Field survey manager

Field survey managers organise and supervise investigations and surveys on the request of a sponsor. They monitor their implementation according to production requirements and lead a team of field investigators.

The duties of a field survey manager typically include, but are not limited to:

• Developing survey goals based on client specifications, including topic research and hypothesis development
• Presenting results to clients and communicating with them throughout the survey process
• Coordinating with other departments within an organization such as marketing or human resources to help ensure that surveys meet their needs
• Conducting interviews and focus groups to collect data from respondents
• Analyzing data by organizing responses into charts and graphs or by conducting statistical tests such as chi-square analysis to determine significant relationships between variables
• Developing survey questions and questionnaires based on client specifications
• Managing surveys throughout the process from design to analysis to reporting results
• Identifying target audiences by analyzing survey results and using data to formulate marketing strategies
• Preparing reports on survey findings by compiling data in a readable format for presentation to clients

The following job titles also refer to field survey manager:

field survey project manager
survey field manager
field survey coodinator
manager of field survey
field survey team leader
field survey supervisor
field survey operational manager

Field survey managers work in various settings, including offices, factories, and construction sites. They may be exposed to noise, dust, and fumes, depending on the work environment. They typically work a regular 40-hour week, but they may have to work evenings and weekends to meet deadlines.

Field survey managers may experience stress from working with tight deadlines, managing a large staff, and dealing with difficult clients.

Most field survey managers have at least a bachelor’s degree in a field such as statistics, research, mathematics, psychology or sociology. Some employers prefer candidates who have a master’s degree in survey research or statistics.

Most field survey managers will receive on-the-job training when they start their new position. This training will help the survey manager learn the specific software and processes used by the company. It will also help the survey manager learn the specific duties and responsibilities of the position.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Field survey manager is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to field survey manager.

statistical assistant
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desalination technician
call centre supervisor
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These occupations require some skills and knowledge of field survey manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of field survey manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

genealogist
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This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of field survey manager.

• Interview techniques: The techniques for getting information out of people by asking the right questions in the right way and to make them feel comfortable.
• Survey techniques: Techniques on how to identify a target audience, choose the right survey method and analyse the data.

These skills are necessary for the role of field survey manager.

• Record survey measurements: Gather and process descriptive data by using documents such as sketches, drawings and notes.
• Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
• Train field investigators: Recruit field investigators and present them the objectives, context and geographical area of the survey by the use of distribution folders and media inquiries. Organise the delivery of investigators at the site of investigation.
• Interview people: Interview people in a range of different circumstances.
• Forecast workload: Predict and define the workload that needs to be done in a certain amount of time and the time it would take to perform related tasks.
• Observe confidentiality: Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.
• Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
• Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
• Monitor field surveys: Monitor the progress and determine corrective actions such as adjusting the distribution of investigators according to the progress of the investigation. Transmit field survey data to the accounting or billing department.
• Evaluate interview reports: Assess the quality and plausibility of the interview results on the basis of the documentation while taking various factors into account such as the weighting scale.
• Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
• Prepare survey report: Gather the analysed data from the survey and write a detailed report on the outcome of the survey.
• Perform resource planning: Estimate the expected input in terms of time, human and financial resources necessary to achieve the project objectives.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of field survey manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Communication: Exchanging and conveying information, ideas, concepts, thoughts, and feelings through the use of a shared system of words, signs, and semiotic rules via a medium.
• Visual presentation techniques: The visual representation and interaction techniques, such as histograms, scatter plots, surface plots, tree maps and parallel coordinate plots, that can be used to present abstract numerical and non-numerical data, in order to reinforce the human understanding of this information.
• Information confidentiality: The mechanisms and regulations which allow for selective access control and guarantee that only authorised parties (people, processes, systems and devices) have access to data, the way to comply with confidential information and the risks of non-compliance.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of field survey manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Explain interview purposes: Explain the main purpose and objective of the interview in a manner that the recipient understands and responds to the questions accordingly.
• Perform data analysis: Collect data and statistics to test and evaluate in order to generate assertions and pattern predictions, with the aim of discovering useful information in a decision-making process.
• Communicate with stakeholders: Facilitate communication between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
• Conduct public surveys: Conduct the procedures of a public survey from the initial formulation and compilation of the questions, identifying the target audience, managing the survey method and operations, managing the processing of acquired data, and analysing the results.
• Interview focus groups: Interview a group of people about their perceptions, opinions, principles, beliefs, and attitudes towards a concept, system, product or idea in an interactive group setting where the participants can talk freely amongst themselves.
• Conduct research interview: Use professional researching and interviewing methods and techniques to gather relevant data, facts or information, to gain new insights and to fully comprehend the message of the interviewee.
• Revise questionnaires: Read, analyse, and provide feedback on the accuracy and adequacy of questionnaires and their assessment fashion taking into account its purpose.
• Capture people’s attention: Approach people and draw their attention to a subject presented to them or to get information from them.
• Collect data using gps: Gather data in the field using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.
• Tabulate survey results: Collate and organise the answers gathered in interviews or polls in order to be analysed and draw conclusions from them.
• Document interviews: Record, write, and capture answers and information collected during interviews for processing and analysis using shorthand or technical equipment.
• Adhere to questionnaires: Follow and ask the questions laid out in questionnaires when interviewing somebody.
• Use microsoft office: Possess the ability to work with the standard programs contained in Microsoft Office at a capable level. Create a document and do basic formatting, insert page breaks, create headers or footers, and insert graphics, create automatically generated tables of contents and merge form letters from a database of addresses (usually in Excel). Create auto-calculating spreadsheets, create images, and sort and filter data tables.
• Design questionnaires: Study the objectives of the research and imprint those aims into the design and development of questionnaires.

3341 – Office supervisors

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References

1. Field survey manager – ESCO
2. Survey Manager Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
3. Featured image: Photo by Jonathan Borba from Pexels