Senior Hydrographic Field Surveyor

Prairie Engineers, P.C.; Columbia (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance starting day one

401(k) plan with company contribution

Generous paid time off

Professional development support

Job summary

Prairie Engineers is seeking an experienced Senior Hydrographic Field Surveyor to lead field acquisition, ensure data quality, and mentor crew members while collaborating with our hydrographic project manager. The role is hands-on with substantial travel and regular work aboard inland waterways vessels.

Salary range is $85,000–$135,000 per year, with travel expenses and meal per diem paid. You will plan surveys, operate HYPACK/HYSWEEP systems, oversee QA/QC, and contribute to integrated

Qualifications

• 6+ years hydrographic surveying experience with field acquisition
• Experience leading crews in field surveys
• Knowledge of HYPACK/HYSWEEP systems and sonar types
• Experience with survey planning, QA/QC, and data delivery
• Willingness to travel extensively and work long field days

Responsibilities

• Plan and perform hydrographic surveys and guide field crews
• Operate, calibrate, and troubleshoot survey systems
• Monitor positioning and data quality during acquisition
• Provide input for proposals, plans, and staffing
• Support processing, deliverables, and QA/QC
• Mentor hydrographers and technicians
• Improve procedures and quality control practices
• Evaluate new equipment and software
• Coordinate with related teams on integrated projects

Skills

Hydrographic surveying

Crew leadership

Field execution

Problem solving

Technical judgment

Education

Related degree / credentials

Tools

HYPACK/HYSWEEP

Singlebeam

Multibeam

Sidescan sonar

GNSS

Job description

Prairie Engineers is a small, growing engineering, survey and mapping, and natural resources firm serving clients nationwide. We are seeking an experienced Senior Hydrographic Field Surveyor to lead field acquisition, ensure the technical quality of hydrographic data, and mentor crew members, while working closely with our hydrographic project manager.

This is a hands-on senior field role with substantial travel and regular work aboard survey vessels on inland waterways (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and navigation channels). You will take technical ownership from survey planning through acquisition, real-time quality decisions, processing support, QA/QC, and delivery. Ideal candidates thrive in the field, enjoy guiding crews, and want the autonomy and influence that come with a smaller firm - contributing to procedures, equipment decisions, and integrated geospatial projects rather than working in a large, specialized silo.

Fulltime position. Salary range $85,000 - $135,000 per year, depending on education, experience, certifications, and technical expertise. Travel expenses and meal per diem are paid.

What You Will Do:

• Plan and perform hydrographic surveys; guide field crews; and safely operate, trailer, launch, and recover small motor vessels.
• Mobilize, configure, calibrate, operate and troubleshoot HYPACK/HYSWEEP systems using singlebeam, multibeam and sidescan sonar, GNSS, inertial navigation, and sound velocity equipment (including parametric and subbottom systems as needed).
• Monitor and verify positioning, calibration, sound velocity, coverage, and overall data quality during acquisition; resolve deficiencies before leaving the site.
• Provide technical input to project managers for proposals, survey plans, equipment and staffing needs, and effort estimates. Apply USACE, IHO, and other client and/or industry criteria, requirements, and project specifications.
• Support data processing, surface generation, and other deliverables; perform technical QA/QC in coordination with the project manager.
• Mentor and train hydrographers, survey technicians, and processing staff in equipment, software, field practices, processing, and quality control.
• Improve procedures, checklists, templates, and qualitycontrol practices to increase consistency, efficiency, and repeatability.
• Evaluate and help implement useful new equipment, software, automation, and processing approaches.
• Coordinate with land survey, sUAS, LiDAR, photogrammetry, GIS, and engineering teams on integrated projects.

What You Bring:

• A minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible hydrographic surveying experience, including substantial field acquisition, crew coordination, processing, and delivery.
• Advanced practical experience with HYPACK/HYSWEEP and with singlebeam, multibeam, and sidescan sonar systems.
• Strong understanding of positioning, motion compensation, sound velocity, calibration, coverage, uncertainty, and data quality; ability to independently configure and troubleshoot survey systems.
• Experience developing survey plans and familiarity with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydrographic surveying requirements.
• Demonstrated technical judgment, independent problemsolving, and the ability to teach and communicate clearly.
• Experience safely operating and trailering small motor vessels on inland waterways; willingness to travel extensively, work long field days in changing conditions and remote locations, and respond to occasional shortnotice mobilizations.
• A related degree and credentials such as Certified Hydrographer, LSIT/SIT, Professional Surveyor, or ASPRS CMSRemote Sensing are preferred. Substantial equivalent experience will be considered.

Why Prairie Engineers;

Join a people-focused firm with a can-do culture where your technical expertise directly shapes project outcomes and how we work. You will have the opportunity to improve processes and contribute across a range of inland waterway and integrated geospatial projects.

Benefits include medical insurance starting on day one, 401(k) plan with company contribution once eligible, generous paid time off (starting at a minimum of 160 hours), support for professional development and licensing. See the Careers page at prairieenginers.com for additional information and to find out why employees chose to join our team.

Prairie Engineers is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information (including family medical history), or any other legally protected characteristic. We are interested in every qualified candidate authorized to work for an employer in the U.S. Please note we are not able to sponsor current or future visas for this position.