Job Posting: Party Chief

Department of Transportation

JC-521185
-
Party Chief
TRANSPORTATION SURVEYOR PARTY CHIEF (CALTRANS)

$10,198.00 - $12,761.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 6/25/2026

Job Description and Duties

Under the direction of a Senior Transportation Surveyor, the Party Chief administers professional land survey tasks in the Field Branch of the Land Surveys Division. The incumbent plans and organizes the work of a land surveys field crew; coordinates field surveying activities with other Caltrans functional units, contractors and the public. Performs a wide variety of difficult and complex professional surveying work while exercising independent professional judgment in responsible charge of assignments.

PARF# 11-26-0288 / JC-521185

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the TRANSPORTATION SURVEYOR PARTY CHIEF (CALTRANS) exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions.  To apply for the exam, please click here and search by typing in the classification title.

Please take this 1-minute Caltrans Recruitment survey to tell us how you found out about this job. 

 

https://forms.office.com/g/RyK102ty4G

 

https://youtu.be/oC9wIp8QalI

 

Apply today to join our team!  We especially encourage applicants to check out our Caltrans Career Compass tool!  The Caltrans Career Compass is a tool to assist and help candidates understand and succeed in applying to Caltrans positions.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

Position located at 7177 Opportunity Rd, San Diego, CA 92111, San Diego County.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

 Nearly all work is accomplished out-of-doors in remote areas, along the traveled way of highways, in heavy construction zones, on bridge caps and piles, mountain tops, desert valleys and on the property of private citizens. Work is performed in all weather conditions, including the desert heat in the summer and mountain cold in the winter. The incumbent is expected to travel throughout District 11, which includes San Diego and Imperial Counties. A small portion of the work may be accomplished within a climate controlled office environment. A valid driver's license is required to operate a State-owned or leased vehicle.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-521185
Position #(s):
911-308-3030-002
Working Title:
Party Chief
Classification:
TRANSPORTATION SURVEYOR PARTY CHIEF (CALTRANS)
$10,198.00 - $12,761.00
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
Multiple
Work Location:
San Diego County
Telework:
In Office
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

Caltrans Mission: Improving lives and communities through transportation.

Caltrans Vision: A thriving and connected California.

The Caltrans workforce is made up of diverse and unique individuals who contribute to our organizational success.

Department Website: www.dot.ca.gov 

Director’s EEO Policy: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/equal-employment-opportunity

Director’s EEO Policy Statement: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/equal-employment-opportunity

Special Requirements

  • Possession of a valid Land Surveyor's License issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists is required for this position.

  • Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a State owned or leased vehicle.

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) serves as documentation of each applicant's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. Please follow the instructions below; failure to include and complete the SOQ as instructed may result in the SOQ not being considered and in disqualification from the interview. Resumes and cover letters will not take the place of the SOQ. The SOQ must be typed, no more than two pages in length, and 12-point Arial font:

1. Leadership & Staff Development
Provide examples that demonstrate your experience as a lead worker in land survey operations, including hiring support, supervising, training, mentoring, disciplining staff, and collaborating effectively with public agencies, state partners, contractors, and the public.

2. Field Surveying Expertise
Describe your field experience in performing and overseeing various types of surveys such as horizontal and vertical control, boundary surveys, DTM topographic surveys, monitoring surveys, aerial photogrammetric control, and construction surveys.

3. Operational Management & Prioritization
Illustrate how you balance multiple priorities, manage strict deadlines, organize resources and equipment, maintain records, track schedules, and support staff to ensure efficient and compliant survey operations.

4. Technical Knowledge of Surveying Methods & Equipment
Describe your understanding of survey principles—including mathematical concepts and provide examples of how you applied this knowledge when working with Terrestrial systems, GNSS, MTLS, UAS, Digital Terrain Model processing, point cloud registration, boundary determination, deed writing, and construction plan interpretation.

5. Software & GIS Proficiency
Describe your experience in using technical and analytical software such as Civil 3D, MicroStation, TopoDOT, Trimble Business Center, Trimble Access, Microsoft Office Suite, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support surveying and mapping tasks.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment.  If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification.  Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment.  Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent.  Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: https://www.naces.org/members or https://aice-eval.org.  Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 6/25/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Transportation
California Department of Transportation
Attn: Caltrans DHR Contact - JC-521185
1750 E. 4th Street, 1st Floor
Santa Ana, CA 92705

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Transportation
California Department of Transportation
Caltrans DHR Contact - JC-521185
1750 E. 4th Street, 1st Floor
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Closed on weekends and State holidays.
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

  • Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
  • Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
  • Statement of Qualifications -

    Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Please see the Special Requirements section for SOQ instructions.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Must possess an expert-level understanding of the technical aspects of land surveying in the field. This includes knowledge of mathematics and basic science as it applies to the land surveying profession.

Benefits

Click HERE  to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Human Resources Contact:
Deshani Masachchi
(619) 629-4284
deshani.masachchi@dot.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
Maria Elena Capati-Palo
(619) 929-6988
Maria.Capati-Palo@dot.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Caltrans EEO Office
(844) 368-3367
Ask.eeo@dot.ca.gov
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Important Applications Instructions:

The State application (STD. 678) is required, and each section must be filled out completely and thoroughly. For mailed or hand delivered applications to be considered for this position, the Job Control number (JC-521185), PARF# 11-26-0288 and title of the position (Transportation Surveyor Party Chief (Caltrans)) must be included on the STD. 678 form.

 

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

 

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

 

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts.  Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age.  The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position.  Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job