Chief Surveyor - Surveying & Mapping - Public Works (5216)

Company Description

Specific information regarding this recruitment process is listed below.

Amended 12/24/2025: Application Deadline is Continuous until filled

Application Opening: Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
Application Deadline: Continuous until Filled. Please apply immediately. The application filing will be open at least through Wednesday August 20th, 2025, and will close any time thereafter.
Compensation Range: $151,034 to $197,834 annually
Recruitment ID: PEX-5216-EXEMPT, REF55002H

Appointment Type: Permanent-Exempt (PEX), Category 18. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer and shall not exceed 36 months.

San Francisco Public Works has a far-reaching portfolio with a $453 million annual operating budget, an active capital portfolio that exceeds $3 billion and a workforce of 1,700-plus employees. The department operates around the clock, touching every neighborhood in San Francisco. The staff designs and manages the construction of civic buildings and streets; cleans and greens the right of way; maintains civic buildings; manages multi-million-dollar bond programs; trains people for jobs; keeps the right of way free of hazards; paves the roads; repairs bridges and public stairways; expands accessibility; and works at the forefront addressing some of San Francisco’s biggest challenges. With a mission to enhance the quality of life in San Francisco for residents, visitors and business owners, Public Works is committed to providing outstanding public service through an equity lens.

Please visit the “About Us” section of our website at https://www.sfpublicworks.org about to learn more about the department’s core values, Racial Equity Initiative, leadership team, history, budget and more.

Public Works currently has a vacancy for the position of Chief Surveyor (5216).
This is an opportunity to join the leadership team of the Bureau of Surveying & Mapping and lead field and office survey operations in support of a vast array of City projects. Your work may include performing and directing boundary, topographic, monument preservation and control surveys, subdivision map review, legal lot and title analysis, and complex right-of-way dedication and vacation processes. You will join a team of dedicated, experienced surveyors, associates and support staff working together to provide the highest level of service to the public and the City & County of San Francisco.

Job Description

Under general direction, as a Chief Surveyor, you will manage a section or division by planning, assigning, directing, and reviewing the work of a group of technical and professional staff engaged in land survey activities.  You will have technical and administrative responsibilities for defining objectives, conducting, implementing, and evaluating surveys in an assigned geographic or functional area, and making decisions regarding legal and record boundary determinations by State law, Federal instructions, and precedent established through the courts.

Important and Essential Duties:
Your duties as a Chief Surveyor may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manage a survey group by planning, assigning, monitoring, and evaluating staff work.
• Review surveying or map requirements and resolve problems as needed.
• Examine areas to be surveyed and assign the appropriate survey staff.
• Check field survey or map work in progress and direct staff as necessary.
• Perform surveying or map processing operations when necessary to assist staff in challenging situations.
• Manage the budget (including revenues for map processing) for survey staff to ensure adequate staffing, supplies, and equipment.
• Collect and review survey notes or map applications for completeness and accuracy.
• Supervise the preparation and maintenance of official records, maps, and survey reports.
• Coordinate with other city agencies on requests for service, time schedules, and cost estimates.
• Assist the bureau leaders with revising programs, objectives, and goals.
• Interact with the public, other departments, contractors, private surveyors, and outside organizations relative to municipal mapping and survey practices and procedures.
• Prepare legislation to change official street legislation, approve subdivision maps, and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.
• Represent the department at public hearings before the B