Excavator Operator & Ground Crew — Civil Construction

Strata Civil Ltd; Queenstown; On-site; NZD 44,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly rate

Long-term employment

Ongoing projects in Queenstown/Central

Supportive team environment

Skill development and progression

Job summary

Strata Civil Ltd in Queenstown is seeking an experienced Machine Operator to join the crew. You will operate excavators and other earthmoving plant, while also performing ground work such as wiring, drainage, and infrastructure tasks on busy residential, commercial and infrastructure sites in the Queenstown region.

The role combines machine operation with hands-on labours on a daily basis, requiring physical fitness, safety awareness and the ability to work with a crew or independently.

Qualifications

• Proven experience operating excavators or similar earthmoving plant in a civil construction environment.
• Confidence digging and grading to line and level from drawings and site instructions.
• Must have min 12months experience operating piling equipment.
• Physically fit and genuinely happy doing labour-intensive ground work alongside machine operation.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Competency carrying out daily plant checks and basic maintenance.
• Ability to follow instructions, plans and specifications.
• Strong awareness of workplace health and safety.

Responsibilities

• Operate excavators and other earthmoving plant safely across active civil construction sites.
• Dig, load, cut/fill and trench to line and level, working from engineer's drawings and site instructions.
• Carry out site preparation and compaction work ahead of concrete, drainage and infrastructure works.
• Load and unload trucks and support vehicles on site.
• Complete daily pre-start checks and basic maintenance on plant and equipment.
• Work on the ground with the crew for a significant part of each day — building gabion baskets, laying pipe, assisting with concrete pours and retaining wall construction, and general labouring tasks.
• Identify and report hazards, near misses and equipment faults.
• Maintain a clean, safe and organised worksite.
• Comply with all health and safety, quality and environmental requirements.

Skills

Machine operation

Excavator operation

Ground work

Teamwork

Safety awareness

Job description

Strata Civil Ltd in Queenstown is seeking an experienced Machine Operator to join the crew. You will operate excavators and other earthmoving plant, while also performing ground work such as wiring, drainage, and infrastructure tasks on busy residential, commercial and infrastructure sites in the Queenstown region.

The role combines machine operation with hands-on labours on a daily basis, requiring physical fitness, safety awareness and the ability to work with a crew or independently.