Sign Technician/Hwy Maintenance Worker

Wright County, Minnesota; Buffalo (MN); On-site; USD 69,358,000 - 98,783,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Pension / Public Employees Retirement

Job summary

Wright County, Minnesota is seeking a skilled highway maintenance worker to perform intermediate trades on traffic control signs and the county’s road and bridge systems. Position requires CDL with Tanker endorsement and the ability to operate heavy equipment.

Night and day shifts rotate seasonally; starting wage is $29.34/hour, with the potential for extensive field duties and after-hours callouts. The county offers a strong benefits package upon hire.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a high school diploma or GED with two years highway maintenance or related experience.
• CDL with Tanker endorsement required on hire.
• First Aid/CPR, Forklift, OSHA trainings within one year of employment.

Responsibilities

• Installs, repairs, fabricates, and maintains all traffic control devices and equipment.
• Performs traffic control, flagging, and work zone setup; documents repairs.
• Re-lamps and performs minor maintenance on traffic signals and overhead lights; notifies contractor when service is needed.
• Trims vegetation away from signs to improve visibility and safety.
• Operates locator to check underground utilities prior to digging; assists in locating utilities.
• Fabricates special signs not part of regular inventory.
• Maintains department equipment, buildings, inventories; uses computerized inventory system.
• Performs road and bridge maintenance including patching, paving, sealing, and crack repair.
• Replaces culverts and installs liners; constructs new turn lanes and shoulders.
• Removes snow and ice using chemicals and salt; handles road materials transport and stockpiling.
• Ability to safely operate heavy equipment on roadways and construction sites.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

Metal fabrication

Traffic signing

GPS & inventory systems

Safety procedures

Blueprints & plans

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Starting Wage is $29.34/hour.

Night shift hours: 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. from November 1st through March 31st. Day shift hours: April 1st through October 31st.

Performs intermediate skilled trades work performing maintenance of the County's traffic control signs and devices and the County's highway road and bridge system. Work is performed under the moderate supervision of the Traffic Engineer or Highway Maintenance Supervisor.

General Definition of Work

Work schedule is as follows: Night shift hours: 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. from November 1st through March 31st. Day shift hours: April 1st through October 31st. Performs intermediate skilled trades work maintaining the County's traffic control signs and devices and the County's highway road and bridge system. Work is performed under the moderate supervision of the Traffic Engineer or Highway Maintenance Supervisor.

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.

Essential Functions

• Installs, repairs, fabricates, and maintains all permanent, temporary, and seasonal traffic control devices and equipment used in signing.
• Performs traffic control, flagging, and work zone set‑ups. Repairs and/or replaces signs damaged due to traffic accidents or natural causes; documents and photographs repaired signs. Assists supervisor in conducting various traffic studies and administering pavement striping.
• Re‑lamps and performs minor maintenance such as replacing batteries on traffic signals and overhead lights; troubleshoots problems using computer hook‑up to cabinet and notifies contractor of service needed.
• Trims trees and brush away from obstructed signs to improve visibility and safety.
• Operates locator device to check underground utilities prior to digging and assists maintenance personnel in locating underground utilities.
• Fabricates special signs which are not part of the regular inventory.
• Maintains department equipment, buildings, field sign and sign shop inventories; uses computerized inventory system; documents all signing activities. Receives and unloads supplies and signs, and places in proper storage location.
• Performs repairs and maintenance to roads and bridges; including bituminous patching, paving, sealing concrete repair & maintenance in medians/sidewalks, and crack sealing roads.
• Replacement of highway culverts by removal and installation of new culverts and/or installation of culvert liners in existing culverts.
• Places highway construction signs; removes debris and trash from roads, bridges, and ditches including dead animals and discarded appliances; repairs and/or installs bridges, culverts and guardrails; constructs new roadway turn lanes and shoulders using computerized equipment.
• Removes snow and ice from roadways using chemicals, and salt; identifies, controls and removes noxious weeds, tree and brush cuttings on roadways; loads, hauls, and operates equipment.
• Transports and stockpiles road materials, including gravel and sand.
• Ability to safely operate heavy equipment on roadways and construction sites.
• Ability to interpret and understand highway construction plans.
• Must be available for after work hours emergency callouts.
• Performs other duties and activities as assigned.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or GED, and two years of experience working in highway maintenance, heavy equipment operation, and/or traffic signing or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous experience working with metal fabrication is preferred.

Special Requirements

Class A Commercial Driver's license (CDL) with a Tanker Endorsement upon hire.

First Aid/CPR, Competent Person, Forklift, Nuclear Training, Flagger/Work Zone, OSHA Log Safe Training certifications all within one year of employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge and awareness of the environmental conditions and precautionary safety measures required to perform routine maintenance procedures; knowledge of proper signage for work areas; knowledge of basic metal shop fabrication; knowledge of basic mathematics to calculate measurements and inventory; knowledge of, and ability to operate standard office equipment including computer and software programs, telephones and two‑way radios; ability to learn to use GPS, digital camera, automated inventory system, and other computer systems used by the Highway Department; verbal and written communication skills sufficient to effectively respond to questions from a wide variety of audiences; reading comprehension skills sufficient to understand and interpret work related documents, plans and technical documents; interpersonal skills sufficient to exchange and/or convey information, give and receive work direction, and maintain effective working relationships, ability to operate the sign truck with boom, tractor loader, distance measuring equipment, power and hand tools, welding equipment; ability to learn and work in compliance with safety practices pertaining to traffic lanes, along roadways, and with various chemicals, ability to interpret State and Federal regulations on traffic control devices; ability to learn various road maintenance and signing procedures; ability to learn the methods, practices, equipment and materials used in road and bridge maintenance and repair; ability to learn the phases of ice and snow removal and clean‑up; ability to learn County government work flows and processes; ability to effectively organize time and anticipate, plan and successfully respond to changing circumstances; ability to keep operating records; ability to perform all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices; ability to communicate courteously and professionally while maintaining positive working relationships with others when carrying out all job functions.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 50 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 100 pounds of force; work regularly requires standing, walking and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires speaking or hearing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, tasting or smelling, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions and occasionally requires sitting and climbing or balancing; 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 though 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 arm's length, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surrounding and activities; work frequently requires exposure to fumes or airborne particles, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals and exposure to outdoor weather conditions and occasionally requires wet, humid conditions (non-weather), working near moving mechanical parts, working in high, precarious places, exposure to risk of electrical shock, exposure to vibration and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment; work is generally in a loud noise location (e.g. grounds maintenance, heavy traffic).

Wright County offers an exceptional benefit package including vacation, sick leave and holiday pay. Also included in this benefit package is health, preventative dental and life insurance; medical and dependent care reimbursement accounts (Section 125 Plan); deferred compensation plan and Public Employees Retirement (pension).