Highway Maintenance​/Equipment Operator

Position: Highway Maintenance Equipment Operator
Department: County Highway Department
Location: Cambridge, MN
Job Type: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Work Setting: On-site; regular in-person attendance required
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Union Affiliation: IUOE Local Highway #49

• Expected 2026 Hiring Range: $25.50 - $27.19 per hour ($53,040.00 - $56,555.20 annually), depending on qualifications, relevant experience, and internal equity.
• Full Range: $25.50 – $32.93 per hour ($53,040.00 – $68,494.40 annually), with the potential for additional longevity-based pay.

An additional Seasonal Disruptive Pay of $300.00 per month will be awarded for successfully completing the months of November, December, January, February, and March.

Following the Final date to receive applications, Human Resources will review all submitted applications. If your qualifications align with the requirements, you will be contacted by email with details regarding the next steps in the selection process.

Please note:

Emails from Isanti County Human Resources may occasionally be filtered into junk or spam folders. Applicants are encouraged to monitor these folders regularly to avoid missing important communication regarding their application status.

Equipment Skills/Proficiency Test

As part of the selection process, applicants who advance to a conditional offer of employment will be required to complete a skills and proficiency test to evaluate their ability to safely and effectively operate highway maintenance equipment. The test may include practical demonstrations of equipment operation and will assess equipment operating skills, proficiency, safety practices, and overall competency. Successful completion of the equipment skills/proficiency test is required as a condition of employment.

Isanti County offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts for health and dependent care
• Life insurance (basic coverage for yourself plus optional voluntary coverage)
• Long-term disability insurance
• Paid Time Off, including vacation, sick, and personal leave
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Deferred compensation plans
• Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) contributions from both employer and employee
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee Wellness Program

Performs work operating heavy motorized equipment on the maintenance and repair of County roads and bridges, assisting and performing a variety of road repair and maintenance activities, operating light equipment, and related work as apparent or assigned.

Work is performed under the supervision of the Highway Maintenance Superintendent.

• Operates single and tandem axle dump trucks; hauls materials to construction sites to maintain and repair County roads; hauls blacktop for overlays; hauls gravel for washouts, frost boils, and general gravel maintenance work.
• Plows snow using trucks and graders; applies ice control materials on streets and sidewalks.
• Operates graders for plowing snow, fine and rough grading roads, ditching, shouldering, leveling gravel, and scrapping ice off blacktop to clear roads.
• Operates backhoes for ditching along roads for water control; installs or replaces culverts.
• Operates a variety of other heavy equipment such as dozers, front-end loaders, tandems, shoulder machine, steamer, and strippers.
• Removes protruding rocks, picks up debris, and cuts brush and trees.
• Performs minor maintenance on equipment operated and assists mechanics on repairs.
• Helps install and repair road signs as needed.
• Uses pavers in applying bituminous materials and rollers in compacting blacktop.
• Operates front-end loaders to load trucks in storage pits with sand and salt and to remove accumulated snow from obstructing traffic flow.
• Performs daily inspections of equipment and completes log sheets.
• Attends safety and skill trainings as required.
• Assists Engineering Technicians as necessary.
• Assists in directing traffic, placing signs, and traffic control devices for highway…