Equipment Operator (Solid Waste)

Todd County; Long Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Todd County is seeking a motivated individual to assist the public with the disposal and recycling of waste products. The role involves operating equipment safely while ensuring facility operations run smoothly and effectively. This opportunity requires strong communication skills and the ability to perform physical tasks regularly while adhering to safety guidelines.

Qualifications

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
• Must pass a criminal background check.
• Ability to communicate with department personnel and customers.

Responsibilities

• Operates light equipment such as skid steers and forklifts.
• Provides customer service through public interaction at disposal site.
• Ensures compliance with waste disposal regulations.

Skills

Communication

Customer Service

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

MPCA demolition facility operator license (Type III)

MPCA Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) training

24-hour health and safety training

Job description

This posting will remain open until filled with first review of candidates 6/16/25.

The purpose of this position is to assist the public with disposal of garbage, demolition, household hazardous waste and recycling products. To operate facility equipment within safety guidelines for appropriate distribution and disposal.

Basic Performance Expectations of all Todd County Staff

• Serves as a positive example to other County personnel with regard to workplace actions, decisions, work skills, attitude and adherence to workplace policy and procedures.
• Has strong communication and interpersonal skills, is honest, fair and dependable.
• Embodies teamwork and cooperation within and across County departments and with the public.
• Communicates effectively with the Department Head and keeps supervisor apprised of important matters ongoing in the department.
• Respect all colleagues, co-workers, board members and the public and lead those around you to do the same.
• This position requires regular and timely attendance in accordance with the department schedule.
• Performs other duties as assigned or apparent.

The following duties are normal for this position. These duties are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required as assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Maintains production standards and schedules.
• Assists in establishing standards.
• Provides customer service with frequent public interaction, including evaluating loads, directing customers to appropriate unloading areas based on load type, handling monetary transactions, and issuing receipts.
• Operates light equipment such as skid steers, wheel loaders, forklifts, wheeled excavators, and auto-tie balers.
• Drives truck in yard to switch containers.
• Ensures garbage and recycling loads meet weight requirements for hauling.
• Must have ability to distinguish demolition debris so that there is not restricted material going to the demolition landfill.
• Ensures preventive maintenance and minor repairs tasks are accomplished.
• Ensures facility and grounds are clean.
• Maintain HHW building.
  • Separates oil base paints from latex
  • Bulk – paint, flammables, etc.
  • Sort chemicals – acids, bases, oxidizers, etc.
  • Maintains operator certification for HHW hazardous categorization and lab bulking.

• High school diploma or GED and moderate experience operating machinery, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• MPCA demolition facility operator license (Type III) - within 6 months of hire.
• MPCA Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) training – within 12 months of hire.
• 24-hour health and safety training – within 12 months of hire.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
• Must pass a criminal background check.

• Ability to communicate effectively with department personnel, residential and commercial customers, truck drivers and other county personnel.
• Ability to add and subtract, multiply and divide, and calculate percentages, fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to use functional reasoning and apply rational judgment in performing diversified work activities.
• Ability to exercise the judgement, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against measurable criteria.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the regular exertion of up to 25 pounds of force, frequent exertion of up to 50 pounds of force and occasional exertion of over 100 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel, climbing or balancing, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions and frequently standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms and tasting or smelling; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception, night vision and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, using of measuring devices, assembly or fabrication of parts within arms length, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work regularly requires working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes or airborne particles and exposure to outdoor weather conditions, frequently requires exposure to wet, humid conditions (non-weather), working in high, precarious places, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals and exposure to extreme heat (non-weather) and occasionally requires exposure to the risk of electrical shock, working with explosives, exposure to vibration, wearing a self contained breathing apparatus, exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment and exposire to confined spaces; work is generally in a very loud noise location (e.g. jack hammer work, garbage recycle plant).