Project Surveyor, Transportation
Woolpert · Cincinnati · $57,800–$86,800 (stated in the posting)
At Woolpert, you’ll do work that matters.
As a leading global architecture, engineering, and geospatial firm, we help clients solve complex challenges that shape communities, strengthen critical infrastructure, advance technology, and improve the world around us. Here, you’ll collaborate across disciplines, tackle meaningful projects, and build a career defined by growth, opportunity, and impact.
Position Overview:
Woolpert is hiring a Project Surveyor to support transportation projects throughout Ohio, with an emphasis on work for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). This role leads the planning, coordination, technical execution, quality control, and delivery of survey and geospatial work supporting roadway, bridge, right-of-way, utility, and construction projects. The Project Surveyor works closely with project managers, design teams, field crews, CADD staff, subconsultants, and ODOT district and central-office personnel to deliver accurate, consistent, and design-ready survey products in accordance with project scope, schedule, budget, and applicable ODOT requirements.
We are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. Applicants must already possess work authorization in the country the job is located.
What You Will Do
- Lead survey tasks and project phases for ODOT and other Ohio transportation clients, from scoping and fee development through final delivery.
- Review requests for proposals, project plans, and available records to define survey limits, technical requirements, assumptions, staffing needs, schedules, and budgets.
- Develop survey approaches for roadway, bridge, corridor, intersection, interchange, drainage, pedestrian, and maintenance-of-traffic projects.
- Plan and coordinate horizontal and vertical project control, GNSS observations, conventional traverses, differential leveling, topographic surveys, drainage and structure surveys, and supplemental design surveys.
- Direct boundary and existing right-of-way research, field evidence recovery, deed and plat analysis, resolution of record and occupation conflicts, and development of right-of-way basemapping.
- Coordinate preparation and review of right-of-way plans, legal descriptions, plats, parcel exhibits, centerline plats, and other acquisition-related survey deliverables when included in the project scope.
- Coordinate subsurface utility locating and mapping with survey basemapping, including Quality Level A and Quality Level B information, test-hole data, utility records, and field-observed evidence.
- Integrate conventional survey, mobile mapping, terrestrial lidar, aerial imagery, photogrammetry, and other geospatial datasets into cohesive, design-ready deliverables.
- Oversee processing, feature attribution, terrain development, planimetric mapping, and basemap production using current ODOT CADD standards and OpenRoads Designer workflows.
- Apply applicable ODOT Location and Design Manual requirements, CADD standards, survey specifications, project-specific instructions, and approved quality procedures.
- Establish project-specific QA/QC plans and perform or coordinate independent checks of control, calculations, field data, mappings, right-of-way determinations, legal descriptions, and final deliverables.
- Monitor progress against scope, schedule, and budget; document variances; and develop corrective actions when project conditions or client requirements change.
- Communicate technical issues, survey risks, access constraints, utility conflicts, safety concerns, and potential scope changes to the project manager and appropriate client contacts.
- Coordinate field activities, traffic-control needs, railroad or restricted-access requirements, permits, property access, and work-zone safety expectations.
- Coach, mentor, and delegate work to survey crews, technicians, CADD staff, and other technical team members while reinforcing consistent procedures and quality expectations.
- Support proposal development, ODOT prequalification packages, consultant selection materials, technical approaches, fee negotiations, and project interviews as requested.
- Maintain organized project records, calculations, correspondence, quality documentation, and deliverable archives in accordance with company and client requirements.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
What You Will Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Surveying, Geomatics, Civil Engineering, or a related field is preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
- Professional Surveyor registration in Ohio is strongly preferred. Ohio Surveyor Intern or LSIT certification may be considered with appropriate transportation-survey experience.
- Experience supporting ODOT, local public agency, or comparable state DOT transportation projects is strongly preferred.
- Working knowledge of transportation surveying, project control, topographic mapping, boundary and right-of-way principles, utility mapping, and construction-related survey support.
- Familiarity with ODOT survey and mapping requirements, Location and Design Manual guidance, CADD standards, right-of-way plan development practices, and project delivery expectations is preferred.
- Proficiency with OpenRoads Designer and MicroStation is preferred. Experience with AutoCAD Civil 3D, Trimble Business Center, survey data collectors, GNSS processing, lidar, or mobile-mapping workflows is beneficial.
- Ability to interpret roadway and bridge plans, survey scopes, right-of-way plans, deeds, plats, title information, utility records, and technical specifications.
- Ability to prepare and manage project scopes, schedules, staffing plans, budgets, progress forecasts, and change documentation.
- Ability to identify and explain planned-versus-actual performance variances and recommend practical corrective action.
- Sound technical judgment and the ability to synthesize records, field evidence, survey observations, design information, and project requirements.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to coordinate effectively with ODOT personnel, project managers, engineers, utility coordinators, subconsultants, property owners, and internal technical teams.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent assignments with competing priorities and deadlines.
- Commitment to quality, safety, ethics, client service, and compliance with applicable professional standards and Ohio surveying laws and regulations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and common project collaboration tools.
- Ability to travel, including occasional overnight travel, to support project and client needs.
Preferred ODOT-Related Qualifications
- Experience serving as Project Surveyor, Survey Task Lead, or QA/QC reviewer on ODOT roadway, bridge, right-of-way, or subsurface utility locating assignments.
- ODOT prequalification or documented project experience related to complex right-of-way plan development/review, survey, or subsurface utility locating services.
- Experience coordinating multidisciplinary transportation deliverables with roadway, bridge, drainage, traffic, environmental, and utility teams.
- Experience developing survey deliverables for multiple ODOT districts or statewide/task-order contracts.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to perform prolonged computer and office work and operate standard office equipment.
- Ability to occasionally visit active roadway, bridge, construction, and field-survey sites, including walking on uneven terrain and working near traffic or construction operations while using required personal protective equipment.
- Ability to occasionally reach, bend, climb, balance, and lift or move up to 40 pounds.
- Ability to safely and effectively perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Benefits You Will Love
Certified as a Great Place to Work, Woolpert is one of the fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and geospatial companies in the world. With over 75 offices and countless projects around the globe, you’ll work on meaningful assignments that improve quality of life around the world. In addition to offering competitive pay, we provide employees with a robust set of unique benefits, including:
- Freedom to Work program: Set your own schedule and location (as appropriate).
- Principal program: Earn the opportunity to become an owner of the firm.
- Flexible paid time off/vacation: Take time off when it makes sense for you and your team.
- Career development: Explore a wide range of learning and growth opportunities within and across industries.
- Health, life, vision, and dental insurance: Cover all your medical bases.
- Paid sick time, retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, pet insurance, identity protection, technology stipend, employee assistance program, and more!
#LI-KA1
Base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Find out more about what Woolpert has to offer here: http://woolpert.com/about-us/
Woolpert is an equal-opportunity employer. Woolpert is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals. We recruit, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. You may view more about EEO on our website: Equal-Employment-Opportunity-The-Law.pdf and EEO is the Law Poster Supplement.
Applicants who require an accommodation throughout the application and interview process should request this in advance by contacting your Recruiter
To all agencies: Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee of Woolpert or any of our subsidiaries about this requisition. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee at Woolpert via email, the internet, or in any form and/or method will be deemed the sole property of Woolpert, unless such search firms/employment agencies were engaged by Woolpert's Talent Acquisition Team for this requisition and a valid agreement is in place. In the event a candidate who was submitted outside of Woolpert's applicant process is hired, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid.