Head of Heavy Equipment Training & Curriculum

TerraFirma; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

TerraFirma, a startup focused on accelerating infrastructure, is seeking a Training Program Lead to design and run an elite operator onboarding bootcamp for heavy civil equipment. You will train operators on bulldozers, excavators, and semi-autonomous systems, setting rigorous standards and certifying performance from day one.

The role requires hands-on expertise, curriculum design experience, and a passion for safety and excellence in a startup environment.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience operating heavy civil equipment (bulldozers, excavators, graders).
• Direct experience designing and/or running a heavy equipment operator training program, school, or certification curriculum.
• Proven ability to train and evaluate others on safe, proficient equipment operation.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to build structured, disciplined training programs from scratch.

Responsibilities

• Design and own TerraFirma's operator training curriculum from scratch, including a high-intensity onboarding program for new operators.
• Personally instruct and evaluate trainees on safe operation of bulldozers, excavators, and other heavy civil equipment.
• Set and enforce measurable performance and discipline standards for trainees, tracking progress and certifying operators against clear criteria.
• Train operators on traditional equipment operation and TerraFirma's semi-autonomous and remote-controlled systems.
• Build out training documentation, safety protocols, and certification standards that scale with team growth.
• Continuously refine the curriculum based on field performance, incident data, and evolving equipment capabilities.
• Instill a culture of discipline, safety, and operational excellence from day one.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

Curriculum design

Training evaluation

Safety training

Organizational skills

Job description

TerraFirma, a startup focused on accelerating infrastructure, is seeking a Training Program Lead to design and run an elite operator onboarding bootcamp for heavy civil equipment. You will train operators on bulldozers, excavators, and semi-autonomous systems, setting rigorous standards and certifying performance from day one.

The role requires hands-on expertise, curriculum design experience, and a passion for safety and excellence in a startup environment.