Director, Geomatics (Land Survey)

Acuren; California; On-site; USD 180,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401K Plan

Paid Holidays

Paid Time Off

Job summary

NV5 is seeking a Director of Geomatics to lead the regional land survey and geomatics services in California. The role drives strategy translation into actionable operating plans, ensures disciplined delivery, and promotes client engagement across NV5 service lines.

You will manage budgets, staffing, and equipment, while leading a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement. Travel to project sites and NV5 offices is expected as needed.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of land survey/geomatics leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of survey/geomatics standards and QA/QC.
• Proven delivery of projects with budgets, schedules, and margins.
• Excellent client communication and relationship skills.
• Ability to travel to project sites and NV5 offices.

Responsibilities

• Translate BU/VP strategy into an executable regional operating plan.
• Lead day-to-day financial management including backlog and billing.
• Oversee forecasting, variance management, and cash flow improvements.
• Ensure QA/QC compliance and safety standards across geomatics deliverables.
• Promote cross-sell and client engagement across NV5 services.

Skills

Leadership

Client communication

Geomatics standards

Project delivery

QA/QC practices

Education

Bachelor's degree in surveying/geomatics/civil engineering

PLS licensure preferred

LSIT or related credential desirable

Tools

Survey software

Geomatics/ERP tools

Job description

Position Summary

The Director of Geomatics is the top regional operations leader responsible for the daily management of NV5’s engineering-grade land survey and geomatics services within a designated area. This position oversees regional performance, team leadership, and client satisfaction, aligned with the Geomatics Leadership Matrix and the Vice President-level operating schedule.

The Director translates BU and Vice President strategies into a workable regional operating plan and ensures disciplined delivery through standardized project controls, predictable workflows, and consistent quality. The Director works closely with the Vice President - Project Controls & UAS Operations and Quality leadership to reduce variance, improve cash conversion, and minimize rework.

This leader is outward-facing and promotes growth through client engagement, pursuit support, and cross-selling across NV5 service lines, while fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Core Accountabilities

• Execution of regional operating plan (revenue, margin, backlog, staffing, equipment).
• Delivery discipline: scope, schedule, budget-to-actual, change management, risk documentation, and closeout standards.
• Financial controls: usage, labor efficiency, work-in-progress quality, billing timeliness, A/R aging, and forecast accuracy.
• Quality and risk: engineering-grade QA/QC compliance, audit readiness, reduced rework, and contract/risk controls.
• Client program health: satisfaction, issue resolution speed, renewals, and cross-sell growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic, Financial, and Operating Leadership

• Translate the BU and regional business plan into an executable operating plan for the assigned geography, including revenue, margin, backlog coverage, staffing, and equipment targets.
• Own day-to-day financial management: monitor project gross margin, utilization, labor efficiency, manage backlog conversion, WIP, and A/R; and implement recovery actions for underperforming projects and teams.
• Support the pricing strategy and contract stance to ensure the delivery of budgeted profitability; elevate exceptions beyond approved authority to the BU Leader/VP according to the delegation of authority.
• Lead capacity planning and workload balancing across offices and teams to optimize utilization and minimize avoidable subcontractor leakage.

Operational Excellence and Project Delivery Discipline

• Ensure consistent application of NV5 project delivery standards from kickoff to closeout: defined scope, schedule controls, budget-to-actual tracking, change management, and documented risks/issues.
• Collaborate with the Vice President - Project Controls & UAS Operations to establish standardized controls, dashboards, and review schedules; ensure data inputs are timely and accurate.
• Lead forecasting and variance management through weekly and monthly project reviews; validate assumptions and drive action plans to reduce schedule and margin variance.
• Drive billing and cash discipline: ensure invoicing is timely, support collections, and maintain healthy DSO and A/R aging in partnership with Finance and Project Managers.

Quality, Technical Standards, and Risk Management

• Ensure engineering-grade QA/QC for survey and geomatics deliverables, following NV5 procedures, client standards, and jurisdictional requirements.
• Collaborate with Quality leadership (including the Director of Quality Control, if applicable) on audits, independent QC reviews, and corrective and preventive actions; monitor rework causes and develop training to minimize repeat defects.
• Enforce contract administration and risk controls, including clarifying scope, capturing change orders, and maintaining documentation that protects margins and reduces claims exposure.
• Maintain compliance with client requirements, regulatory standards, and NV5 safety policies; ensure field safety planning and incident preparedness are consistently executed.

Client, Market, and Cross-Sell Leadership

• Serve as the regional relationship leader (executive sponsor where applicable) for key clients and programs; maintain strong communication with clients and proactively manage escalations and performance expectations.
• Drive account penetration and cross-sell strategies in partnership with Business Development and related NV5 verticals (Power, Infrastructure/Transportation, Water, Environmental, Geospatial, Inspection/Integrity).
• Support pursuit efforts for major opportunities: resource planning, technical approach, staffing, pricing inputs, and risk evaluation to ensure bids align with delivery capacity and profitability objectives.
• Encourage the adoption of advanced geomatics technologies (UAS, mobile mapping, terrestrial scanning, GIS integration) to boost competitiveness and delivery efficiency.

People Leadership and Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop Survey Managers, Project Managers, and field leaders; set expectations aligned with KPIs and reinforce accountability.
• Recruit and retain top talent; manage onboarding, performance reviews, and development plans; ensure staffing levels match forecast and backlog.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement; encourage work-sharing and knowledge sharing across offices and teams.
• Support succession planning and the development of next-generation technical and operational leaders.

Governance, Reporting, and Interfaces

• Provide routine performance reports to BU/VP leadership, including KPI scorecards, forecast updates, staffing outlook, and key risks and opportunities.
• Participate in monthly and quarterly business reviews and lead action plans to address gaps in plan (revenue, margin, utilization, backlog coverage, DSO).
• Ensure alignment with shared services and partners (Finance, HR, IT, Safety, Quality) and drive the timely execution of required actions.

Key Interfaces

• BU Leader - Geomatics and Vice President, Geomatics.
• Vice President - Project Controls & UAS Operations (controls, cadence, dashboards, workflow standardization).
• Quality leadership (audits, standards, corrective actions; Director - Quality Control as applicable).
• Finance/Accounting (WIP, billing, A/R, forecasting, project profitability).
• Business Development and Marketing (client plans, pursuits, proposals, cross-sell).
• Client project stakeholders, subcontractors, and partner firms.

Decision Rights and Escalation

• Manage regional staffing allocations, scheduling, and resource balancing within approved headcount and budget; elevate capacity conflicts and headcount adjustments to the BU Leader/VP.
• Approve project delivery plans and recovery strategies for at-risk work; engage clients as needed to reset expectations and secure change orders.
• Authorize routine subcontractor use consistently with project budgets and policies; elevate non-standard commitments and procurement outside policy thresholds.
• Recommend pricing inputs and contract terms; elevate deviations from standard terms, risk thresholds, or margin requirements according to delegation of authority.
• Enforce quality and safety standards; halt work and elevate when conditions pose unacceptable risks to quality, safety, or licensure.
• Elevate significant financial, contractual, or reputational issues promptly to BU/VP leadership.

Requirements

Required

• 8-10+ years of progressively responsible experience in land survey/geomatics operations, including project delivery and team leadership.
• Demonstrated operational and financial discipline: managing schedules, budgets, change orders, WIP/billing, and margin performance.
• Strong knowledge of survey/geomatics standards, QA/QC practices, and delivery workflows for engineering-grade products.
• Effective leadership skills: coaching, performance management, staffing, and building high-performing teams.
• Strong client communication skills and ability to represent NV5 professionally in meetings and project discussions.

Preferred

• California Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license or demonstrated ability to operate under PLS supervision with strong technical expertise; multi-state licensure is a plus.
• Experience supporting utility, infrastructure, and/or programmatic clients with multiple projects.
• Proficiency with standard survey/geomatics software and enterprise ERP/project management tools.
• Experience implementing standardized processes and KPI-focused performance management.

Education and Licensure

• Bachelor’s degree in surveying, geomatics, civil engineering, or a related field (preferred), or equivalent experience.
• Professional licensure: PLS strongly preferred for director-level leadership; LSIT or a comparable credential is desirable.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project sites and NV5 offices as needed.

The pay range for this position in California is $180,000 to $225,000 per year. Base pay offered may be higher or lower depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location of the candidate.

Benefits

NV5 offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, PTO, 401(k) and professional development/advancement opportunities.

• Competitive Salary
• Medical, dental, and supplemental insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Company paid Life & AD&D
• Company paid Disability
• 401K Plan
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off

Company Overview

NV5 delivers technology-enabled engineering, consulting, and geospatial solutions that help clients plan, design, and optimize infrastructure, buildings, utilities, and environmental systems. We bring together technical expertise, data, and innovative thinking to create resilient, high-performance assets. As part of TiC Solutions, alongside Acuren, we share a purpose: to shape and strengthen the physical world.

Our work starts with our people. We invest in their growth and never compromise on safety. We work as one team across disciplines and geographies, bringing diverse perspectives and a shared purpose to complex challenges.

At NV5, we take pride in high-quality work that creates lasting value for our clients. We challenge the status quo, continuously improve, and turn insight into smarter designs, plans, and solutions. Join us to contribute your expertise and collaborate with our teams to help shape the infrastructure and systems the world relies on.