Dream Job

Focus employees enjoy interesting and challenging work with great pay and benefits, as well as a friendly and active social atmosphere, a supportive work environment with opportunities for recognition and career development, and a balanced lifestyle. They also enjoy exciting challenges and the opportunity to contribute to long-lasting projects that will benefit people and communities for many years to come.

As a multi-disciplinary firm that provides numerous services to many sectors, we have employees in a wide variety of roles. And they do fantastic things every day. That may involve creative problem solving to design a bridge over a treacherous mountain canyon, physical strength and agility to conduct remote worksite surveys, or a keen understanding of people to create welcoming and functional spaces in which they can live and work. The possibilities are endless.

And so are the benefits – not only do our employees enjoy the programs that Focus provides and supports, but they also enjoy the knowledge and pride that comes with doing work that makes our world a better place. Each of our employees plays a role in the successful projects we complete and the positive effects they have on those around them.

Read on to find out more about the many types of work available through Focus.

Professional Career Positions

Professional Engineer

Engineers prepare and supervise the production of engineering design, schedules and budgets for projects in areas such as wastewater, transportation, land development, mechanical, electrical, process design and civil engineering, to name a few.

Engineers have an undergraduate degree in engineering and have successfully completed licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers to practice as a professional engineer (P. Eng). At Focus, engineers can launch their career during university, with a summer intern position in one of our offices.  Focus offers many career opportunities for engineers, including advancement to managerial and executive positions.

Project Manager / Engineer

Project managers/engineers apply established project management processes in initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects. Project managers/engineers supervise, co-ordinate, schedule and review the activities of various levels of technical and field staff.   They manage the client and the project team to meet the schedule and budgets and monitor and track the progress of the project team.

Project managers/engineers resolve work problems and make recommendations to improve productivity and service. They are responsible for recruitment and development of staff and maintenance of staff competencies, as well as coordination and preparation of statements of qualifications, expressions of interest and proposals. 

Project managers/engineers have a post secondary education, ideally with a professional land surveyor or professional engineer designation. Focus offers many career progression opportunities for project managers/engineers, including advancement to managerial and executive positions.

Professional Land Surveyor

Land surveyors provide expertise within all areas of land, water and space measurement, including cadastral, control and topographic surveys; site planning; subdivision design and consulting. They supervise, co-ordinate, schedule and review the activities of field staff, document clerks and CAD technicians. 

An undergraduate degree in surveying engineering or survey science, or the successful completion of equivalent examinations set by a regional board of examiners for land surveyors is required. Successful completion of provincial professional land surveyor examinations is required to obtain the professional land surveyors designation. 

At Focus, professional land survey career opportunities can begin during university. Summer and/or part-time work is available. There are many career opportunities for professional land surveyors, including those that include advancement to managerial and executive positions.

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Technical Career Positions

Engineering Technician / Technologist

Engineering technicians / technologists prepare engineering design drawings and have practical field experience using the latest surveying technologies. They use applications such as Land Development Desktop, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Micro Station and CAiCE to produce accurate and professional client deliverables.

Engineering technologists review and check the field work of junior staff and coordinate work schedules with contractors and field crews. 

Technologists have formal post secondary training from an accredited engineering technical program and are eligible for membership in a provincial technology association. With experience, technologists can advance to more senior roles, including management. A technician has experience in related disciplines, but does necessarily not have a diploma.  Engineering technologists can also work as drafting technologists, construction inspectors and estimators. Progression to construction supervisor or construction manager is possible with experience. With ten to fifteen years of experience, technicians may be employed in intermediate or senior roles.

GIS / Mapping Technician

GIS / mapping technicians implement mapping projects. They plan map content, format or design and they compile required data from aerial photographs, survey notes, records, reports and other maps. Technicians generate maps and related graphs and charts using digital mapping techniques, computer interactive graphics and/or traditional drafting methods. GIS / mapping technicians are responsible for rectification, interpretation and analysis of aerial imagery, as well as project set up, task fulfillment and quality control and assurance for all projects.

GIS technicians build and populate databases to support interactive map development and implementation. GIS technicians develop analysis tools or query systems for client use and data interpretation.

GIS / mapping technicians have completed a 2-3 year technical diploma related to geomatics and have a working knowledge of cartographic principles. GIS / mapping technicians have comprehensive computer skills and are experienced with  AutoCAD, ESRI and related software. GIS technicians have experience with database languages such as SQL.

Plan Checker

Plan checkers perform quality control checks on field returns and on plans prepared by drafters / CAD technicians by applying standard survey practices, client requirements and other specific information. Plan checkers prepare route sketches or preliminary plans and review project files for completeness before they are sent into the field.

A plan checker has, as a minimum, a diploma from a recognized geomatics program. Plan checkers are detail oriented, possess excellent computer skills and understand the basic principles of surveying and survey plan requirements.

Drafter / CAD Technician

Drafters / CAD technicians use software, including AutoCAD, to prepare contour plans, related profiles and cross sections from field survey information. Drafters / CAD technicians double check rules and regulations with respect to engineering and survey design. 

Technical school diploma graduates in computer aided drafting start as junior drafters or CAD technicians; with at least 2 years experience, they can progress to intermediate and senior roles. Drafters are detail oriented and have excellent computer skills.

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Field Career Positions

Resident Field Inspector

Resident field inspectors conduct preliminary and topographic surveys, provide construction survey lay-out and obtain construction as built records. They monitor contractors and ensure site improvements are constructed according to design plans and specifications. Resident field inspectors interpret plans, regulations and specifications and relate information to crews.  They work with and prepare basic AutoCAD drawings and survey files.

Post secondary technical training in civil engineering, building construction, surveying, or the equivalent in training or experience, is required. Resident field inspectors must be able to perform mathematical calculations and work with various formulas. They must also have basic knowledge of AutoCAD drafting and Excel spreadsheets. Resident field inspectors work both indoors and outdoors, often with extended hours and along heavy construction equipment. Career advancement opportunities include progression to managerial and executive positions.

Field Survey Technician

Field survey technicians supervise and conduct field surveys with held-hand computer systems. They work closely with project managers regarding proposals, software requirements, equipment maintenance, budget projections, timing requirements and survey methodology. Field survey technicians are also responsible for supervising and directing field survey assistants regarding survey material, equipment and vehicle needs. Technicians prepare collected data for drafting staff and for boundary resolution with land surveyors.

Field survey technicians operate survey equipment, ATVs, snowmobiles, chain saws and other related equipment. Their work often takes them to remote locations for up to days or weeks at a time.

Field survey technicians typically have a post-secondary education, such as a surveying diploma, and five years experience in legal surveying in related disciplines such as engineering, control, construction, oil field well sites and pipelines. Career advancement opportunities for field survey technicians include project management and/or technical office positions.

Survey Assistant

Survey assistants help field survey technicians (crew chiefs) in any and all aspects of field work, including operations of survey equipment, pipe locators, chain saws, trucks, ATVs and snowmobiles, as directed by the crew chief. They are responsible for maintaining regular service of vehicles and reporting any repairs needed on equipment and vehicles. 

Survey assistants must enjoy working outdoors and be able to work out of town in remote locations for extended periods of time. Survey assistants do not require post secondary education; however, survey courses are encouraged and subsidized by Focus. Numerous safety courses are also provided by Focus. Typically, students and graduates from a technical diploma begin their career as a survey assistant and have the opportunity to advance to a crew chief position or to a technical office function such as drafting after gaining hands-on field experience.

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