Land Surveyor in the California state service.

Or III

Four years of experience performing the duties equivalent to an Assistant Land Surveyor in the California state service.

Or IV

Three years of field or office surveying experience, one year of which is equivalent in responsibility to the Land Surveyor Supervisor level in the California state service.

Senior Land Surveyor

Either I

One year of experience performing the duties equivalent to a Chief of Land Surveys in the California state service.

Or II

Two years of experience performing the duties equivalent to a Land Surveyor Supervisor in the California state service.

Or III

Three years of supervising varied and difficult field and/or office surveying work, one year of which is equivalent in responsibility to the Chief of Land Surveys level in the California state service.

Supervising Land Surveyor

Either I

Two years of experience performing duties equivalent to a Senior Land Surveyor in the California state service.

Or II

Broad and extensive (more than five years) land surveying experience, three years of which would include supervising a major program element of a large surveying operation equivalent in responsibility to the Senior Land Surveyor level in the California state service.

Knowledge and Abilities

Assistant Land Surveyor

Knowledge of: Fundamental surveying, mathematics, and basic science as applied to surveying; methods of precise survey measuring; use and adjustment of precision surveying instruments; procedures, equipment, and materials used in surveying, including conventional and state-of-the-art; mapping and drafting techniques; mathematics and procedures used in plane and geodetic surveying; computer applications and usage; the California Coordinate System; Code of Safe Surveying Practices; photogrammetric mapping procedures; principles and practices of boundary determination, land title research and surveying; legal descriptions of real property; methods and terminology used in searching for land titles and factors involved in determining ownership of property; real property acquisition and mapping laws pertaining to public and private ownership of real property; monumentation of facilities; factors which influence the impact of departmental projects on property and basic net; right of way engineering projects; planning, design, construction and right of way procedures and policies as they relate to surveys.

Ability to: Perform the less complex field and office surveying work; make precise survey measurements; interpret legal descriptions of real property; make and interpret the less difficult survey calculations; apply and utilize the principles of the California Coordinate System; research, analyze, check and adjust survey data; research and compile evidence and documentation for boundary determination; assist in the planning, directing and coordinating the work of a group of survey or right of way engineering personnel; do mapping and drafting; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; prepare clear and concise reports and correspondence; write property descriptions and prepare legal land documents and descriptions; operate precise surveying instruments (conventional and state-of-the-art); establish and maintain friendly, business-like relations with those contacted in the course of the work; communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Associate Land Surveyor

Knowledge of: All of the above; the Land Surveyors' Act, Subdivision Map Act and other statutes related to land surveying; departmental plans, standards, policies and procedures for planning, design, right of way and construction as they relate to surveys; methods, equipment and materials used in the surveying and mapping of State facilities; computers and state-of-the-art surveying and related equipment.

Ability to: All of the above; perform complex field and office surveying work; make and interpret difficult survey calculations.

Land Surveyor Supervisor

Knowledge of: All of the above; principles of effective communications and supervision; a supervisor's role in safety, health and labor relations and the processes available to meet these program objectives; department's Affirmative Action Program objectives; a manager's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.

Ability to: Plan and direct the work of a survey party; make necessary corrections and/or revisions to construction plans, under direction of the Resident Engineer, when required to meet field conditions and/or comply with policies and standards; plan and direct the work of a staff engaged in survey and right of way engineering office work; plan and direct the work of a staff engaged in resolution of legal property descriptions; prepare and coordinate the preparation of appraisal maps, deeds and interpretation of legal property descriptions; prepare clear and comprehensive reports and technical correspondence; review the work of others for compliance with legal requirements, policies and specifications; analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action; effectively contribute to the departmental safety, health and labor relations objectives; effectively contribute to the department's affirmative action objectives.

Chief of Land Surveys

Knowledge of: All of the above.

Ability to: All of the above; evaluate computer hardware and software utilized in land surveying; evaluate land survey equipment.

Senior Land Surveyor

Knowledge of: All of the above; all phases of surveying performed by the Departments, and principles, techniques of personnel management and supervision.

Ability to: All of the above; plan and direct the work of staff assigned to a�variety of surveying related projects in surveys and/or right of way engineering.

Supervising Land Surveyor

Knowledge of: All of the above; purposes, organization, policies and procedures of the Departments; system planning; surveying economics; factors which influence the impact of the Department's facilities on the environment, the community and the economy; processes and methods of accomplishing plane, geodetic and photogrammetric surveying and mapping, computers and precision surveying instruments (conventional and state-of-the-art).

Ability to: All of the above; administer surveying programs; plan and direct the work of others; judge work quality and performance; evaluate the applicability, apply and direct the use of computers and precision surveying instruments (conventional and state-of-the-art); prepare technical correspondence and complete, comprehensive reports; prepare articles for publication; address an audience effectively.

Class History