Equipment Operator

City of Northampton; Northampton (MA); On-site; USD 3,459,000 - 4,356,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits per Local 98

Job summary

City of Northampton is seeking a skilled equipment operator to maintain City parks, streets, and facilities. The role includes winter snow removal, emergency response, and supporting utilities and infrastructure maintenance.

Responsibilities span operating motorized and power-driven tools, performing routine maintenance, and joining on-call rotations while following safety guidelines and working with multiple divisions.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; 1–3 years of heavy equipment experience preferred.
• Knowledge of safety regulations and ability to follow procedures precisely.
• Familiarity with GIS concepts and basic software is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Operates heavy equipment to maintain City parks, streets, and facilities.
• Participates in snow and ice removal and emergency response as needed.
• Performs routine maintenance and assists in minor repairs.
• Works within on-call rotations and adheres to safety rules.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

Manual labor

Safety compliance

Emergency response

Snow removal

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

GIS software

Job description

Job Description

7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Grade 3E

• Hourly Rate Range: $25.11 - $31.62
• Anticipated Hiring Hourly Rate Range: $25.11 - $27.30
• Additional Stipend available: $2.00 per hour for CDL license
• Additional Stipend available: .25 per hour for hoisting license

Definition

This position is responsible for performing skilled manual work in the operation of motor driven vehicles and mechanized equipment and in the operation of power driven equipment and hand tools.

Essential Functions

All Divisions

• Participates in snow and ice removal operations; operates all necessary equipment and tools.
• Provides emergency response during and after weather events or other disasters to stabilize and make repairs to City utilities and infrastructure.
• Participates in flood control operations when necessary.
• Participates in on-call rotation.
• Understands and follows all safety regulations.
• Provides assistance to other Divisions as directed.
• May be required to perform duties of subordinate positions.
• Performs similar or related work as directed.

Parks & Cemeteries Division

• Operates motor driven vehicles and equipment, including specialized power driven equipment and hand tools, to maintain and make repairs to the City’s parks, athletic fields, cemeteries and fountains.
• Landscapes and maintains facilities; mows and trims, performs fall and spring cleanups, removes and disposes of litter.
• Lines and paints athletic fields and restores infields.
• Performs maintenance on equipment to ensure its proper operation; may assist in the performance of minor repairs and maintenance.
• Performs maintenance and repair on cemetery monuments and foundations; prepares graves for interments.
• Maintains and repairs irrigation systems, including reading schematics and making repairs to low voltage wiring systems and fittings.
• Performs maintenance and repairs on fountains, including seasonal start up and shut down.
• Spreads seed, fertilizer and lime as directed.

Sewer/Stormwater Division

• Operates motor driven vehicles and equipment, including specialized power driven equipment and hand tools, to install, maintain and make repairs to the City’s sewer and stormwater collection systems.
• Repairs and maintains the City’s sewer and stormwater infrastructure, including repairs to and the maintenance of sewer and drain lines, catch basins and manholes; clears blockages in sewer and drain lines while working in confined spaces.
• Services equipment to ensure its proper operation; may assist in performing minor repairs and maintenance.
• Responds to and repairs sewer or drain line breaks; digs and backfills trenches.
• Identifies deficient sewer and storm drain lines, catch basins and manholes; assists in preventative maintenance, repair or replacement.
• Repairs, cleans and vacuums catch basins.
• Places required chemicals in sewer lines.
• Locates and marks underground sewer and storm drain facilities.
• Performs construction restoration repair and maintenance work, including asphalt and concrete work, curb repair, loam and seeding.

Streets Division

• Operates motor driven vehicles and equipment, including specialized power driven equipment and hand tools, to maintain and make repairs to the City’s roads, sidewalks and associated structures.
• Repairs and maintains roads, curbs and sidewalks; fills potholes, patches roadway cuts, sweeps streets, removes debris and grades road surfaces.
• Installs asphalt and concrete sidewalks and mows roadside or on other City property.
• Services equipment to ensure its proper operation; may assist in performing minor repairs and maintenance.
• Performs construction restoration repair and maintenance work, including asphalt and concrete work, curb repair, loam and seeding.

Urban Forestry Division

• Operates motor driven vehicles and equipment, including specialized power driven equipment and hand tools, to maintain or replace trees in the public right of way or on City properties.
• Maintains the City’s trees; plants new as directed, acts as groundman for the trimming or removal of all trees, including those proximate to high voltage lines; hauls and chips brush and grinds stumps; waters new trees.
• Services equipment to ensure its proper operation; may assist in performing minor repairs and maintenance.
• Performs construction restoration repair and maintenance work, including asphalt and concrete work, curb repair, loam and seeding.

Water Division

• Additional Stipend available: $1.00 per hour for D3 Drinking Water license.
• Operates motor driven vehicles and equipment, including specialized power driven equipment and hand tools, to install, maintain and make repairs to the City’s water distribution system.
• Repairs and maintains the City’s water distribution infrastructure, including repairs to or replacements of water mains and service connections; taps water mains and installs and replaces hydrants.
• Services equipment to ensure its proper operation; may assist in performing minor repairs and maintenance.
• Responds to and repairs water line breaks; digs and backfills trenches.
• Identifies faulty water lines or associated facilities; assists in preventative maintenance, repair or replacement.
• Performs construction restoration repair and maintenance work, including asphalt and concrete work, curb repair, loam and seeding.
• Assists in maintaining Water Division buildings and grounds, water storage tanks and watershed property.
• Participates in water main and hydrant flushing.
• Locates and marks underground water facilities.
• Operates leak detection equipment.
• Installs water services and water meters.

Solid Waste Division

• Operates motor driven vehicles and equipment, including specialized power driven equipment and hand tools on behalf of the City’s Solid Waste Divisions.
• May assist in scheduling all hauling, pickups and drop-offs by outside contractors related to the landfill operation.
• May assist in reading and recording landfill gas readings at landfill flare and gas collection system.
• May assist in monitoring the landfill flare, gas system and leachate/condensate pumping operations; may assist in responding to and troubleshooting alarms and makes minor repairs.
• Assists with special events pertaining to the solid waste division.
• May assist in monitoring landfill cap and drainage system conditions; supports landfill post-closure operations and maintenance as required.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; one to three years of experience operating heavy equipment and trucks and performing manual labor in a construction field; equivalent combination of education and experience.

Licensing Requirements

CDL Class B and MA Hoisting Engineer 2B license required at time of hire. Additional licenses are required after date of hire, by Division, and are defined in the Local 98 Collective Bargaining Agreement Contract.

Knowledge, Ability, And Skills

Knowledge: Knowledge of operating, maintaining and performing minor repairs on heavy equipment and machinery; knowledge of snow and ice operations; knowledge of occupational hazards and proper safety precautions to be used to prevent injuries and protect property.

Abilities: Ability to operate construction vehicles and equipment; ability to perform strenuous physical labor for long periods of time; ability to effectively communicate; ability to properly operate a variety of tools, equipment and trucks for use in assigned tasks.

Skills: Communication skills; equipment operation, repair, and maintenance skills; computer and GIS skills.

Physical Requirements

Physical Skills: Work requires moderate physical strength and effort daily, such as lifting heavy objects, carrying the object(s) and stacking them or moving them. In addition, pulling, pushing, standing or walking for the full work day may also be involved.

Motor Skills: The work may involve assignments requiring application of hand and eye coordination with finger dexterity and motor coordination. The operation of heavy trucks or equipment may be required for long periods of time.

Visual Skills: Essential position functions require the ability to operate a motor vehicle and variety of light and heavy motor equipment, as well as the ability to use variety of power and hand tools. In addition, essential position functions require good close/distant and peripheral vision, as well as depth perception.

~ Equal Opportunity Employer ~

Benefits consistent with the Local 98 Bargaining Unit.