Equipment Operator

Job Overview

The City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department, now also known as Raleigh Water, provides water and sanitary sewer services to roughly 198,000 metered customers and a service population of about 600,000 people in Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon areas. Our mission is to provide safe, sustainable water services for our customers while protecting public health and contributing to the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our communities.

The Equipment Operator position functions as the lead worker of each two‑man crew assigned to the Reactive Maintenance Program within the Sewer Maintenance Division. Crews within this program are tasked with responding to calls for service to address sewer system blockages and overflows by cleaning sanitary sewer mains. Staff assigned to this role are responsible for the maintenance and operation of combination jet/vac equipment used to clean sewer structures by way of high‑pressure water hoses and nozzles.

• The City will provide CDL training and license reimbursement upon passing the CDL exam.
• Education is provided to learn Water Distribution/Wastewater Collection Operator standards and earn certifications.
• Qualifying Heavy Equipment Operators are eligible for training certifications that provide stipends of up to 12.5% additional pay.

Scheduled working hours are Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 3:00 pm. This position carries with it an on‑call requirement which will include weekends and/or holidays, and which includes 8 hours of paid standby time per on‑call week, plus the potential to earn overtime pay at 1.5 times the normal hourly rate for hours worked over 40.

This position will report to the Lake Woodard Operations Center, located at 3324 Lake Woodard Drive, Raleigh, NC 27604.

• Performs semi‑skilled general maintenance with proper maintenance tools and equipment for tasks, following established safety policies, procedures, applicable codes, and regulations.
• Conducts work primarily in a crew setting in outdoor environments within close proximity to heavy equipment, vehicle traffic, open manholes, and open excavations. This can involve entering areas with uneven or rough terrain to include creek beds, wetlands, or forested areas.
• Completes various manual labor tasks such as locating and marking sewer/water structures, manual cutting of underbrush and vegetation, operating gas‑powered small equipment to cut grass, vegetation, and tree limbs, work site cleanup, materials hauling/disposal, additional site restoration activities, and assistance with other Division Programs.
• Operates and maintains assigned equipment and tools; performs inspections to ensure safe operating conditions. Performs routine repairs and/or replacement of parts, cleans and performs preventative maintenance, and monitors need for replacement or advanced repairs.
• Completes setup/teardown of traffic control work zones and various safety equipment including trench boxes, hydraulic shoring, and confined space equipment.
• Responds to and investigate sewer backup, overflow, and odor calls. Takes corrective action to address issues when needed.
• Inputs data into electronic work order system.
• Provides support to the City’s emergency response in the event of inclement weather, to include support for debris cleanup after severe storms or snow and ice response for Division facilities.

High School diploma or G.E.D. equivalency and less than 1 year experience in light to medium construction equipment operation or related work.

Examples of preferred relatable experience are provided below:

• Construction: grading, storm drain, site work, builder, plumber, any utility construction (including fiber installation), road construction.
• Landscaping: installer, maintenance, irrigation.
• Mechanics: heavy equipment, HVAC, hydraulic systems.
• Farming: manual labor, equipment operating.
• Moving Company: labor, truck driver.
• General Municipal Worker: utility inspector.
• Tech School Student: mechanical.
• Firefighter: full or part‑time.

Any equivalent combination of training and/or…