Highway Maintenance Specialist - La Veta Pass

Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.

La Veta Pass, CO

Base pay: $2,053.85/biweekly ($53,400/annually). Annualized hourly rate: $25.67/hour. Overtime rate: $38.50/hour.

CDOT employees make a difference by providing freedom, connection, and experience to the traveling public, while also keeping them safe. The State of Colorado offers competitive medical, dental, vision insurance, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending and health savings accounts. Additional benefits include PERA retirement plans, 401K, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and professional development.

CDOT’s strength is our people, and we are committed to shaping, supporting, and sustaining the employee experience so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

No two days are exactly the same. You will be on‑call, work in teams, and perform a variety of maintenance tasks.

• Plowing snow
• Operating heavy equipment such as dump trucks, loaders, and mowers
• Mowing grass and weeds
• Removing debris from roadways, culverts, and tunnels
• Shoveling gravel, sand, concrete, and asphalt
• Digging ditches
• Installing and repairing guardrail, highway markers, signs, warning signs, and lighting
• Filling potholes and roadway cracks
• Setting out signs and cones for traffic control
• Removing and covering graffiti
• Installing pavement markings/striping
• Stopping or slowing traffic in emergency situations
• Maintaining equipment and performing minor repairs
• Following safety guidance and wearing proper safety equipment

Your work keeps Colorado’s roadways open and safe, positively impacting the quality of life for Coloradans and visitors.

• Personal protective equipment (uniforms, boots, hard hats, gloves, safety vest, respirator, tools)
• Full payment for CDL physical after first year
• Partial reimbursement (up to 50%) for CDL renewal after first year
• CPR and first-aid training
• Variety of career training opportunities
• 40‑hour work weeks, with overtime during weather emergencies
• 4‑day work schedule (10‑hour days Monday‑Thursday) during summer months
• Opportunities to learn new equipment
• Opportunities for advancement

• Exposure to loud noise, fumes, odors, gasses, dusts
• Use of personal protective equipment and chemicals
• Work with heavy equipment and ladders or scissor lifts (10‑20 ft)
• Drive CDOT vehicles
• Frequent emergencies, possible overtime including weekends and holidays
• Physically demanding work in extreme temperatures, variable weather, and elevations up to 12,000 ft

At least two (2) years of physical labor and/or heavy equipment operation experience.

• Strong commitment to safety
• Desire to learn and work outdoors
• Enjoyment of physically demanding work
• Take pride in a job well done
• Adapt efficiently to changing conditions
• Effective team player, looks out for team members
• Clear communication, especially in safety‑critical situations
• Commitment to customer service
• Problem solving, improving processes
• Experience operating single and tandem axle dump trucks, loaders, bulldozers, backhoes
• Experience using hand tools
• Basic computer skills and willingness to learn new software/equipment
• Prior state service experience related to duties (if applicable)

• Valid Commercial Driver’s License Class A or B (no air‑brake restriction) to operate in Colorado.
• Non‑Colorado CDL holders must be eligible to drive in Colorado at hire or obtain a Colorado CDL within 30 days of relocation.
• Pass pre‑employment screening: social security trace, criminal records, public court records, educational and driving records.
• May require drug test and DOT physical.
• On‑call and shift work.
• Essential Services designation – required to respond immediately to emergencies.
• Must be able to live within 30‑minute driving time to respond promptly.
• New employees: two‑week maintenance training; veterans: one‑week training yearly.
• May need Hazardous Materials endorsement within 6‑12 months.
• Will respond to emergencies outside regular hours, including weekends and holidays.
• Provide emergency contact telephone number.

Colorado guarantees a workplace that values and respects all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness. All employment, hiring, and advancement opportunities are provided on a non‑discriminatory basis.