Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To manage and direct staff and activities of the Office of the Surveyor General, which provides specialized technical services in Geomatics including the disciplines of cadastral (legal) surveys, geodetic Surveying, photogrammetric mapping, hydrographic surveys, geographic referencing and naming, and geographic information management.

To act as the provincial authority for legal descriptions and surveys on Crown land, to manage all legal surveys and boundaries on crown land, to maintain Ontario's primary survey fabric (e.g. provincial boundaries, townships, lots, concession), to provide expert advice on surveying in Ontario, and to manage Ontario's geodetic referencing system and official naming of geographic features. To administer the Surveys and Surveyors Act and associated regulations.

The position is expected to be appointed as Surveyor General of Ontario under the Ministry of Natural Resources Act and thus represents Ontario on the Ontario Geographic Names Board and the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors and performs duties prescribed under various Ontario statutes for several Ministries.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Under the general direction of the Director, Mapping and Information Resources Branch:

Manages and directs the human, financial and technology resources for the Office of the Surveyor General including developing operational
plans and strategies, preparing budgets, estimating resource requirements, and ensuring the cost-effective use of human, material
and financial resources assigned to the Office.

Plans, manages and directs the activities of the Office of the Surveyor General by setting priorities, allocating resources, delegating
responsibilities and reviewing results so that it is responsive to fluctuating Ministry and Government priorities and schedules.

Oversees the performance, productivity and product quality of the Office, taking corrective action as needed. Performs
management activities such as performance appraisals, establishing appropriate staff training and development, disciplinary action
and responds to grievances. Develops Office staffing plan and oversees hiring activities. Carries out staff relations and
labour relations functions related to the administration of Collective Agreements.

Manages appropriate policy and legislation for land surveying in Ontario (e.g. Surveys Act, Surveyors Act and their corresponding regulations) by looking for trends, changes in technology or practice, or other factors that can influence surveying and working with officials from other ministries and the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors to make appropriate policy decisions and recommendations for regulatory and/or statutory changes.

Sets policies and procedures governing the surveying of crown land in Ontario (over 85% of Ontario is still crown land) and how these surveys are used to manage tenure and determine the extent of private and crown lands.
Provides leadership and strategic direction for land surveying in Ontario by working with officials from other ministries (e.g. MGCS, ENDM, IAO, MAG), other jurisdictions, ministry partners (e.g. Ontario Parcel Agreement) and the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors to determine appropriate changes and directions.

Manages the provision and acquisition of the Ministry's cadastral (legal) surveys and legal descriptions to support ministry program delivery such as protecting crown land through parks or conservation reserves, hunting and fishing regulations, acquiring or disposing of crown land and significant tenure (e.g. water power leases), managing encroachments or trespass onto crown land.

Reviews and authorizes the deposit or registration of any legal survey on crown land pursuant to the Surveys Act, Surveyors Act, Public Lands Act, Mining Act, Registry Act, Land Titles Act, etc.

Maintains a modern geodetic reference system within Ontario based on satellite and terrestrial observations (e.g. GPS), which is the basis for all surveying and mapping in Ontario, by establishing standards, policies and procedures in cooperation with other jurisdictions and by producing and maintaining tools and a database of key points and geodetic information made accessible to anyone practicing in Ontario.

Develops initiatives and manages large projects and agreements to deliver survey or related geographic information products to MNRF and the OPS related to multi-million dollar initiatives (e.g. large aboriginal land claim resolutions) while adhering to OPS policy including health and safety related policies.

Maintains Ontario's primary survey fabric and parcel fabric (including the provincial boundaries) by providing direction, policy and procedures and by maintaining a registry of unique surveys, notes, instructions and indices that date back into the 1700's, by producing digital products to preserve and distribute the information and by refreshing limits and conducting hearings to re-establish lost limits or recommending legislative changes as appropriate.

Operates the secretariat for the Ontario Geographic Names Board in accordance with the Ontario Geographic Names Board Act by maintaining adequate staff, ensuring the appropriate retention of records, setting the policy and standards, and actively participating as an ex-officio member of the Ontario Geographic Names Board.

Serves as a provincial resource for addressing crown land surveying and descriptive issues in Ontario. Acts as the provincial survey expert by providing professional opinions related to surveys and authoritative decisions on disagreements related to surveys or descriptions on Crown land.

Provides expert in-depth reviews to address any issues arising from the Surveyors Act or related to boundaries under the Boundaries Act or applications under the Land Titles or Registry Acts, and by representing the Ministry in court or at other tribunals as required. These reviews often involve complex, unique, long standing issues with multiple stakeholders and significant financial impact.

Represents government on the Council of the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS) by reviewing all material and actions of the Association, attending all Council meetings, participating in appropriate committees, ensuring that appointments from the Lieutenant Governor in Council are made, and bringing forward any appropriate issues to the correct authorities if necessary.

Represents MNRF's survey related interests with other ministries (e.g. MGCS, MTO, ENDM) and other jurisdictions that have related programs and policies. Participates on the Branch Management team by providing suggestions and advice for changes and new directions.

Staffing and Licensing :

The position requires a license in good standing as an Ontario Land Surveyor.

Knowledge :

Work requires expert knowledge of: all facets of professional surveying (theories, principles and practices related to hydrography, photogrammetry, geodesy, geographic information management and cadastral surveys) with special emphasis on cadastral and geodetic surveys to effectively provide strategic survey direction for Ontario, to manage the operation of the Office of the Surveyor General and to instruct, supervise, and assess the work of other professional surveyors (internal and external) and to act as an expert on a broad range of survey matters; Ontario and Canadian legislation, regulations and case law related to surveying to allow appropriate expert opinions to be rendered; Canadian history and constitutional law to assist in treaty interpretation and supporting land settlements related to first nation interests; geographic information and computer assisted drafting systems to understand their power and limitations so that they can be appropriately leveraged; project management, procurement policies, health and safety policies and contracting best practices to manage large projects and agreements;

Works also requires: analytical and policy making skills to set appropriate directions, analyze evidence and form expert opinions, and provide correct advice; communications skills to represent MNRF with stakeholders and clients, to write defendable decisions and to convey complicated technical concepts in easy to understand terms, both in oral and written form to large audiences; mediation and negotiation skills to reach mutually acceptable solutions to boundary issues and disagreements; business acuity to understand policy impacts on survey companies that are mainly SMEs and to understand value propositions in dealing with stakeholders, partners and contractors; management and leadership skills to manage a team of professional, technical and administrative staff and consultants and to deal with stakeholders; sound knowledge of specialized computer applications such as Computer Assisted Drafting, Least Squares Adjustments, Geographic Information Systems and IT concepts and tools to develop critical databases and to evaluate technological trends and advancements; knowledge of information management and archiving to protect unique and valuable survey records.

Judgement :

The position exercises independent judgment within broader parameters of the legislation and existing policy particularly in resolving complex legal survey issues in highly charged emotional environments where one may believe they are losing some of their land. Decisions of this nature typically involve large sums of money as they involve title and extent of land.
Judgment is used in assessing evidence, considering options for boundary resolution and issuing decisions that can withstand legal scrutiny. Judgment is also exercised in adjudicating hearings and providing expert opinions to lawyers and private and public sector officials and in appearing in court or tribunals as an expert witness.
Judgment is exercised in choosing policy directions that can influence the timeliness, cost and quality of real property (i.e. property) transactions on crown land as well as on private lands. Failure to reach agreement on directions can impact multi-million dollar real property transactions.
Position exercises judgment identifying inadequacies in existing surveying specifications, policies, procedures, standards and legislation, applying precedents where applicable to devise new or revised specifications, policies, procedures, standards and legislation for Ontario.
Judgment is required in selecting geodetic standards to ensure appropriate alignment with other jurisdictions while minimizing change and costs to users.
Judgment is required in setting the Office's long-range plans and priorities and in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the work of the Office; developing schedules and priorities for several multi-faceted, concurrent projects (there is always more demand for work than can be completed) to meet MNRF and the broader governments goals and objectives. The Office often works in a cost recovery model and judgment is required to ensure that only appropriate fees are charged, while at the same time being able to meet demands.
Judgment is required in representing government on the Council of AOLS to manage potential conflicts of interest while at the same time looking to achieve progress in meeting the public's survey needs and meeting government goals and objectives.
Judgment is required in identifying work to be allocated to the private sector and selecting appropriate procurement methods.
Managerial decisions are made within administrative and budgetary delegation of authority guidelines in consultation with the
Director.

Accountability - Programs :

The position is responsible for the integrity of plans and descriptions for crown land in Ontario (over 85% of the province), for developing related policy and procedures and for developing procedural guides and technical training.
The position provides survey and description services for granting crown tenure and describing land in regulations and statutes.
The position provides overall leadership in professional surveying in Ontario which not only impacts the success of geomatics industry but also impacts all transactions of real property in Ontario.
The position maintains an appropriate geodetic framework for Ontario which is the basis for all mapping in Ontario.
The position provides advice in the appropriate naming of geographic features in Ontario which can be quite politically charged.

Accountability – Personnel :

Directly supervises 5 and indirectly supervises 25 professional, technical and administrative staff plus deals with project staff and external consultants and contractors.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

Accountable for the development and administration of the Section's work plans, budget, salaries, and contracts. Often the Section administers survey related contracts on behalf of the rest of the ministry or for other ministries such as the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. Accountable for the maintenance of the documents and records associated with original surveys for Ontario and ensuring that they meet Canadian rules of evidence when authoritative copies are required. Accountable for the selection and maintenance of appropriate systems to create and maintain survey related information.

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

Crown land is relied upon for protection of ecological sustainability (e.g. protected areas), resource development (e.g. mining and forestry), and community development. Errors in surveys, descriptions, or expert opinions could result in costly litigation or rectification, delays to ministry programs, costs to adjacent owners, degradation to the confidence in land surveys, loss of trust in tri-party negotiations with first nations and Canada, and government embarrassment.
Errors in policy could have significant economic impact and could provide government embarrassment. Errors associated with contracting or negotiations could have significant costs and result in delays to ministry programs. Errors associated with geodetic information can ripple through land use planning, development and construction and result in significant costs to the public. Errors associated with naming can have significant political impact.

Contact - Internal :

Frequent contact with Director & Assistant Deputy Minister , professional staff and legal services within the ministry to provide advice and expertise related to survey matters. Infrequent contact with the Minister and Cabinet committees for briefings related to major policy and legislation changes.

Contact - External :

Frequent contact with staff and Council members from the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors to maintain appropriate relations and set directions. Frequent contact with lawyers and private surveyors to provide direction and resolve problems and/or disputes. Frequent contact with Directors and senior managers in other ministries and government departments to provide survey advice, consult, exchange information, negotiate initiatives and coordinate efforts. Regular contact with Directors of Surveys and Surveyors General from other jurisdictions to ensure compatible directions and to learn from other jurisdictions. Infrequent contact with the public to address complaints.