LiDAR Field Technician & 3D Mapping Specialist

Default Brand; Benbrook (TX); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Topographic, Inc. seeks a field and office geospatial technician to perform field data acquisition for surveying, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and mapping projects.

You will operate GNSS survey equipment, collect ground control, and assist with UAS missions, drone operation, and data transfer. You will also process LiDAR and photogrammetry data, register point clouds, extract features, and prepare mapping deliverables with QA/QC checks.

Qualifications

• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.
• Strong computer skills and willingness to learn specialized software.
• Mechanical and technical aptitude.
• Ability to work both outdoors and in an office environment.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to follow established procedures and work independently when necessary.
• Ability to troubleshoot equipment and technical issues.
• Ability to read and interpret maps, aerial imagery, and basic survey or engineering drawings.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel, including overnight and multi-day assignments.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and terrain.
• Ability to safely carry, set up, and operate survey, scanning, and UAS equipment.
• Ability to work around active construction sites, industrial facilities, roadways, and other project environments.

Responsibilities

• Perform field data acquisition for surveying, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and mapping projects.
• Operate GNSS/GPS survey equipment to establish, locate, and verify survey control.
• Set and collect aerial targets, ground control points, and independent checkpoints.
• Assist with planning and executing UAS LiDAR and photogrammetry missions.
• Operate and maintain enterprise UAS/drone equipment.
• Operate terrestrial laser scanners to collect 3D data at industrial, commercial, and infrastructure facilities.
• Assist with mobile LiDAR and mobile mapping operations.
• Collect survey and mapping data along roadways, utility corridors, pipelines, industrial facilities, and development sites.
• Perform field quality checks to verify data coverage, completeness, and accuracy before leaving a project site.
• Identify potential acquisition problems, including obstructions, data gaps, poor scan coverage, and equipment issues.
• Download, organize, back up, and transfer field data.
• Maintain accurate field notes, equipment records, and project documentation.
• Perform routine equipment maintenance, inspections, calibrations, firmware updates, and troubleshooting.
• Follow company safety procedures, FAA regulations, and project-specific requirements.
• Coordinate field activities with the Geospatial Manager, Survey Project Managers, and other team members.
• Process UAS LiDAR and photogrammetry datasets.
• Assist with processing mobile LiDAR and terrestrial laser scanning data.
• Register, georeference, and combine point-cloud datasets.
• Review, classify, and clean LiDAR point clouds.
• Perform 3D feature extraction from LiDAR, photogrammetry, and terrestrial scanning datasets.
• Extract topographic and planimetric features, including roads, pavement, curbs, sidewalks, ditches, drainage features, buildings, fences, utilities, structures, and other visible improvements.
• Develop major and minor breaklines for terrain modeling and surface generation.
• Generate and review point grids, Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), surfaces, and contours.
• Assist with preparing survey-quality mapping deliverables.
• Review collected data for completeness, accuracy, and consistency with project requirements.
• Perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of point clouds, extracted features, surfaces, and mapping deliverables.
• Identify potential data issues, including noise, registration errors, trajectory problems, missing coverage, and questionable elevations.
• Organize and maintain project files and processing documentation.
• Work with Project Managers and office production personnel to resolve data issues and meet project deadlines.
• Assist with improving field acquisition and office processing workflows.

Job description

Topographic, Inc. seeks a field and office geospatial technician to perform field data acquisition for surveying, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and mapping projects.

You will operate GNSS survey equipment, collect ground control, and assist with UAS missions, drone operation, and data transfer. You will also process LiDAR and photogrammetry data, register point clouds, extract features, and prepare mapping deliverables with QA/QC checks.