Instrument Person - Public Works

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About the Department

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration. The City's Public Works Department is seeking an individual whose values align with the values of the City's employees.

The Department of Public Works is responsible for delivering capital improvement projects for a wide variety of City facilities and infrastructure, maintaining City facilities and fleet assets, facilitating and regulating development activities, and providing animal care and services. The Department is committed to high-quality service, partnering with the community, and providing an excellent environment in which to work.

Position Duties

Salary range(s) for this classification is $89,871.60 - $109,156.32. This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

As part of Engineering Services Division, Survey Section of the Public Works Department, this position is responsible for delivering land surveying services on a variety of City projects including street widening/improvements, storm and sanitary facilities, library/community center/fire station sites, and airfield projects. These land surveying services include, but are not limited to the following: topography, property acquisition, construction staking, pavement marking layout, and monument preservation.

The Survey Section is currently recruiting to fill one (1) Instrument Person position. An Instrument Person performs a variety of sub-professional surveying and engineering functions of moderate difficulty either on a survey crew in the field, or in the Survey Section office.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Acts as instrument person on a survey party.
• Records field notes and prepares maps and sketches from survey data.
• Sets up, adjusts, and operates all types of survey instruments.
• Provides lead direction and training to other survey personnel.
• Uses modern, survey-grade Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment.
• Calculates grades and enters data into field books.
• Turns angles and extends horizontal line using a total station.
• Uses the level to obtain vertical control.
• Uses the level, total station, rod, targets to perform topographic surveying in order to describe the existing features of a piece of land in order that it may be reproduced as a plan map.
• Locates survey points by measurement, magnetometer and from maps of former surveys.
• Assist with transferring electronic field data to a PC workstation, processing and interpreting the data, and checking for errors.
• Assists with producing high-quality, computer-generated topography maps and tables using sophisticated engineering software.

This is the journey level class in a four class surveying series. This class differs from the next higher class of Survey Party Chief in that incumbents of the latter perform sub-professional surveying work and are usually responsible for completing only a segment of a surveying program or project.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Completion of high school or equivalent (General Educational Development [GED] Test or California Proficiency Certificate.

Experience: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible sub-professional engineering/surveying work.

Acceptable Substitution: Successful completion of two (2) academic years, or sixty (60) semester units, of college level engineering technology, surveying, geography, and/or mathematics courses or related field from an accredited college or university may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.

OR

Possession of a valid Land Surveyor-In-Training (LSIT) license issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.

Required Licensing: Possession of a valid State of California driver’s license.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Customer Service - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

Physical/Environmental Elements

The following is a general statement for the classification. Individual positions may have additional or different physical/environmental elements.

Possess ability to:

• Move between/within work areas, including but not limited to sitting, walking, and standing on various surfaces, turning, bending, grasping, and making repetitive hand movements;
• Maintain professional demeanor during interactions with staff, customers, and the public;
• Operate, access, enter, and retrieve data using standard office equipment, including but not limited to a computer or tablet;
• Operate varied Survey instruments and equipment;
• Read printed materials and a computer screen;
• Communicate in person and over the telephone;
• Be exposed to moderate noise levels and controlled temperature conditions;
• Work in and inspect changing site conditions and work in progress;
• Perform light to medium physical work, including climbing/descending ladders;
• Operate a motor vehicle and visit various City sites;
• Be exposed to unpredictable working conditions including but not limited to loud noise levels, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, confined workspaces, toxic or caustic chemicals, hazardous physical substances, fumes, odors, gases, dust, and air contaminants;
• Lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects averaging a weight of 40 pounds, or heavier weights, in all cases with the use of proper equipment.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Diana Gonzalez at diana.gonzalez@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 1/21/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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