Survey Instrument Rod Person

Harris County; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

The Harris County Flood Control District is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Instrument Rod Person. This role performs technical survey work as part of a field crew, operating surveying instruments and collecting data to support the Surveying Department.

Qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent and at least one year of survey experience. Preferred are college or technical degrees in civil engineering or survey technology, and proficiency with Leica/GPS

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• At least 1 year of survey-related experience or equivalent field experience.
• Analytical skills to apply guidelines and adapt standard methods.
• Ability to prepare accurate field sketches.
• Self-starter capable of working independently and in a team.
• Able to work with District staff, contractors, and the public.
• Team player in field environments with deadlines and accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills to prioritize and schedule tasks.
• Effective communication with coworkers, the public, industry, and government representatives.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and produce clear written materials.

Responsibilities

• Operate survey instruments (transit, level, theodolites, EDM) to measure distances and collect data.
• Perform cross-section, profile, location, topographic, and construction layout surveys.
• Locate and establish lines, points, and angles; ensure precise levels and grades.
• Dig for monuments and locate survey markers; clear obstructions for line of sight.
• Prepare correspondence and maintain records related to work activities.
• Adapt to evolving district demands and assume additional responsibilities as needed.

Skills

Analytical skills

Sketching

Self-starter

Teamwork

Field environment

Organizational skills

Communication

Reading/writing

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Some college / associate or technical degree preferred

Tools

Leica GPS

Total stations

AutoCAD

Carlson Land Surveying

Leica software

Job description

Job Summary

The Harris County Flood Control District is searching for qualified candidates for the position of Instrument Rod Person.

The Harris County Flood Control District has a mission to reduce the risk of flooding in Harris County, the third most populous county in the United States, with a population exceeding 4.7 million, including the City of Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city. The District has jurisdiction over the county's primary stormwater facilities, which consist of approximately 1,500 channels totaling nearly 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins covering over 10,000 acres, and several wetlands mitigation banks.

The District is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Instrument Rod Person, who is responsible for performing technical survey work of average difficulty as part of a field survey crew, including operating electronic measuring and data-collection devices and other survey instruments for the Surveying Department.

Essential Functions & Duties:

Survey Instrument Operation & Measurement

• Operate various survey engineering instruments such as transit, level, theodolites, and electronic distance measuring devices to measure distances and collect data, elevations, and distances.

• Make cross-section, profile, location, topographic, and construction layout surveys.

• Locate and establish lines, critical points, and angles.

• Comply with instructional notes for level circuits, traverse closures, precise levels, property corners, topography, horizontal and vertical curves, cross-sections for earthwork calculations, and building grades.

Field Support & Site Preparation

• Dig ground using a pick, shovel, and other hand tools to search for and locate survey monuments.

• Cut and remove brush and undergrowth for the line of sight.

• Drive stakes to set grades on construction projects.

Operational Improvement & Problem Solving

• Demonstrate continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality, seamless customer service.

• Advise management of problems and prepare recommendations for solutions using best practices.

Additional Responsibilities and Duties

• Prepare correspondence, complete forms, and maintain records and files related to work activities.

• Assume additional responsibilities as required, adapting to the District's evolving demands, responsibilities, needs, and objectives.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call [phone] or email [e-mail].

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Education and Experience:

• Requires a high school graduate or equivalent.

• Requires a minimum of one year of experience in survey work or a similar field, including field survey engineering methods and/or other survey techniques.

Licensure:

• Valid Class "C" Texas Driver’s License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Some analytical skills in applying guidelines, policies, and precedents and in adapting standard methods to fit facts and conditions.

• Ability to prepare accurate sketches of conditions found in the field.

• Be a self-starter; work well independently and as a team; assume ownership in completing assigned tasks.

• Work cooperatively with other District employees, craftsmen, property owners, contractors, and the public.

• Work well with a team in a field environment, under pressure, adhering to tight deadlines and accuracy/quality standards.

• Utilize good organizational skills and effectively prioritize and schedule multiple tasks/initiatives.

• Effectively communicate with coworkers, the general public, industry, and/or governmental representatives.

• Read/comprehend written materials, use proper grammar, correct spelling and punctuation, phone etiquette, problem solving, simple formats, and filing systems.

NOTE:

Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

• Prefer some college or an associate or technical degree in civil engineering, survey technology, or equivalent curriculum.

• Prefer experience using complex optical equipment, electronic instruments, and various instruments used in survey engineering, specifically Leica GPS and total stations.

• Prefer experience using Auto CAD, Carlson Land Surveying, and Leica software.

Position Type:

• Regular Full Time

Hours:

• 40 hours per week – Hours may be outside normal business hours

Salary:

• To be discussed at the interview

Physical Demands & Environmental Exposure:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

• Frequent walking up and down steep slopes of ditches or on rough and uneven surfaces or ground such as sloping terrain, plowed or furrowed areas, or construction sites.

• Frequent stooping, bending, reaching, lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds and occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.

• Frequent driving of a vehicle with automatic controls.

• Occasional sorting, filing, shelving, and handling documents, books, files, file drawers, and related materials and equipment required for clerical operations.

• Approximately 90% of duties are performed outdoors, where there will be routine exposure to significant levels of heat, cold, moisture, air pollution, wind, and dust.

• Routine exposure to vegetation retardants, herbicides, and/or fertilizers, petroleum products, including but not limited to gasoline, oil, grease, diesel, and other fuels and lubricants.

• May be exposed to snakes, wildlife, wasps, bees, and other flying/walking insects, aquatic bacteria, viruses, and other micro-organisms, vibration and/or noise in excess of 85 decibels.

• Approximately 10% of duties are performed indoors in a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, air conditions, and noise levels.

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.