Howard County:Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of cosmopolitan community.
Howard County Government:Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 83 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards out of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 136 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.
What are we looking for?We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.
What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:- We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
- We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
- We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
- As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.
POSITION SUMMARY:This is supervisory survey work at the full performance level, directing survey crew in a variety of survey functions. Work includes responsibility for regular survey activities that are required for road construction, water and sewer construction, capital improvements, and other related county projects, including boundary surveys and geodetic control work. Work is performed with general supervision from a technical superior. Assignments are stable in nature and are carried out in accordance with accepted standards and applicable regulations.Contacts with others are regular and important, including contacts with engineers, contractors, developers, and the public.STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:
$30.17 - $34.04
$62,751 - $70,806CLASS DESCRIPTION:Performs advanced technical level engineering support work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under the general supervision from a technical superior. Work includes technical land acquisition work such as negotiating the acquisition of rights-of-way and fee simple parcels; and preparing and executing contracts, deeds, and agreements. Work may also include planning, coordinating, and reviewing the work of a survey crew acquiring hydrographic and topographic data.***Please note that this position falls within a collective bargaining unit and is represented by AFSCME Local 3085, Local 3888, or Local 1810***Includes the following. Other duties may be assigned.Participates in and supervises the operation of a survey crew. Directs the activities of survey parties engaged in acquiring hydrographic and topographic data, boundary surveys, layout of pipe lines, roads, buildings, RTK GPS surveys.Assists geodesist in determining the area and location where geodetic control stations of the local system are to be re established. Also assists the geodesist in designing and planning new lines of geodetic control to be performed with GPS, both horizontal and vertical. Directs the survey crew in aid given to the National Geodetic Survey and the State of Maryland.May supervise the original setting or reestablishment of geodetic monuments under the direction of the Chief of Surveys, Geodesist or Survey Operations Coordinator.Supervises the recording of information obtained for any geodetic control project and other projects requiring regular surveying activities; verifies the correctness of the data acquired.Performs boundary surveys, cross-sections, profiles, construction layout, RTK topographic surveys, and other surveys. Organizes and maintains files of all survey activities undertaken.Performs other duties as assigned or required.SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:Supervises the daily activities of a two (2) or three (3) person survey crew.Associates' degree and one (1) year related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:Progressively responsible field survey experience, including as an instrument operator.Considerable knowledge of survey principles, Instruments and equipment.Considerable knowledge of surveying methods and techniques including areas of common error.Considerable knowledge of trigonometry and other mathematics and their applications to survey field work.Considerable knowledge of robotic theodolites and digital levels.Knowledge of astronomic survey techniques.Knowledge of supervisory methods and techniques.Considerable knowledge of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), CAD and Data Collectors.Knowledge of high definition scanning.Some knowledge of engineering principles and operations.Some knowledge of supervisory methods and techniques.Skill in the use and care of survey instruments and equipment.Ability to interpret, collect, and analyze data.Ability to prepare technical records and reports.Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.A valid Maryland Class "C" driver's license.PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 60 pounds more or less. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold, extreme heat, and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is at times loud. The employee will be working in dense woods, cultivated fields, wet swampy areas, rough terrain, construction sites and many far off road situations and conditions.LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS, AND REASONING ABILITY:Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common surveying and technical journals, construction drawings, deeds, and plats. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as coordinate geometry and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
