Senior Heavy Equipment Operator

Salary: $53,400.00 - $80,100.00 Annually

Location: Raleigh, NC

Job Type: Full‑Time

Department: PU Sewer Maintenance

Opening Date: 01/22/2026

Closing Date: 02/05/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Hiring Range: $53,400.00 - $66,800.00

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 Senior Heavy Equipment Operator functions as the primary crew leader and heavy equipment operator for each crew assigned to the Easement Maintenance Program within the Sewer Maintenance Division. Crews within this program are tasked with removing vegetation from sanitary sewer easements to establish or maintain access for staff and heavy equipment, typically utilizing a wide range of gas‑powered equipment from chainsaws and weed eaters up to large tractors, bushhogs, and forestry mulchers.

In addition to heavy equipment operation, incumbents also provide crew supervision, hauling/transport, jobsite planning, work documentation, and manual labor support functions for assigned work.

• Daily vehicle and equipment inspections
• Act as a lead worker, overseeing all aspects of job completion to include managing subordinate staff on jobsites
• Jobsite planning, setup, and teardown
• Safety tailgate briefings prior to assigned work
• Haul heavy equipment to and from job sites
• Maintain and operate a wide range of heavy equipment including various excavators, backhoes, track hoes, track dump trucks, skid steers, etc.
• Oversee completion of truck/supply room inventory
• Oversee crew completion of all other work‑related tasks

• Get your CDL! The City will provide CDL training and license reimbursement upon passing the CDL exam
• Education 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 additional pay up to 12.5%

Scheduled working hours are Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 3:00 pm. This position carries an on‑call requirement, including weekends and/or holidays, which includes 8 hours of paid standby 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 Dr, Raleigh, NC 27604.

• Performs skilled maintenance work with the proper maintenance tools and equipment for tasks, following established safety policies, procedures, applicable codes, and regulations
• Serves as a lead worker of a two‑staff member crew by assigning work and monitoring work completion
• Operates and/or transports equipment; operates assigned heavy equipment for various functions which may include grading/excavating, collection and removal of debris, refuse and/or snow, and/or material application and distribution.
• Plans routes and sets up work areas for safety and operational efficiency, including overseeing setup/teardown of traffic control measures, work zones, and various safety equipment including trench boxes, hydraulic shoring, and confined space equipment. Monitors work to ensure applicable rules and regulations are followed
• Utilizes heavy equipment to cut and remove vegetation from areas where sanitary sewer structures are located outside of public right of ways or streets. Examples of work areas include rough terrain, steep grades, stream beds, and low‑lying wetland areas
• Plans, monitors and reviews inventory, resources and materials needs. Initiates orders for resources based on requirements, working with contract workers and trade specialists as needed to schedule and coordinate repairs and maintenance services
• Instructs staff…