Senior Geospatial & CAD Lead
TerraFirma-Inc · Robot Ranch Austin, Texas, United States · onsite
At TerraFirma, we’re redefining how the world moves earth for construction. Founded by former SpaceX engineers and backed by Kleiner Perkins and Bain Capital Ventures, TerraFirma is automating construction to make it faster, cheaper, and safer.
Our Story & Mission
At SpaceX, we were part of the teams that built the largest rocket in human history, launched the largest constellation of satellites ever made, and delivered connectivity to millions of people worldwide. What we learned was simple: infrastructure is everything.
At Starbase, the biggest barrier to launching missions to Mars was not building the rocket. It was how slow, expensive, and complex it was to build the infrastructure around it. We lacked buildings, roads, water, power, communications, and waste management, and constructing them took far more time and resources than it should have.
From a first-principles perspective, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be this hard or costly to create the foundations for progress. That’s when we realized something important: the same engineering mindset that enabled us to tackle space exploration and mass manufacturing could be applied to infrastructure. By bringing the principles of simplification, iteration, acceleration, and automation to construction, we can unlock a new era in how the world builds.
Accelerating infrastructure unlocks progress across every domain, creating a self-sustaining engine for tackling humanity’s toughest challenges. The innovations we develop on Earth will lay the groundwork for the technologies that one day make settlement on Mars possible.
Job Overview
You will build TerraFirma’s geospatial and CAD function: the survey control, site models, and design surfaces that every estimate, every machine, and our proprietary Mission Control platform run on. On a semi-autonomous earthwork site, the 3D model is the instruction set.
This is a senior, hands-on leadership role. You will set the standards, build the workflows, and grow the CAD, survey, and GIS team that turns civil plans, drone and LiDAR data, and field survey into construction-ready machine-control models, quantity takeoffs, and as-built verification. You will work directly with estimating, project management, field operations, and the robotics software team.
Responsibilities
- Lead the geospatial, CAD, and survey function end to end, from bid-stage takeoff through machine-control models, progress surveys, and final as-builts
- Build 3D design surfaces, corridor models, and machine-control files (Trimble, Topcon, Leica, or similar) from civil plan sets, and QC them before they go to the fleet
- Establish and maintain site control, localizations, and coordinate systems across all active projects
- Plan and process drone photogrammetry and LiDAR surveys for existing conditions, progress quantities, and stockpile volumes, and own the accuracy standards behind them
- Produce and verify earthwork quantity takeoffs, cut and fill analysis, and balance studies in partnership with estimating
- Define and document the geospatial data pipeline that feeds Mission Control, and partner with the robotics software team on the model formats, surfaces, and data our autonomous fleet consumes
- Build the standard operating procedures, templates, folder structures, and QC checklists for CAD, survey, and GIS work so projects start fast and stay consistent
- Hire, train, and manage CAD, survey, and takeoff technicians as the project portfolio grows
- Support field operations with grade checks, stakeout, and rapid model revisions when conditions change on site
- Maintain a GIS layer of project, utility, environmental, and logistics data that estimating, project management, and business development can use
Basic Qualifications
- 7+ years of experience in CAD, survey, or geospatial work on earthwork, heavy civil, or site development projects
- Proven experience building 3D models and machine-control files for grading and excavation, and troubleshooting them in the field
- Proficiency in Civil 3D and at least one machine-control or takeoff platform (e.g., Trimble Business Center, AGTEK, Topcon Magnet, Carlson, or similar)
- Hands-on experience with survey equipment (GNSS rovers, robotic total stations) and with drone or LiDAR data processing
- Experience leading or mentoring technicians and setting standards others follow
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with estimators, project managers, operators, and software engineers
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Geomatics, Surveying, Geography, or a related field
- Texas RPLS, SIT, or Certified Survey Technician, or a Part 107 remote pilot certificate
- GIS proficiency (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, PostGIS) and comfort scripting in Python for data processing and automation
- Familiarity with point cloud and photogrammetry tools (Pix4D, DroneDeploy, Propeller, CloudCompare, or similar)
- Experience on mass grading, detention and pond, roadway, or utility projects where quantities drove the schedule and the budget
- Experience working alongside software or robotics teams, or defining data formats that other systems consume
Additional Requirements
- Must be willing to relocate to Austin, TX if not within commuting distance
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment
- Must be willing to work extended hours or travel to job sites when needed to support critical project deadlines