Highway Laborer

Owen County; Indiana; On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Owen, Indiana seeks a Laborer for the Highway Department to maintain roadways, operate machinery, and assist with traffic control. The position is full-time with a 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

schedule, Monday through Friday, and involves physical duties and safety responsibilities. The Laborer will perform road maintenance tasks, operate tools and equipment, and support emergency response. A valid driver’s license is required, and adherence to OHSA guidelines and safety practices is

Qualifications

• High school diploma or HSE.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Ability to meet all Department hiring and retention requirements, including passage of a drug test.
• Working knowledge of safety policies and OHSA guidelines.
• Working knowledge of equipment to maintain roads and highways, follow safety measures.
• Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling, punctuation, with ability to prepare correspondence and detailed activity reports.
• Ability to operate hand and/or power tools such as wrenches, drills, and more.
• Ability to operate equipment including forklifts, manlifts, pressure washers, etc.
• Ability to physically perform duties including lifting under 50 pounds and long periods of standing/walking.
• Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of department information and records.
• Ability to comply with employer and department policies, including safety and attendance.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing with coworkers and the public.
• Ability to work with others in a team environment.
• Ability to understand, memorize, retain and carry out instructions.
• Ability to plan/layout assigned work projects.
• Ability to perform arithmetic tasks.
• Ability to occasionally work extended hours and respond to emergencies on a 24-hour rotation.
• Possession of a valid driver's license and safe driving record.

Responsibilities

• Maintains roadways and adjacent areas and performs street maintenance tasks.
• Operates and maintains machinery and vehicles used in highway work.
• Maintains records of work activities, job sites, and materials.
• Performs traffic control around work sites, including flagging and setting signs.
• Responds to emergency situations and cleans storm damage.
• Maintains Department facilities, including cleaning and trash removal.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Skills

High school diploma

Age 18+

Drug test

OHSA safety

Equipment operation

Hand & power tools

Driving license

Teamwork

Oral & written communication

Arithmetic ability

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Forklifts

Manlifts

Pressure washers

Sand blasters

Delivery trucks

Front loaders

Patcher

Bucket trucks

Job description

POSITION DESCRIPTION COUNTY OF OWEN, INDIANA

POSITION: DEPARTMENT: WORK SCHEDULE: JOB CATEGORY:

Laborer Highway

7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., M-F

LTC (Labor, Trades, and Crafts)

DATE WRITTEN: May 2020 DATE REVISED: July 2026

STATUS: Full-time

FLSA STATUS: Non-exempt

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function of the position satisfactorily. The requirements listed in this document are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Owen County provides reasonable accommodations to qualified employees and applicants with known disabilities who require accommodation to complete the application process or perform essential functions of the job, unless those accommodations would present an undue hardship.

Incumbent serves as Laborer for the Highway Department, responsible for maintaining roadways and adjacent areas, operating/maintaining machinery, and performing traffic control.

DUTIES:

Maintains roadways and adjacent areas including, but not limited to, cold patching, chip sealing, grading gravel, crack sealing, applying hot mix, installing culverts, clearing pipes, replacing/installing signs, cutting trees, clearing brush, mowing grass, and picking up trash.

Maintains vehicles and equipment, including, but not limited to, performing preventative maintenance, conducting pre-trip inspections, refueling, greasing, and cleaning.

Maintains records of work activities, job sites, and materials.

Performs traffic control around work sites, including flagging traffic, setting road signs, placing traffic cones.

Responds to emergency situations, including cleaning up storm damage.

Maintains Department facilities, including sweeping floors, emptying trash, and cleaning bathrooms.

Performs related duties as assigned.

** SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:**

High school diploma or HSE.

Must be at least 18 years of age.

Ability to meet all Department hiring and retention requirements, including passage of a drug test.

Working knowledge of with ability to make practical application of Department safety policies and procedures, including OHSA guidelines.

Working knowledge of assigned equipment with ability to maintain roads and highways, complete related maintenance, and follow safety measures.

Working knowledge of standard English granunar, spelling, punctuation, with ability to prepare correspondence and detailed activity reports.

Ability to operate a variety of hand and/or power tools in performance of duties, including, but not limited to, wrenches, drills, power saws, chain saws, air nozzles, air compressors, drivers, files, brooms, gauges, steam cleaners, shovels, and other tools as needed.

Ability to operate a variety of equipment in performance of duties, including, but not limited to, forklifts, manlifts, pressure washers, sand blasters, delivery trucks, front loaders, patchers, bucket trucks, and other equipment as needed.

Ability to physically perform assigned duties, including sitting/walking at will, standing/walking for long periods, driving, lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling objects weighing under 50 pounds, crouching/kneeling/bending/reaching, handling/grasping objects, far/close vision, color/depth perception, hearing sounds/communication, and speaking clearly.

Ability to provide public access to, or maintain confidentiality of, department information and records according to state requirements.

Ability to comply with all employer and department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.

Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with co-workers, other County departments, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities, and disabilities.

Ability to work with others in a team environment, and work rapidly for long periods on several tasks at a time, often under time pressure.

Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out written or oral instructions and present findings in oral or written form.

Ability to plan/layout assigned work projects and apply knowledge of people and locations.

Ability to perform arithmetic tasks such as counting, adding, subtracting, computing, and calculating, such as square feet.

Ability to occasionally work extended hours, evenings, and weekends and occasionally respond to emergencies on a 24-hour rotation basis and/or from an off-duty status.

Possession of a valid driver's license and demonstrated safe driving record.

I. RESPONSIBILITY :

Incumbent performs duties with work priorities and schedules primarily determined by supervisor and/or the service needs of the public. Incumbent follows standard operating procedures or policy and procedural manuals. Incumbent must have their supervisor's permission to deviate from standard operating procedures. Incumbent has little flexibility in the job.

Incumbent reports directly to Superintendent.

II. PHYSICAL EFFORT:

Incumbent's duties involve sitting/walking at will, standing/walking for long periods, driving, lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling objects weighing under 50 pounds, crouching/kneeling/ bending/reaching, handling/grasping objects, far/close vision, color/depth perception, hearing sounds/communication, and speaking clearly. Strain may be intense for frequent or moderate durations and effort is exerted regularly for sustained periods, usually in connection with such duties as shoveling or operating machinery.

III. WORKING CONDITIONS:

Incumbent performs a majority of duties outdoors, including exposure to extreme temperatures, wet/icy surroundings, walking on uneven terrain, fumes/odors/dust/dirt, heights, noisy environments, exposure to violent/irate individuals, and situations involving potential physical harm to self and others. Safety precautions must be followed at all times to avoid injury to self and others, including wearing protective clothing and equipment.

Incumbent occasionally works extended hours, evenings, and weekends and occasionally responds to emergencies on a 24-hour rotation basis and/or from an off-duty status.