Engineering Equipment Operator

U.S. Department of the Interior; Missouri; On-site; USD 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Park Service in Southern Missouri is seeking an Engineering Equipment Operator to support heavy construction and road maintenance tasks. You will operate road graders, loaders, excavators, backhoes and other large equipment, performing pre-trip checks and coordinating with engineers to meet project specs.

This position requires a valid Class A CDL, the ability to lift 45 pounds, and US citizenship or national status.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• Background check and favorable adjudication.
• Selectives Service registration may be required.
• Ability to lift 45 pounds and handle heavy machinery safely.
• Valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) required.

Responsibilities

• Operates heavy gasoline/diesel-powered equipment for construction and excavation tasks.
• Grades surfaces, moves dirt, and assists with road/trail projects across rough terrain.
• Performs pre-trip safety inspections and reports deficiencies.
• Loads, secures, and transports equipment to project sites.
• Operates attachments and adjusts equipment settings for accuracy.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

CDL driving

Pre-trip inspections

Safety compliance

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Engineering Equipment Operator with National Park Service. Southern Missouri (RUS) Area WG Special Pay Table Salary Range Information: WG-10: $27.18 (Step 01) - $31.70 (Step 05) per hour.

Major Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Operates heavy gasoline or diesel-powered engineering equipment to accomplish heavy construction and/or excavation work to grade surfaces to rough specifications on all types of terrain, to include mountains and steep slopes, graded curves and shoulders, hilly forests, rocky ground, and other surfaces with similar rough features. Operates heavy engineering equipment such as road graders, crawlers, tractors with bulldozer or angledozer blades, backhoes, front-end loaders, excavators, wheel loaders, trench diggers, skid steers, and large industrial tractors with pan or scraper attachments. Some of these vehicles may be equipped with attachments(e.g., blades, grapple buckets, augers, breakers, hammers, tillers, brush cutters, trenchers, rakes, compactors, rotary snow blowers, mowers, rippers, sweepers, or sanding units). May operate equipment on flat or rolling terrain to grade surfaces, compact soils, or roll to exact specifications/grade stakes set by engineers (or others)where surface conditions are relatively constant. Operates equipment on mountainous or steep terrain to excavate, backfill, grade, or level earth to rough specifications on such projects as breaking new ground for park trails, roads, culverts, canals, tunnels, or construction sites. Operates road graders to grade and ditch and plow or clear debris and brush; end loaders to move dirt and materials, plow snow, and/or fill trucks; backhoes to dig and backfill ditches; dozers to rough in new construction sites; and/or other equipment to rip ice, sand icy road surfaces, stockpile gravel and woodchips, remove stumps, move rocks, clear brush and understory species, perform land fill maintenance, mitigate erosion, and/or remove sand, snow, or debris from roads and parking lots during winter months and following weather events. Operates a boom for placing pipe, hydrants, and other large objects in utility and road maintenance operations throughout the park unit. Hook up attachments, use booms, and/or adjust engineering equipment settings for level, angle, or depth. Loads, secures, and drives equipment to and from project sites. Performs pre-trip safety inspections on engineering equipment, and documents and reports deficiencies to the higher-level operator and/or supervisor.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Federal Wage System (FWS) positions.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Must possess the ability to lift 45 pounds. Must possess and maintain a valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL). Pre-employment and random alcohol and drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive test is received. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. *Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Evaluations

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Related to Mobile Equipment Operation) Ability to Operate Safely (Non-motor Vehicles) Operation of Motor Vehicles Reliability and Dependability as a Engineering Equipment Operator Work Practices (Including Keeping Things Neat, Clean, and in Order) All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. DUE WEIGHT: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors, experience and/or physical requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

What to Expect Next

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. You can find your path with the Department of Interior at https://careers.doi.gov/. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) -09/24/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the qualification requirements. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessment(s). Performance Appraisals and Awards: All applicants must submit their most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor. If the performance appraisal is not dated within the last 18 months OR no performance appraisal is available, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Must provide a copy of valid Class A Commercial Driver's License prior to the closing of the announcement. Eligibility Documentation: Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): If you are applying under LMWFA, you must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment verifying the Position Occupied code 1-Competitive Service (block 34); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of temporary employment claimed, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including a copy of the agency notice, most recent performance rating, and most recent SF-50 showing your position, grade level, and duty location. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Physical Demands: Heavy physical effort is required in constantly climbing in and out of different machines, pushing and pulling levers continuously while machine is in operation, and lifting such items as opening and closing tail gates on dump trucks. Work is strenuous because of the large equipment operated, the frequent adjustments made, and the adverse operating conditions. Considerable strain is caused by the constant vibration of the equipment and the jerking and jolting from operating over rough surfaces. The employee is required to frequently lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds, and often puts forth similar effort when pushing, pulling, turning, and positioning parts, assemblies, equipment, and tools. Working Conditions: This position is required to perform work both inside and outside with most of the work performed outside. The employee works in rain, mud, snow, and in hot/cold temperatures and is frequently exposed to irritation or discomfort from noise, vibration, dust, dirt, fumes, exhaust, oils, heat, cold, and dampness. The operation of large and complicated equipment in difficult circumstances increases the employee's exposure and risk of injury. The employee is frequently subjected to the possibility of receiving cuts, abrasions, bruises, and strains while servicing and operating equipment. When working inside, the employee must ensure proper ventilation. The employee is required to follow prescribed safety practices and use safety equipment such as protective hearing devices and hard hats.