Survey Crew Chief

ACTalent; North Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life insurance

PTO

Job summary

Actalent is hiring a Survey Party Chief in North Charleston, SC to lead field crews on DOT, commercial, federal, and industrial projects across South Carolina. The role involves locating, reviewing, and researching job sites to identify landmarks and land changes, while ensuring safety and accuracy.

You will supervise the survey crew, manage field data, and coordinate with engineering teams and clients. The position is contract to hire with regular hours and potential travel, requiring endurance

Qualifications

• Minimum 2–5 years as party crew chief preferred.
• Valid driver's license, clean MVR, and pass background check.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather and travel up to 50%.
• Strong technical skills and problem-solving orientation.

Responsibilities

• Lead survey crew and supervise daily field operations.
• Locate, review, and research job locations for landmarks and changes.
• Ensure accuracy of angles, distances, and data.
• Maintain instruments and coordinate with clients and engineers.
• Prepare logs, sketches, and field notes.
• Collaborate with computer operators on final deliverables.

Skills

Surveying experience

Team lead

Total Station

Land surveying

Field data collection

GPS methods

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Total Station/Data Collector

Level

GPS methods

Survey equipment

Job description

Job Title: Survey Party Chief

Job Description

We are seeking a diligent and experienced Survey Party Chief to join our team. The ideal candidate will work closely with the survey party crew chief on diverse projects throughout South Carolina, including DOT, Commercial, Federal, Government, Industrial, and Power Companies. The role involves locating, reviewing, and researching job locations to identify important landmarks and land changes.

Responsibilities

• Locate, review, and research job locations to identify landmarks, physical objects, and land changes affecting the survey.
• Supervise the survey crew's work, evaluate priorities, coordinate, and organize work efforts.
• Ensure the standard of work and derive necessary field calculations from completed tasks.
• Oversee the maintenance of instruments and equipment.
• Verify that angles, distances, and other data collected are accurate and meet regulations and standards.
• Coordinate project findings with engineering personnel, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Research previous survey evidence, maps, deeds, physical evidence, and records for necessary survey data.
• Determine methods and procedures for establishing or reestablishing survey control.
• Maintain accurate notes, records, and sketches to describe completed work.
• Complete daily logs and expense reports.
• Fill out company and client safety forms and ensure crew members follow safety procedures.
• Collaborate with computer operators to review the final production of work performed.

Essential Skills

• Experience with Surveying: Construction Staking, Boundary, ALTA surveys.
• Ability to lead a team of surveyors.
• Proficiency in data collection and use of Total Station.
• Capability to survey independently with skills in land surveying and topography.
• Familiarity with surveying terms and the use and care of survey tools and equipment.
• Proficiency in operating survey equipment such as Total Station/Data Collector, Level, and various GPS methods.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 2-5 years of experience as a party crew chief preferred.
• Strong technical skills with process-oriented behavioral traits such as being steady, helpful, analytical, and a problem solver.
• Must possess a valid driver's license, an acceptable motor vehicle record, a cleared background check, and a negative drug test result.

Work Environment

The role involves outdoor work throughout the year, requiring walking through various terrains and enduring extreme heat and cold. The position requires a Monday to Friday schedule from 7 AM to 5 PM, with potential overtime based on project load. On average, surveyors work 50-60 hours weekly. The role involves about 50% travel, with the crew chief reporting to the Charleston office daily. Overnight travel may occasionally be necessary. Physical requirements include the ability to work in environments with venomous snakes and insects, stand for long periods, work in a wide range of temperatures, climb hills, walk long distances, traverse different terrains, and lift and carry up to 75 lbs. The candidate must also be able to interact both verbally and in writing.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of North Charleston, SC.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $26.00 - $33.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your jobclassification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may besubject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefitsavailable for this temporary role may include the following:Medical, dental & visionCritical Illness, Accident, and Hospital401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions availableLife Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)Short and long-term disabilityHealth Spending Account (HSA)Transportation benefitsEmployee Assistance ProgramTime Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of North Charleston, SC.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 23, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in North Charleston,SC.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.