Job Specification
Position Title:
Geomatics Plan Technician
Job Code:
12919 - Technician 3, Engineering Survey
Purpose of Position :
To prepare, edit and review ministry standard Geomatics products related to pre-engineering surveys, cadastral
surveys, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and mapping projects, and deliverables to support the
oversight, maintenance, planning, design, and construction of highway projects (e.g., develop ministry templates,
specifications and procedures for mapping and plan production). To provide technical expertise and support to
ministry staff and service providers in the development of Geomatics products.
Duties / Responsibilities :
1. Producing Geomatics products such as legal and pre-engineering survey drawings, GIS applications and
themed maps, digital terrain models, cross-sections and horizontal alignments from manual and digital field notes,
digital images, photogrammetric plans and other spatial data. This is accomplished using least squares
adjustment software, coordinate geometry software, GIS software and computer assisted drafting software, and by
applying principles of geometry, trigonometry, legal and engineering surveying, coordinate/datum systems,
cartography, GIS and scale factors and by searching for and investigating internal files, plans and documents for
applicable information.
2. Producing and maintaining Engineering and Title Records and other map products using plans, deeds, as-
constructed contract drawings, digital maps and databases and other spatial data from ministry sources and
outside agencies. This is accomplished using coordinate geometry software, computer assisted drafting software,
GIS software and by searching internal files, plans and documents.
3. Providing assistance to project management staff for internal projects and consultants for service provider
assignments by: searching for plans and reviewing documents, compiling information, reviewing the scope of
work, providing time estimates; reviewing reports, plans, cross-sections, maps and other data sets for accuracy
and content for conformance to relevant legislation, ministry standards and terms for reference; communicating
findings and project updates to project management staff and consultants.
4. Communicating guidance and feedback to ministry staff and service providers regarding technical issues such
as ministry standards, processes and survey/engineering/GIS software, under the supervision of project
management staff. Liaise with and provide technical information, advice, training and guidance to partners,
stakeholders and internal ministry clients and respond to technical enquires from external agencies.
5. Archiving legal and engineering survey plans, alignments and other digital data sets into file management
systems. Ensuring proper naming conventions and data management techniques are followed for spatial
information using industry best practices.
Knowledge :
Knowledge of engineering survey principles, practices and procedures in order to prepare, process and assess in-
house and consultant survey products (e.g., cross-sections, volumes, profiles, contours, digital terrain models
(DTMs), three-dimensional (3D) models, engineering plates such as bridge site, pipeline crossing, railway
crossing plans; base maps) by interpreting digital and manual field notes, by applying engineering standards and
specifications and by using specialized computer software (e.g., AutoCAD CIVIL3D, Bentley Power InRoads) to
support the planning, design, maintenance and construction of highways.
Knowledge of field survey principles and practices, data collection procedures and related survey equipment used
to gather field data both digitally (e.g., Total Station and Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) survey receivers, Lidar) or manually (e.g., Measuring tape/chain, rod & level and
transit/theodolite) in order to understand the method, accuracy, sources of error found within each project and
how to analyze, extract, and process field data to produce and process legal and engineering and GIS products.
Knowledge of principles and practices, data collection procedures and related survey equipment used to gather
field data digitally, utilizing Terrestrial Lidar Scanning, Mobile Lidar Scanning, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs/drones) for complex or difficult-to-access sites, for rapid data collection and as an alternative method to
the traditional aerial collection processes.
Knowledge of Federal and Provincial Acts (e.g., Surveys Act, Land Titles Act, Registry Act, Public Transportation
and Highway Improvement Act, Public Lands Act, Boundaries Act, Expropriations Act, Navigable Waters Protection
Act, Mining Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act), Regulations, ministry policies, directives, procedures and
standards; in order to prepare and assess in-house and consultant legal plans (e.g., Reference, Expropriation and
Crown Land Plans), Jurisdictional plans (e.g., Designation, Transfer and Road Closing Plans) acceptable for
registration in Land Registry Offices for acquisition, management and disposal of ministry lands by selecting and
applying specific relevant requirements.
Knowledge of mathematics (e.g., geometry, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, closure techniques and statistical
analysis using least squares adjustments) in order to produce and assess in-house and consultant legal and
engineering survey drawings, closure reports, adjustment reports and horizontal alignments by using hand
calculators and/or computer application software to calculate angles (e.g., Grid/astronomic), distances, property
limits, areas, curve radii, changes, plan dimensioning, horizontal simple and spiral curve data, combined scale
factors, meridian convergence, coordinate layouts, and closures for the purpose of highway planning and design.
Knowledge of GIS automation tools available via software applications (e.g., FME, Model Builder) and
programming languages (e.g., Python, VBScript, HTML).
Knowledge of legal and engineering survey software applications such as computer assisted drafting software and
surveying and engineering design software GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online), word processing and
email in order to document the quality of service provider deliverables and prepare legal and engineering survey
drawings, GIS themed maps, digital terrain models, 3D models, cross-sections and horizontal alignments by
processing data gathered in the field and producing hardcopy drawings.
Knowledge of legal survey plans, jurisdictional plans, documents (e.g., Reference plans, Expropriation Plans,
Crown Land Plans, Road Closing Plans, Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (formerly Ontario Municipal Board Road
Closing Plans), Assumption Plans, Designation Plans, and Deeds) and Engineering Plans in order to produce and
maintain the ministry's Title Record drawings by reviewing internal/external records, plans documents and
updating to reflect current ownership/interest status.
Knowledge of the ministry's Title Record system (a land inventory consisting of hardcopy and/or drawings and
digital maps depicting types of ownership/interest with an associated database recording details of all land
transactions), in order to provide ownership information and to produce up-to-date drawings and maps illustrating
current extent of land ownership and type of interest for land acquisition purposes for both internal and external
client groups.
Knowledge of ministry consultant acquisition and management principles, roles and responsibilities of all parties
in order to assist project management staff in the preparation of the terms of reference for outsourced projects by
gathering and organizing information, evaluating deliverables and by providing technical expertise.
Knowledge of digital and paper-based file management systems and relational databases in order to archive,
search and retrieve engineering and legal survey drawings and products by entering and storing attributes of
engineering and legal survey drawings and documentation.
Knowledge of project control and geodetic principles such as coordinates, combined scale factors, central
meridians and zones, and horizontal datums such as North American Datum 1927 (NAD 27), NAD 83 and Canadian
Spatial Reference System (CSRS), and vertical datums such as North American Vertical Datum 1929 (NAVD 29),
Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datums (CGVD28 & CGVD 2013) and map projections such as Universal and Modified
Transverse Mercator (UTM and MTM) in order to produce maps and legal and engineering products by reviewing
existing products (e.g., Engineering plates, B-plans, C-plans, Horizontal and Vertical Control Sheets) and vertical
and horizontal databases (e.g., CSIS and COSINE) to ensure that horizontal coordinates and elevations are
compatible (same system and adjustment) with adjacent or existing plans, maps, design and construction data
that may be attained from multiple sources.
Knowledge of health and safety field hazards, mitigation strategies, field guidelines, Book 7 traffic protection
applications, personal protective equipment and other when attending to assist with field data capture.
Skills :
Ability to draft, analyse and prepare legal survey plans, pre-engineering survey plans and related drawings, GIS
maps and applications to both ministry and professional industry standards.
Analytical skills to interpret survey data and survey software reports such as, survey field notes to determine
relevant field measurements and evidence to be shown on plans; least squares adjustment reports (statistical
analysis) of survey project control networks to determine what angles, distances, coordinates should be rejected
and/or recommend additional measurements be taken; and complex mathematical highway alignments to ensure
ministry standards are maintained. (e.g., spiral and compound curves, interchanges).
Analytical skills to identify, isolate and correct errors in 3-dimensional ground models such as crossing breaklines
and erroneous equipment heights by evaluating and adjusting original electronic field measurements, and to
determine what issues are to be referred to a supervisor for direction/resolution.
Evaluating skills to determine if internal and external survey deliverables are acceptable and adhere to ministry
standards and terms of reference such as, whether Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawing layers conform to
ministry standards; whether cross-sections are in an acceptable format; whether cross-sections and ground model
accurately represent ground conditions; and what issues are to be referred to a supervisor for
direction/resolution. Comprehensive problem-solving skills required for the building of and maintenance of title
record information in a GIS system.
Searching, analysing and interpreting skills to produce/review survey products such as legal survey drawings,
engineering survey drawings, property mark-ups and survey reports and field notes. This includes interpreting
property descriptions (metes & bounds, Parcel Identification Numbers (PIN)), survey plans and documentation
from Land Registry Office title searches and other sources of spatial data.
Working to applicable ministry standards, practices and legislation to produce or review engineering survey/legal
plans and data pertinent to the acquisition, disposal, administration, design and construction of highways.
Oral communication skills, using technical terminology (e.g., legal, engineering, and control survey) to explain
procedures to ministry staff, external agencies, municipalities, utility companies and service providers. This is to
provide guidance and feedback on ministry standards, processes, and survey/engineering software.
Written communication skills, using technical (legal, engineering, GIS and control survey terminology), to write
memos and reports to internal sections (e.g., Planning & Design, Property), consultants and external agencies to
request information and to provide guidance and feedback on ministry standards and processes.
Interpersonal skills to tactfully provide guidance and feedback and respond to inquiries from staff employed by
internal sections (e.g., Planning & Design, Property), consultants and external agencies (municipalities, utility
companies and railway authorities) regarding ministry standards, processes and survey/engineering software.
Organizational skills to coordinate and organize own work activities on multiple projects with varying levels of
complexity for more than one project surveyor/project manager in order to produce and complete assignments in a
timely fashion in accordance with priorities assigned by supervisor.
Ability to adapt to new technology/technological changes, new application software and new business processes.
Capable of dealing with the demands and pressures of unexpected changes or modifications to deadlines on short
notice. Frequently responding to urgent survey needs as a result of public concerns or requests from the
Ministers Office, Director's Office or managers within short timeframes.
Required to participate in committees and working groups through teleconference and Internet meetings.
Freedom of Action :
Under the supervision of the Senior Surveyor, incumbent is required to work independently and as part of a team
exercising judgement as follows:
Required to determine the most efficient technical method to achieve project requirements.
Required to work within applicable ministry standards and legislation to produce or review engineering, legal
survey and GIS plans, maps, applications and data pertinent to the acquisition, disposal, oversight, maintenance,
design and construction of highways.
Makes independent decisions (e.g., determining scale for plan production, whether CAD drawing layers conform to
ministry standard, whether cross-sections are in an acceptable format, whether cross-sections and ground model
accurately represent ground conditions, what issues are to be referred to a supervisor) when checking in-house
products and various deliverables from consultants for accuracy, content, applicability, and conformity with
ministry standards, practices, procedures, legislation, geometric design standards, and assignment terms of
reference.
Work is accepted as technically accurate and is subject to general review only. Significant deviations from
ministry policy, unique or complex problems are referred to the supervisor for resolution. The reconciliation of
problems or discrepancies discovered while carrying out production activities or checking functions are also
referred to the supervisor for resolution.