Land Surveyor

About the company

This job opportunity announcement is for the position of Land Surveyor with the Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Pacific Northwest Regional Office. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Your tasks

Duties performed as a Land Surveyor at the full performance level include (but are not limited to) the following: Applies professional knowledge of the concepts, principles and techniques of surveying, including underlying mathematics and physical science, in combination with a practical knowledge of land ownership laws. Serves as project leader on a variety of topographic mapping projects. Plans and coordinates field mapping(s) of complex types of terrain, unique topographic features and/or rugged topography. Provides expert advice and consultation throughout the Region on surveying issues, including issues related to survey work performed under contract. Coordinates surveying activities among field offices within the Region. Performs other related duties as assigned within this job classification.

Requirements

Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/10/2026. Competitive candidates must also meet the Time-in-Grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service documentation is sufficient to verify the work schedule requirement, as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants that are not current federal employees, your resume must clearly state either "full-time" (or "40 hours per week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience is applied.

To qualify for the GS-11: You must possess one year of specialized experience that is comparable in scope and complexity to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal civil service. Qualifying experience for the Land Surveyor position at the GS-11 grade level is defined as: Assisting or participating in surveying activities involving or pertaining to site topography, geodetic control, right-of-way, property boundary, and/or construction stake-out processes; assisting in the development of technical reference documents and/or the formulation of proposed legal descriptions and plans suitable for facilitating right-of-way acquisition(s); communicating ideas, facts, and other important information in a clear and logical manner to customers, teammates and/or other professionals. This definition of qualifying experience represents the type of work performed at the next lower grade level in the Federal civil service (GS-09).

To qualify for the GS-12: You must possess one year of specialized experience that is comparable in scope and complexity to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal civil service. Qualifying experience for the Land Surveyor position at the GS-12 full performance level is defined as: Conducting and/or leading surveying efforts involving or pertaining to site topography, geodetic control, right-of-way, property boundary, and/or construction stakeout processes; developing technical reference documents and/or formulating proposed legal descriptions and plans suitable for facilitating right-of-way acquisition(s); fostering or maintaining cooperative working relationships with professional counterparts and management officials in meeting shared program objectives. This definition of qualifying experience represents the type of work performed at the next lower grade level in the Federal civil service (GS-11).

In addition: A valid Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license issued through a State Board in any State or Territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia is required for placement at the GS-12 full performance level of this position. This is in accordance with Reclamation Manual 05-01, Professional Registration for Engineers, Land Surveyors, Landscape Architects, and Architects, section 3(G), Surveying Determinations or Actions; and 4, Signing for Technical Approval. Please note that you must include supporting documentation with your application that backs your claim of having a current Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license credential.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

This position has a mandatory education requirement. Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Mandatory Requirements: A) Degree: land surveying; or civil engineering with a surveying option/emphasis. The civil engineering major must have included at least 6 semester hours of surveying, 3 semester hours of land law, and 21 additional semester hours in any combination of the following: surveying, photogrammetry, geodetic surveying, geodesy, route surveying, remote sensing, cartography, survey astronomy, land information systems, computer-aided mapping, aerial photo interpretation, and survey analysis and adjustments. or B) Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in land surveying or civil engineering as described in paragraph A, plus appropriate experience or additional education. or C) The basic requirements for this occupational series may be fully satisfied by a current registration as a land surveyor in a State, territory, or the District of Columbia obtained by written examination. Such registration must have been obtained under conditions outlined in the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE) Unified Model Law for Registration of Surveyors. Applicants wishing to be considered under this provision must show evidence of registration based on successful completion of the written examinations. Registrations granted prior to adoption of a registration law with qualification requirements equivalent to the NCEE Model Law by the State, territory, or District of Columbia are not acceptable under this option. To be considered equivalent to the NCEE Model law, registration laws must include the four options listed within the NCEE Unified Model Law in the section specifying "General Requirements for Registration" as a Professional Land Surveyor. You must submit copies of your education transcript(s) to support all claimed education. Education transcripts must include your full name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission of educational documentation will result in an unqualified rating for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the initial application; however, you must provide the certified official transcripts if selected for the position. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

You must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment is subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Male applicants born after 12-31-1959: You must be registered for Selective Service. Prerequisite for GS-12 FPL: A current registration as a licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) issued through a State Board in a State or Territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia is required, as per Reclamation Manual 05-01, Professional Registration for Engineers, Land Surveyors, Landscape Architects, and Architects, section 3(G), Surveying Determinations or Actions; and section 4, Signing for Technical Approval. Must be able to complete required training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. The probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary period automatically terminates when that period ends, unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of the probationary period, your appointment may expire unless you receive supervisory certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Requirements are listed under Qualifications