Site Surveyor job description
A Site Surveyor measures and maps land and route corridors for solar parks, wind farms and transmission lines, so designers and contractors work from accurate data. The role cuts rework and land disputes.
Why the role exists
Energy and utilities projects in India start on open land, hill sites or along line routes. The site surveyor collects the ground data that design, land records and construction depend on. The role reports to the project or design manager and works with land teams, civil contractors and the community team.
What the person does
- Carry out topographic surveys of proposed solar park, wind farm or substation land using total station and GNSS equipment.
- Mark boundaries, corners and tower or foundation points on the ground and check them against land records and design drawings.
- Survey transmission line routes and record crossings of roads, rivers, canals, railways and existing power lines.
- Process field data into contour maps, cross sections and coordinate lists, and hand them to the design team on agreed dates.
- Record obstructions such as trees, buildings, rock outcrops and drains that affect layout, and flag them to the designer early.
- Re-survey after civil work to check levels, alignments and quantities before the contractor raises a bill.
- Maintain survey instruments, calibration records and field books, and keep benchmarks safe for the length of the project.
- Walk the site with land and community teams to settle boundary doubts before work starts, and note what was agreed.
Skills and tools
- Total station, auto level and GNSS or DGPS operation
- Contour, cross section and quantity calculation
- AutoCAD, Civil 3D or similar drawing software
- Reading revenue maps, village sketches and land records
- Setting out foundations, piles and cable trenches
- Field safety in heat, forest, rocky and monsoon conditions
- Neat field books and data handover to designers
- Working with local land teams and contractors
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Diploma in civil engineering or surveying preferred, or equivalent field experience.
- Experience on energy, road, railway or infrastructure surveys preferred.
- Any survey licence or registration needed depends on the employer and state; confirm with the employer's own adviser.
- Comfort with long field days, remote locations and travel between project sites.
How the work is judged
- Accuracy of survey data, shown by few corrections requested by designers and contractors.
- On time delivery of drawings and coordinate lists against the project schedule.
- Quality of boundary and setting out records, with fewer disputes later.
- Condition and calibration records of instruments kept in the field.
- Quality of communication with design, land and civil teams about obstructions and changes.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Surveyor or Survey Lead on large energy projects.
- Design Engineer or Project Engineer with added civil design skills.
- Land Records and Right of Way Coordinator in a utility or developer.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Tell us about a survey where the field data disagreed with land records. How did you resolve it and who did you tell?
- How do you set up control points on a large solar site and keep them reliable for months of construction?
- What checks do you run on a total station or GNSS reading before you trust it?
- A contractor disputes your levels after earthwork. How do you re-check and present your case?
- How would you survey a line route through farmland where owners are unhappy about access?
- Describe how you protect benchmarks and pegs during monsoon and heavy machinery movement.
Hiring tips for this role
- Give a practical test: ask the candidate to set out points from a coordinate list on a sample plot and explain their closing checks.
- Ask for survey drawings from earlier work and see how clearly levels, benchmarks and notes are shown.
- A common mistake is hiring a draftsman who has never run an instrument in the field. Check field hours, not only software skills.
- Check comfort with remote sites. Many energy sites lack housing and transport, so confirm expectations early.
Questions about hiring a site surveyor
Yes, at a working level. The surveyor should turn field data into clean drawings and coordinates. Deep design work belongs to the designer, but poor drawings from the field slow the whole project.
Often yes, since both need levelling and setting out. Line work adds route and crossing records, and tall structures need extra care. Check the candidate's past work for the type you need.
It depends on the employer, the state and the project. Do not assume. Confirm with your own adviser, and also check that the person can show real field work and not only a certificate.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates for permanent roles, and supports the offer. We screen for instrument experience, drawing skills and willingness to work at remote sites.
Hiring a site surveyor?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.