Senior Equipment Operator

About the Role

This is the first of four levels in the Equipment Operations series. Incumbents operate equipment used in the excavation of underground utilities. Responsibilities include operating heavy machinery, maintaining assigned equipment, locating underground utilities, installing or repairing utilities, and performing manual labor.

Responsibilities

• Operates heavy, specialized equipment, which may include backhoes, rubber-tire loaders, large dump trucks, and related equipment to excavate underground utilities.
• Locates utility lines, which may include using specialized equipment, marking lines, and performing related duties.
• Transports equipment and/or materials to designated job site(s).
• Inspects, maintains, and performs basic repairs to equipment.
• Operates a variety of small motorized and/or hand tools to perform manual labor activities.
• Performs various duties requiring manual labor, including flagging traffic, picking up debris, and other related tasks.
• Performs other related work as required.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Possession of a valid Class A Commercial Driver’s License.

Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge of applicable tools and equipment.
• Knowledge of underground utilities.
• Knowledge of manual labor practices.
• Knowledge of equipment maintenance and repair principles and practices.
• Knowledge of occupational hazards and safety precautions.
• Knowledge of safe driving practices and applicable traffic laws, ordinances, and rules.
• Skill in operating motor vehicles and applicable equipment.
• Skill in performing preventive maintenance to applicable equipment.
• Skill in conducting vehicle inspections and recognizing defects.
• Skill in performing manual labor.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills for interaction with coworkers, supervisors, and the public.

Physical Requirements

The work is heavy, requiring exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. The following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and similar structures using feet, legs, hands, and arms.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands, knees, hands, and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touch.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working primarily with fingers.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Hearing: Perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction to receive detailed information through oral communication.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at the knee to rest on one or both knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally, requiring substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: Making rational decisions through sound logic and deductive reasoning.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul, or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something steady to thrust forward, downward, or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word, including conveying detailed instructions accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist, requiring full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.