Grade Person

MacKay Contracting; Cranbrook; On-site; CAD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Overtime opportunities

Benefits package

Modern survey tech

Diverse projects

Retirement savings

Training & development

Safety culture

Job summary

MacKay Contracting in Western Canada is seeking a skilled Grade Checker to translate engineering plans into precise layout and grade data that crews rely on to build safely and efficiently.

You’ll work on highways and mining infrastructure, spending days on site with seasoned professionals, using modern survey tech to keep projects on schedule and budget. This role rewards precision, problem solving, and teamwork, with ongoing training and a culture focused on safety and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience as Grade Checker, Gradeperson, Survey Assistant, Construction Surveyor, Civil Engineering Technologist, or similar field.
• Experience using GPS rovers, robotic total stations, and modern survey equipment.
• Commitment to safety, teamwork, and producing quality work.
• An understanding of heavy civil construction, earthworks, roads, underground utilities, and grading.
• Ability to read construction drawings and interpret survey information.

Responsibilities

• Providing accurate layout that allows crews to work confidently and efficiently.
• Establishing grades that eliminate costly rework and keep production moving.
• Giving Project Managers, Superintendents, Foremen, and Operators information they can trust.
• Solving problems before they reach the field, helping projects stay on schedule and on budget.
• Ensuring every project begins with precision so it finishes with quality.

Skills

Grade Checking

Survey Layout

Detail-Oriented

Fieldwork

Teamwork

Tools

GPS rovers

Robotic total stations

Survey equipment (Trimble/Leica/Topcon)

Job description

Every Great Project Starts With You

Before the first shovel breaks ground.Before the first pipe is installed.Before the first truck dumps a load.

Someone has to make sure everything is exactly where it belongs.

As a Grade Checker at MacKay Contracting, you’ll be one of the most trusted people on every project. You’ll turn engineering plans into reality by providing the accurate layout and grade information our crews rely on to build safely, efficiently, and right the first time.

From highways and bridges to mine infrastructure, dams, airports, and underground utilities, your work will shape projects that serve communities and industries for decades.

What You’ll Get to Build

• Providing accurate layout that allows crews to work confidently and efficiently.
• Establishing grades that eliminate costly rework and keep production moving.
• Giving Project Managers, Superintendents, Foremen, and Operators information they can trust.
• Solving problems before they reach the field, helping projects stay on schedule and on budget.
• Ensuring every project begins with precision so it finishes with quality.

You’ll spend your days where the work happens—walking the site, working alongside experienced construction professionals, and watching an empty piece of ground become critical infrastructure because you helped build it right from the start.

This Role Is For You If...

• You naturally notice details others miss.
• You enjoy solving problems before they become expensive.
• You take pride in precision because you know a few millimetres today can save thousands of dollars tomorrow.
• You communicate well with crews and enjoy working outdoors where every day brings a new challenge.
• Most importantly, you care about building things the right way—not the easy way.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience as a Grade Checker, Gradeperson, Survey Assistant, Construction Surveyor, Civil Engineering Technologist, or in a similar field role.
• Experience using GPS rovers, robotic total stations, and modern survey technology.
• A commitment to safety, teamwork, and producing quality work.
  
• An understanding of heavy civil construction, earthworks, roads, underground utilities, and grading.
• The ability to read construction drawings and interpret survey information.

Experience with Trimble, Leica, or Topcon survey equipment is considered an asset.

What’s In It for You

At MacKay Contracting, you’ll work on some of Western Canada’s most challenging heavy civil and mining projects alongside people who care about doing things the right way.

You’ll be trusted with responsibility, supported by experienced leaders, and equipped with modern technology that allows you to perform at your best.

We offer:

• Competitive wages with overtime opportunities
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Modern survey equipment and technology
• Diverse projects that continually challenge and develop your skills
• Company matched retirement savings program
• Ongoing training and professional development
  
• A culture built on safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

If you take pride in precision, enjoy working in the field, and want your work to make a lasting impact long after the project is complete, we’d love to hear from you.