Civil 3D / LiDAR Topographic Linework Specialist

We are a drone LiDAR and reality-capture company looking for an experienced Civil 3D / Survey CAD Technician to assist with ongoing topographic mapping projects. This is not simply a CAD drafting position. We need someone who understands the complete workflow from an already-processed LiDAR point cloud through survey-control verification, surface creation, contours, and detailed existing-condition linework. Our projects are completed in coordination with a licensed land surveyor. Maintaining the integrity of the surveyor’s control network, coordinate system, and elevations is critical. This has the potential to become an ongoing relationship for the right person. Typical Workflow For most projects, we will provide: * Processed and classified LiDAR point cloud * Survey control and/or benchmark information * Coordinate system / project datum information * Ground control and check point coordinates * Orthomosaic when available * Project-specific requirements The technician will generally be responsible for the following workflow: 1. Project Setup Before performing any processing or drafting: * Confirm and set the correct coordinate system / zone * Confirm horizontal datum * Confirm vertical datum * Confirm drawing and project units * Review supplied survey control and benchmark information The coordinate system, zone, datum, and units must be established correctly before any additional work is performed. 2. Control & Point Cloud Verification The point cloud will normally already have been processed using the surveyor’s control network. However, the technician must independently verify that the supplied point cloud agrees with the surveyor’s control and/or check points before proceeding with the final surface and linework. This may include: * Comparing point-cloud elevations against survey benchmarks/check points * Checking horizontal position where applicable * Identifying systematic horizontal or vertical offsets * Quantifying discrepancies * Determining whether discrepancies are within acceptable project tolerances If an adjustment is required, the technician may be asked to adjust/translate the point cloud or derived data to match the surveyor’s established control or benchmark. No undocumented adjustment should be made to the data. Any adjustment should be clearly identified and documented so that we and the surveyor know exactly what was changed and why. 3. Existing-Ground Surface Once control has been verified, the technician will create the project’s existing-ground surface from the supplied ground-classified LiDAR data. Responsibilities may include: * Creating the Civil 3D TIN surface * Reviewing the surface for anomalies * Cleaning obvious LiDAR artifacts where appropriate * Establishing appropriate surface boundaries * Adding breaklines where necessary * Reviewing triangulation in critical areas * Confirming the final surface remains consistent with survey control The goal is a clean and usable existing-ground surface suitable for topographic mapping and review by our surveyor. 4. Contours Generate appropriate major and minor contours from the approved surface. Depending on the project, this may include: * 1-foot contours * 0.5-foot contours where the data supports that interval * Major/index contours * Contour labeling * Cleanup of obvious contour artifacts Contours should accurately represent the underlying surface and should not simply be cosmetically edited in a way that changes the underlying terrain information. 5. Existing-Condition Linework The technician will create detailed topographic/existing-condition linework using the LiDAR point cloud, orthomosaic when available, and other supplied project data. Typical features may include: * Building footprints * Building edges * Retaining walls * Site walls * Steps and stairways * Curbs * Top and bottom of curb where applicable * Edge of pavement * Edge of driveway * Sidewalks * Hardscape * Fences * Drainage features * Significant grade breaks * Top and toe of slopes where appropriate * Visible site improvements * Visible utility features where identifiable * Trees and significant vegetation when required * Other clearly identifiable existing features relevant to a topographic drawing Tree requirements may vary by project. We are looking for someone who understands what features are important to an existing-conditions/topographic drawing, not someone who simply traces everything visible in the point cloud. Accuracy & Survey Control This is one of the most important parts of the position. You should be comfortable working with: * Survey control networks * Benchmarks * Ground control points * Check points * Northing, Easting, and Elevation values * Horizontal and vertical datums * State Plane coordinate systems * UTM coordinate systems * US Survey Feet / International Feet / Meters * Vertical elevation differences * Point-cloud-to-control comparisons * Surface validation You should understand the difference between an actual point-cloud error and a coordinate system, datum, geoid, unit, or benchmark issue. If something does not match the surveyor’s control, we expect you to investigate and report the discrepancy rather than arbitrarily moving the data until it matches. Civil 3D & CAD Requirements Strong experience with Autodesk Civil 3D is preferred. You should be comfortable with: * LAS/LAZ and point-cloud workflows * Civil 3D surfaces * TIN surface creation and editing * Surface boundaries * Breaklines * Contour generation * Contour cleanup * Feature lines and polylines * Layer management * Survey/topographic CAD standards * Lineweights and linetypes * CTB/STB plot styles * DWG/DXF deliverables * Preparing drawings for review and continued work by a licensed surveyor Experience with Autodesk ReCap, CloudCompare, Global Mapper, QGIS, or other point-cloud/geospatial software is also valuable. CAD Standards & CTB/STB Requirements We will not provide a CTB/STB plot style. The technician should have an established professional CAD standard for topographic/survey drawings or be capable of creating one. The technician will be responsible for providing the CTB or STB file used to plot the completed linework. This is important because our surveyor needs to be able to open the drawing, use the same plot style, add additional lines or information, and have the new work match the original drawing. Layer organization, lineweights, linetypes, and plotting should therefore be clean, consistent, and professional. Typical Deliverables Depending on the project, final deliverables may include: * Civil 3D DWG * Existing-condition/topographic linework * Existing-ground Civil 3D surface * Major and minor contours * Surface boundaries * Breaklines where required * Organized CAD layers * Appropriate lineweights and linetypes * CTB or STB plot style file used for the project * DXF when requested * Control/check-point accuracy comparison * Documentation of any adjustment made to the supplied point cloud/data * PDF of the completed topographic drawing when requested The goal is to provide our surveyor with a clean Civil 3D project that he can open, review, modify, and continue working with without rebuilding the drawing. Ideal Candidate We are especially interested in candidates with experience as a: * Survey CAD Technician * Civil 3D Technician * Topographic Mapping Technician * LiDAR Technician * Geospatial / Point Cloud Technician Experience working directly with licensed land surveyors and survey-controlled LiDAR or traditional topographic survey data is strongly preferred. Experience specifically creating topographic linework from drone LiDAR point clouds is a major plus. Ongoing Work We perform LiDAR data acquisition on projects of varying sizes and would like to establish a relationship with a reliable technician rather than hire someone new for every project. The ideal person will learn our workflow and our surveyor’s requirements so that future projects can move efficiently from LiDAR processing to completed CAD/topographic deliverables. Quality, accuracy, communication, and consistency are more important to us than simply finding the lowest hourly rate. When Applying Please provide: 1. Your experience with Civil 3D and survey/topographic drafting. 2. Your experience creating linework from LiDAR point clouds. 3. Your experience creating and cleaning Civil 3D surfaces. 4. Your experience generating topographic contours. 5. Your experience working with survey control, benchmarks, coordinate systems, and vertical datums. 6. Whether you have worked directly with licensed land surveyors. 7. The software you normally use for point-cloud and Civil 3D workflows. 8. Whether you have an established CTB/STB and CAD layer standard for topographic drawings. 9. Examples of completed topographic drawings or Civil 3D projects. 10. Your hourly rate or typical project pricing structure. Please include at least one sample PDF of a topographic drawing you have personally worked on, if available. Technical Screening Question Please answer the following in your application: You receive a ground-classified LiDAR point cloud along with survey control/check points from a licensed surveyor. The point cloud appears to be approximately 0.15 ft higher than the surveyor’s check points. Before making any adjustment to the point cloud, explain how you would determine the cause of the discrepancy and whether a vertical adjustment should actually be made. We will use your response to this question, along with your previous work examples, as part of our initial screening process.