FIELD ENGINEER / Emergency Appointment Fire

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

The application filing period will begin on March 18, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) - Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

EXAM NUMBER: C3907A-FR

The LA County Board of Supervisors has unanimously ratified a Proclamation of Local Emergency in response to the windstorms and wildfires , including the Palisades and Eaton Fires, that have devastated communities across the County. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to assist the County in mobilizing resources and support needed to help our residents recover and rebuild. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.

The Department of Public Works is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Field Engineer vacancies related to this unprecedented natural disaster.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Field Engineer .

Essential Job Functions

A Field Engineer is responsible for a combination of the following job functions:

• Supervises a large group of field crews performing diversified surveys involving hydrographic and topographic mapping, land boundaries, extensive construction, global positioning or precise geodetic and specialized control surveys.
• Interprets job orders for survey work and determines the size and number of crews needed, standards of accuracies required, crew availability, and schedule completion dates .
• Performs reconnaissance of proposed construction sites, stabilization areas, excavated debris basins, and proposed debris fill sites to locate the best placement of horizontal or vertical controls for photogrammetric mapping.
• Determines the extent of ground control necessary to ensure that all essential field data is provided.
• Acts as technical advisor in the pouching or assembly of maps and charts, field notes, tract maps, deed descriptions, quadrant sheets, and historical data necessary to conduct the surveys.
• Schedules and develops crew assignments in accordance with abilities and experience and discusses survey jobs with survey crew chiefs outlining areas requiring special consideration.
• Inspects field work in progress to guarantee conformance with contract specifications and department standards and that deadlines are being met. Evaluates established survey standards and develops new or revised systems or procedures which expedite work progress and efficiency.
• Develops work measurement methods reflecting crew efficiency, such as estimating time and labor requirements, reviewing jobs in progress to see if new procedures or methods would result in a cost savings.
• Trains office engineering and field personnel in the office computations, programming and filing procedures, and field techniques in laying out vertical and horizontal control systems.
• Develops specifications for aerial mapping contracts and contacts contractors regarding the adequacy of their photogrammetric mapping.
• Resolves complex surveying problems involving determinations regarding numerous land laws, legal requirements of surveys, solutions to triangulation, traverse, and quadrant surveys, and the included computational adjustment for mechanical, elemental, and probable errors.
• Reviews and approves completed field notes, maps and records for requisite accuracies, placement of controls, proper documentation, concise description of surveyed control points, and satisfaction of contract specifications.
• Meets with County and non-County agencies and firms in determining the engineering and construction needs for replacement, relocation, adjustment, or additional survey markers or controls, to coordinate the survey work with construction projects planned or in progress, and to arrange access to private properties or U.S. Forest Service areas.
• Obtains job-related contacts with private contractors, construction inspectors, right of way, design, topographic, and U.S. Forest Service engineers to develop job specifications or to insure that they are being adhered to by both field and contracting parties.
• Prepares performance evaluations and reports for the Supervising Field Engineer on appraisals of promotability of subordinate survey crew personnel.
• Determines the material needs of the survey unit by requisitioning equipment and supplies, and requesting repairs, replacement or calibration of survey instruments or tools.
• Acts as public consultant regarding advanced survey principles.
• Drives a survey vehicle to various and remote facilities throughout the County.
• A cts as section head in the absence of the Supervising Field Engineer, as needed.
  

The duties listed are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Option I: Five years of field survey experience supervising a survey crew in the performance of general surveying at the level of Survey Party Chief I*.

Option II: One year of office survey experience at the level of Survey Supervisor I, Flood Control**.

LICENSE:
A California State Certificate of Registration as a Professional Land Surveyor***.

A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions.

Successful applicants for positions that require driving must provide verification of their driver license and a copy of their driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

You MUST meet the requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class 2 - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
* Experience at the level of a Survey Party Chief I in the service of County of Los Angeles is defined as: Supervises a survey crew engaged in general surveying. For a fuller description of work performed refer to County of Los Angeles Class Specifications for Survey Party Chief I .

** Experience at the level of a Survey Supervisor I, Flood Control in the service of County of Los Angeles is defined as: Supervises a section engaged in office survey work. For a fuller description of work performed refer to County of Los Angeles Class Specifications for Survey Supervisor I, Flood Control .

You may still qualify even if your job title is not exactly the same as the ones listed. What matters is that your experience is at a similar level - meaning your job involves similar responsibilities, requires comparable skills and knowledge, and takes place within a similar organizational structure. Please provide a clear explanation of your experience to demonstrate that it is at the appropriate level.

***In order to receive credit, you must provide a valid copy of the California State Certificate of Registration as a Professional Land Surveyor with your application or within five (5) business days from the date of filing the application .

If you are unable to attach the required documents with your application, please submit them to PWExams@pw.lacounty.gov within five (5) business days from the date of filing the application, and indicate your name, the exam name, and the exam number.

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

EXAM CONTENT:
During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

Additional Information

APPLICATION & FILING INFORMATION:
Applications must be filed online only and will be reviewed for interview consideration on an ongoing basis. If you have not been contacted within 60 days and the recruitment remains open or reopens for filing, we encourage you to submit a new application. This will allow you to reaffirm your interest and update any relevant information.

Many notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address.

Please add NMondragon@pw.lacounty.gov , PWExams@pw.lacounty.gov , noreply@governmentjobs.com , and info@governmentjobs.com , as well as the domains dpw.lacounty.gov and hr.lacounty.gov , to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

You have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

Plan to submit your online application as soon as possible as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty , you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend’s user ID and password may erase a candidate’s original application record.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI): The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

CONTACT INFORMATION :
Department Contact Name: Neal Mondragon
Department Contact Phone: (626) 458-2141
Department Contact Email: PWExams@pw.lacounty.gov
ADA Coordinator Phone: (626) 458-2141
Teletype Phone: (626) 282-7829
California Relay Services: (800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

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