The survey party chief heads up a field survey crew responsible for creating surveys for construction, topographic, right-of-way and control survey tasks. He or she engages in the planning phase with local officials, supervisors, engineers and contractors. The survey party chief oversees surveying work and offers input and expertise. He or she trains the survey crew on how to do use surveying equipment and conduct proper mapping.

The survey party chief collects survey data using a global positioning system (GPS). He or she uses surveying tools such as a total station, theodolite and level to measure elevations, distance and angles. It is the job of this person to use construction stakes to map out horizontal and vertical controls for proper construction. This individual also is responsible for defining right-of-way and property boundaries.

The survey party chief job requires great communication skills in order to develop relationships with the many parties involved in a construction project. This person is responsible for coordinating and supervising all survey tasks until finished. It is the role of this individual to communicate with utility companies to ensure proper surveying of public streets and easements. The surveys must recognize and conform to the design of the utilities infrastructure.

This man or woman is tasked with being the designated representative of the local government when meeting with private property owners about surveying needs. The survey party chief reads construction maps to create a physical survey of the area being examined. He or she decides which specific surveying techniques will be implemented on a given project. This person makes sure that all of the proper safety precautions are being taken on the survey site.

When on the job, this individual creates construction elevations and reads the engineering level to establish benchmarks. He or she will adjust the surveying equipment as necessary. Using collected data, the survey party chief creates survey drafts to submit to project managers and other engineers. He or she converts broad bearings into exact angles and determines the precise slope needed.

The survey party chief job description calls for someone who can make sure that crew members are properly trained and able to complete assigned tasks. He or she performs mathematical calculations to complete surveying tasks and to check for mistakes. It is the job of this person to ensure that all surveying data is accurate. This individual creates descriptions for all surveys performed. If there are any tasks that a crew member is unable to complete, the survey party chief is responsible for performing them.