Heavy Equipment Operator

About the Role

At Beacon Recycling, our Heavy Equipment Operators keep material flowing through our Grand Rapids facility. They operate material handlers, loaders, excavators, forklifts, skid steers, and other equipment to unload customers, sort and process metals, load outbound material, and maintain a safe, efficient yard. This role involves moving between equipment and responsibilities, working throughout the yard, interacting with customers and coworkers, and playing a direct role in keeping the entire operation productive. This position reports directly to the General Manager of our Grand Rapids facility.

Responsibilities

• Operate material handlers, wheel loaders, excavators, forklifts, skid steers, and other heavy equipment
• Load, unload, move, sort, and position scrap metal and other materials
• Load and unload railcars and position material safely for shipment or processing
• Safely handle material around trucks, customers, coworkers, equipment, and processing areas
• Perform daily pre-start inspections and maintain required records
• Identify equipment concerns before they become larger problems
• Perform minor equipment troubleshooting and communicate mechanical issues to maintenance
• Learn to identify and properly sort different grades of ferrous and non-ferrous metals
• Help customers safely unload material when needed
• Communicate professionally with customers regarding material, inventory, deliveries, or other basic questions
• Keep the yard, traffic areas, and work areas clean and organized
• Identify and immediately report safety hazards
• Support other areas of the operation to keep material moving efficiently

Qualities of Successful Operators

• Highly safety-conscious
• Dependable and consistent
• Alert and aware of their surroundings
• Comfortable making decisions while operating equipment
• Productive without sacrificing safety
• Self-motivated
• Detail-oriented
• Mechanically inclined
• Comfortable working independently
• Willing to jump in wherever the operation needs help
• Proud of taking care of their equipment and work area

Ideal Candidate Traits

• Enjoy operating heavy equipment
• Like working outdoors and staying active
• Comfortable working around trucks, machinery, customers, and moving material
• Take safety seriously every time you climb into a machine
• Can stay focused in a busy industrial environment
• Have good mechanical instincts and can recognize when something isn't operating correctly
• Don't mind getting dirty
• Like variety instead of doing the exact same task all day
• Take pride in being dependable and showing up ready to work
• Can work independently without someone constantly looking over your shoulder
• Enjoy being part of a hardworking team

Requirements

We prioritize ability, work ethic, and equipment experience over a perfect résumé. Ideal candidates will have experience with:

• Safe operation of material handlers, wheel loaders, excavators, forklifts, and skid steers
• Previous metal recycling or scrap yard experience (helpful but not required)
• Heavy equipment used in industrial, recycling, construction, aggregate, or material-handling environments
• Railcar loading experience
• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to perform minor equipment troubleshooting
• Welding or torch-cutting experience
• Forklift certification
• Experience with Liebherr, CAT, Fuchs, or similar heavy equipment
• Loading and unloading trucks, trailers, and material
• Working safely around moving equipment, vehicle traffic, customers, and pedestrians
• Performing equipment inspections and identifying basic mechanical problems
• Material sorting and handling
• Working independently in an active outdoor environment

Approximately 3–5 years of related equipment experience is preferred, but we will consider candidates with strong transferable heavy equipment experience.

Schedule

This is a full-time, first-shift position at our Grand Rapids facility.

• Typical Schedule: 5:30 AM – 3:30 PM Monday-Friday
• Employees generally average 45–50 hours per week, depending on workload and operational needs

Dependability is extremely important, as the operation relies on everyone being present and ready to work at the start of the shift.

Work Environment

This position is primarily outdoors in an active scrap metal recycling facility.