Water Equipment Operator

Date Opened: Monday, April 14, 2025 12:00 AM

Close Date: Monday, April 28, 2025 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte Water Department

Salary: $23.00 - $34.63 Commensurate with Experience

SUMMARY

Charlotte’s local government, with more than 7,000 employees and a $2.39 billion budget, works hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone – a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn, and play.

Charlotte Water is an enterprise department of the City of Charlotte and one of the largest public water and sewer service providers in the southeast with 300,000 customer accounts and over 1000 employees. Our service area includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mint Hill, Matthews, and Pineville. Charlotte Water’s FY 23 budget is $535M and a five-year capital program of $2.5 billion. We enjoy the highest credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies as a result of sound financial planning and management and strong support from our City Council. We value competent, skilled candidates with a customer service focus to work in a team environment.

SALARY:

$51,849.00 - $57,609.00 Commensurate with Experience

JOB SUMMARY:

This position operates light, medium, and heavy equipment. Work involves requesting utility and other underground line locates to avoid damaging services; operates backhoe/loader, excavator, and other heavy equipment to dig trenches to grade at construction sites; using hand tools and small powered equipment such as shovels and saws; making sure tools and equipment are available and in working condition; and digging water & sewer mains and services, making repairs. This position also takes responsibility for crews when the Labor Crew Chief II is not present, provides related training, and serves as the competent person on the job site.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:        

• Perform pre-trip/post inspections on equipment.
• Use of trenching and shoring equipment
• Assesses job site and requests utility and other underground line locates to avoid damaging services.

• Puts up and takes down safety zone equipment. Properly set up and breakdown traffic control safety zones.
• Operates backhoe/loader, excavator, and other heavy equipment to dig trenches to grade at construction sites.
• Digs and repairs water & sewer infrastructure.
• Uses hand tools and small powered equipment such as shovels and saws.
• Operates trucks and trailers; safely loads and unloads heavy equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Ensures tools/equipment are available and in good operating condition each day.
• Performs work to meet safety regulations and quality/production standards.
• Assumes responsibility for the crew when the Labor Crew Chief II is absent.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• High school diploma or completion of GED from an accredited school.
• Two (2) years of related work experience operating heavy equipment.

Licenses, Certifications, or Registrations:

• Requires a valid driver’s license. Must be able to obtain and maintain a city driver’s permit
• Requires (or obtain within 90 days of hire date) a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) with Tankers endorsement.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of basic computer skills
• Ability to follow instructions
• Apply safe work practices
• Knowledge of how to dig trenches to grade at construction sites.
• Knowledge of trenching and shoring.
• Knowledge of operating equipment related to job functions.
• Skill to communicate, both verbally and written.
• Skill in operating light to heavy equipment, such as backhoe/loaders, excavators, trucks, trailers, etc.
• Skill in properly using/caring for basic hand tools and small powered equipment such as shovels and saws.
• Ability to request utility and other underground line locates.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers, and the general public. 
• Ability to work in a team.
• Ability to train others.
• Ability to resolve conflicts.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work is medium work and requires applying 30 pounds of force frequently and exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:  climbing, crawling, crouching, feeling, manual dexterity, grasping, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking l