Motor Equipment Operator II - Public Works, Bureau of Utilities, Water Reclamation

Location and Overview

Howard County is conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington. Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, Howard County Government received a record‑breaking 83 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland.

• Committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• Highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace.
• Competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• Help drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

This is skilled work at the crew leader level involving the driving of heavy trucks, the operation of heavy motor and construction equipment, complex mechanical equipment, hand and power tools. Work includes manipulating a variety of complex controls simultaneously or non‑simultaneously with the operation of the basic vehicle; providing routine and preventive maintenance to equipment; performing skilled laboring tasks when not operating motor equipment;

directing the activities of a crew of laboring and/or motor equipment personnel when one is assigned.

$24.36 – $26.22 hourly, $50,668 – $54,546 annual.

• Operates dump trucks hauling waste from the plant, including salt, mulch, gravel, and other needs.
• Operates motor vehicles with attachments and/or tools to spread salt and sand on icy roads, shore up ditches, install pipes, cut grass, and similar activities.
• Inspects and performs minor routine maintenance on equipment and tools.
• Checks for damaged or worn tires or tracks, proper air pressure, and other safety elements; performs routine and preventive maintenance as required.
• Operates forklift to load and unload heavy materials; manually loads and unloads other materials; performs routine and skilled laboring tasks.
• Maintains a log of vehicle operation; reports equipment defects, accidents, traffic violations, and other mishaps.
• May operate more complex motor equipment, hand tools, and power tools; may direct and instruct other employees in the use of motor equipment, hand tools, and power tools.
• Operates a Vactor truck and leads others in using various attachments and equipment associated with the Vactor.
• Operates snow plow and salt spreader, plowing and salting roads.
• Fuelling standby generators and other equipment.
• When required, reports for regular work shift during inclement weather or when an emergency situation arises.

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

• Knowledge of traffic laws and truck‑related laws.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of motor equipment operation.
• Knowledge of hazards and safety rules and regulations involved in equipment operation activities.
• Some knowledge of carpentry and form building; understanding of component parts of motor equipment, hand, and power tools.
• Skill in safe and efficient operation of dump trucks and other motor equipment on and off the highway.
• Skill in operation of hand and power tools.
• Some skills in map and blueprint reading.
• Ability to perform preventative maintenance on motorized equipment.
• Ability to learn operation of mechanical equipment such as forklifts, backhoes, hydraulic excavators, front‑end loaders, and other heavy construction equipment.
• Ability to learn geography of the County and understand and follow oral and written instructions, directions, and traffic signals.
• Ability to perform heavy manual labor for prolonged periods, often under adverse weather conditions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional working relationships with coworkers and others.
• Ability to perform heavy manual labor in road construction…