Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To review, analyze and evaluate plans of survey made under the authority of the Public Lands Act, Surveys Act and Mining Act submitted for the approval of the Surveyor General and to provide technical assistance in the provision of land surveying support to the ministry's Crown land initiatives and to Ontario government ministries and agencies on provincial interest matters.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Reviews, analyzes and evaluates Crown land survey plans submitted for approval by government and private Ontario Land Surveyors by:

- reviewing submissions to ensure that the applicable instructions were followed and that minimum standards have been achieved;
- ensuring there are no conflicts with adjacent land surveys or existing alienations of Crown land;
- performing in-depth examinations of submissions to evaluate compliance with Surveys Act, Surveyors Act, Mining Act, Registry Act, Land Titles Act and their regulations when required;
-researching the Crown's survey and title records to ensure no relevant survey and title information has been overlooked
- identifying and deciding when potential problems or complex issues require profession advice and direction'
- communicating with ministry staff, land registrars, mining recorders and Ontario Land Surveyors in order to facilitate the review process and resolve issues as they arise;
- answering and responding to telephone inquires related to the status of plans being reviewed and processed;
- providing direction to District Offices and other clients on the operation of Survey policies;
- employing computer systems and software (e.g. database systems, spreadsheet, word processing and automated drafting software such as AutoCAD and ArcGIS) to maintain the status of submissions to generate pre- programmed statistical reports, routine status reports, transmittal letters and prepare examination reports on complex issues for the Crown Land Surveyors;
- recommending improvement to policies and standards for Crown land surveys to meet the objectives of the plan review process and provide input to other policies governing description for petroleum, water or wind power to improve efficiency, productivity and to safeguard the Crown interests.

Produce legal descriptions for use in regulations, orders and Crown land tenure documents by;
-entering, editing and selecting relevant information in the Land Index System, Identifying errors and taking appropriate action to correct;
- using a database system to store legal descriptions, transmittal letters and production records;
-reviewing title documents to ensure descriptive information os accurate for use in Park or Conservation Reserve plans or First Nations negotiations;
- updating legal descriptions as required.

Provide technical assistance to the research, survey contract and Crown parcel mapping support functions by:
- preparing unique instructions and sketches for perimeter surveys of mining claims;
-researching survey and title records to select, collect and organize materials for surveys to be performed under contract an special Crown survey instructions;
- researching survey records, land files and other information holding for documentary information required by the Crown land surveyors for their responses to inquiries, the preparation of expert opinions or for special projects.
- ensuring that the Crown parcel mapping or panel data base is updates and maintained by manual or electronic methods and using internal or outside resources.

Performs other related duties such as:
- responding to request for the interpretation of information in the Land Index System;
- providing technical training to mining recorders and land management staff on the plan review process;
- assisting with the management of the survey review process by forecasting workloads, establishing targets, setting priorities and reviewing prediction with he Crown Land Surveyors;
- providing input to improvements to revisions to the LIS interface;
- other duties as assigned

Staffing and Licencing :

N/A

Knowledge :

Knowledge of the principles and techniques of cadastral surveying, including equipment and procedures, computations, use of datums, coordinate systems, practical astronomy and tenure/title interpretation in order to provide specialized expertise pertaining to the review analysis and evaluation of survey plans submitted. Knowledge of relevant sections of applicable provincial statutes such as the Surveys Act, Surveyors Act, Public Lands Act, Mining Act, Registry Act, Land Titles Act, Beds of Navigable Waters Act and their regulations to evaluate and ensure compliance with legislative requirements.

Skills :

Ability to perform surveying calculations (e.g. coordinates, curves, areas, intersections, angles, bearing, etc.) using manual and coordinates geometry software. Analytical and research skills to conduct plan and title reviews/ analyzes and identify and resolve problems surrounding compliance with Acts, Regulations and ministry policy or conflicts with Crown title and/or boundaries for survey plans. Ability to ensure consistency in the application of cadastral surveying standards. Organizational skills to prioritize competing demands and to work independently in planning and implementing tasks to meet client requirements. Working knowledge of computer concepts and systems related to office automation, surveying, the administration and integration of survey information and computer assisted drafting and related software (e.g. Autocad, ArcGIS, Microsoft Suite of products). Oral communication and consultation skills in order to exchange technical information with a variety of internal and external contacts. Writing skills to prepare reports and legal descriptions on survey matters.