Equipment Operator III

City-of-Portsmouth,-Nh; Portsmouth (VA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Portsmouth, NH is seeking a Municipal Equipment Operator to operate heavy equipment for street, highway and alley maintenance. Responsibilities include pothole repair, asphalt overlay work and equipment safety checks throughout daily operations.

The role requires 3–5 years of relevant experience and a CDL Class-B license with a clean driving record. Pre-employment checks and certifications are required for safety compliance and disaster-response readiness.

Qualifications

• Requires completion of 10th grade or higher and 3–5 years of experience operating heavy motorized equipment.
• Preferred: High school diploma, GED or specialized vocational training.
• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class-B and favorable driving record are required.

Responsibilities

• Operates heavy street maintenance equipment and performs repairs on streets, highways and alleys.
• Performs daily safety checks and preventive maintenance on equipment.
• Loads materials and utilizes hand and power tools as needed.
• Maintains logs of daily activities and adheres to safety and regulatory standards.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

Safety procedures

Communication

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

CDL Class-B

VDOT Flagger Certification

NIMS ICS Certifications

Job description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

Under general supervision, operates a variety of complex motorized equipment used in the maintenance of public streets, highways, and alleys. Reports to an Equipment Operator Supervisor.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Operates a variety of heavy equipment utilized in the maintenance and repair of streets, highways and alleys. Repairs potholes and damaged roadways, creates asphalt overlays, and grades and maintains public alleyways.

Operates other street maintenance equipment as necessary including loaders to load asphalt, concrete, and utilizes hand and small power tools.

Properly performs preventive maintenance and safety checks on assigned equipment. Conducts daily inspection of assigned equipment to ensure proper working condition; inspects tires, lights, blades, fuel, fluids, windshield wipers.

Removes obstacles from street and gutter areas to permit access.

Responds to hazardous materials spills.

Ensures the safety of city equipment, private property, and others by following proper safety procedures, watching for pedestrians, private property, overhead utility lines and other utilities or obstructions; performs traffic management duties such as flagging vehicles.

Maintain log of daily activities.

Performs other related work as required. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Knowledge of Job:

Has considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of maintenance and repair activities related to street maintenance. Has knowledge of traffic and safety laws and regulations Is able to follow oral and written instructions. Is able to perform heavy physical work. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

Quality of Work:

Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts with all departments, co-workers and the public.

Quantity of Work:

Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under "Essential Job Functions."

Dependability:

Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and for meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, policies, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.

Attendance:

Attends work regularly and adheres to policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests.

Initiative and Enthusiasm:

Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for the completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.

Judgment:

Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.

Cooperation:

Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified i.e., poor communications, variance with policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.

Relationships with Others:

Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees and managers in other departments, to project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons in order to maintain good will within the city. Emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive image within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees, Equipment Operator Supervisor (Refuse Collection), professionals and the public.

Coordination of Work:

Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establishes a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions of time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings and deadlines.

Safety and Housekeeping:

Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Requires completion of 10th grade in high school and, and 3 – 5 years of experience in the operation of heavy motorized equipment, street or concrete repair work, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, with some lead work experience which provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities. High school diploma, GED or specialized vocational training is preferred.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• An acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and sex offender registry check.
• A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class -B, and a favorable driving record.
• This position requires pre-employment medical evaluation and substance abuse testing and is subject to random alcohol and controlled substance testing.
• This job is considered essential personnel and requires attendance and work during and following natural disasters and emergencies.
• Must be able to obtain Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Flagger Certification, and complete the required National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System Certifications within one (1) year of employment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Physical Requirements:

Must be physically able to operate a heavy motorized vehicle. Must be able to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 25 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are for Heavy Work.

Data Conception:

Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communications:

Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments and directions from superiors.

Language Ability:

Requires the ability to read maps, work orders and simple forms, and the ability to complete work orders, vehicle check lists, leave slips and time sheets using prescribed format. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence:

Requires the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagrammatic form; to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in or from standardized situations.

Verbal Aptitude:

Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effective and efficiently using Standard English, and mechanical, technical and electrical terminology.

Numerical Aptitude:

Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas. Must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Form/Spatial Aptitude:

Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination:

Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using equipment utilized for street maintenance.

Manual Dexterity:

Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, such as equipment used to maintain streets. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination:

Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament:

Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under minimal levels of stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress (emergency situations).

Physical Communication:

Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking - expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving nature of sounds by ear).

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTS

The City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

This is a class description and not an individual position description. A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.