Survey Technician

This position is within the Surveying Team, Facilities Engineering Group of the Technical Support Office Yuma Area Office (YAO), Lower Colorado Basin Region. You may be expected to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work occasionally to support emergency field responses or critical mission requirements.

At the full performance level (GS-10) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Performs a wide range of land, construction, and hydrographic surveying tasks using Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment, total stations, scanners, echo sounders, and other precision tools to collect accurate data that supports engineering and project planning needs. Establishes and maintains survey control networks, including benchmarks, alignments, grades, and reference points, ensuring the accuracy required for construction activities, structural placement, and river or water-management operations.

Reviews and verifies survey-related information in construction documents, including contractor computations, proposed realignments, layout plans, and vertical and horizontal control data, to ensure accuracy and compliance with project standards. Conducts field surveys throughout construction, including restoring disturbed control points, checking placement of forms for concrete, verifying structural alignment, and completing final "as-built" surveys to confirm that completed work meets specification requirements.

Coordinates survey activities with engineers, contractors, and other project staff, identifies data gaps or issues, communicates needed corrections, and supports decisions related to project progress, technical needs, and job estimates. Maintains organized survey records and technical documents, including field notes, digital data files, computations, and daily activity reports that document work performed, site conditions, safety concerns, and any issues affecting accuracy or project timelines.

Provides training and coaching to personnel on survey instruments, data collection techniques, computation methods, and safety practices; promotes consistent data quality and ensures safe work habits in field environments. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Physical Demands/Work Environment: The work requires considerable and strenuous physical exertion while in the field, in varied terrain, which involves climbing, walking, bending, crawling, or stooping.

Incumbent conducts lengthy field surveys in desert terrain during peak periods of summer heat. The work will involve the occasional operation of all-terrain vehicles, boats up to 150 hp, light-duty trucks. May be required to clear line with axes, brush hooks, and chain saws in extreme heat or cold; lifting up to 60 lbs. is required. The work is performed in the field (50%) and in the office (50%). Work is performed outside under regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts, adverse weather conditions with exposure to fluctuating temperature, insects, snakes, underbrush, etc.

For field work exposure to a variety of temperatures ranging from 35 degrees F in the winter months, to highs in excess of 100 degrees F in the summer months. In remote locations with no cell reception; work environment requires the employee to stay alert continually, recognize and correct workplace hazards, and to take special safety precautions including wearing hard hats, safety glasses, ear plugs, or other personal protective equipment are required in some cases.

Construction surveys are conducted in an area of high noise level, vibration, dust, and moving machinery. Hard hat, steel toe boots, and safety glasses are required on construction site. Office work is performed in a well-lighted, ventilated and temperature-controlled area.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/23/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications at each grade level: To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level: Specialized Experience Requirement: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: operating and maintaining manual and electronic surveying instruments such as total stations, terrestrial scanners, levels, and global positioning system equipment; using surveying instruments to collect field data and prepare associated survey documents and reports; independently measuring uncomplicated surveys and resolving routine field problems; assisting in performing basic land surveys such as location, right-of-way, and property surveys for an assigned segment of a project; and determining angles, distances, and elevation differences.

You must include hours per week worked in your resume. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-08 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include: independently operating and maintaining a full range of manual and electronic surveying instruments such as total stations, levels, terrestrial scanners, and global positioning system equipment to conduct land surveys; performing field surveys and preparing related survey documents, notes, and reports; independently measuring and resolving technical problems encountered during survey activities; performing varied land surveys such as location, right-of-way, and property surveys for segments or portions of projects; determining angles, distances, and elevation differences between stations with increased accuracy and independence; performing bathymetric surveys using single- or multi-beam equipment; operating and adjusting survey instruments to locate land features, property corners, and boundary lines; and identifying or verifying survey corners through field inspection, comparison with recorded references, and use of original and resurveyed data.

You must include hours per week worked in your resume. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least two full years (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours, or equivalent) of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position. Examples of directly related studies include geography, cartography, mathematics. You must include transcripts in your application package. -OR- Combination of education and experience: To combine education and experience, first divide your number of credit hours earned towards a directly related graduate degree that are in excess of 18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours, or equivalent, by 18 semester hours, 27 quarters hours, or the number your school uses to represent one year of full-time graduate study.

Then take the number of months of qualifying experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts in your application package. You must include hours per week worked in your resume. To qualify for this position at the GS-10 grade level: Specialized Experience Requirement: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: leading and conducting complex bathymetric surveys using single- or multi-beam systems; assisting in planning and coordinating various types of land and hydrographic surveys using advanced surveying knowledge; applying a practical understanding of surveying theories, principles, and practices to resolve complex field and office problems; using initiative and independent judgment to resolve project details and select appropriate surveying methods; preparing and certifying field notes, reference maps, sketches, and supporting documentation for survey analysis; processing, evaluating, and editing electronic field data for entry into mapping software, design, and analysis systems; and successfully leading multiple survey projects from data acquisition through delivery of final survey products to customers.

You must include hours per week worked in your resume. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.