Heavy Equipment Operator with Backhoe Experience - $33.77/hour

Requisition ID: 109380

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $40 to $42 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Primary Role

Operates various types of power construction equipment such as backhoe and front-end loaders, to excavate, move, grade and replace soils and miscellaneous backfill/restoration materials, and to load /unload pipe, fittings and materials. Assist other crewmembers with various duties in connection with the operation, maintenance and construction of the water distribution system.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform all functions of the position in a safe and conscientious manner, with constant regard for the safety of fellow employees and the general public.
• Operates earthmoving and construction equipment and vehicles.
• Takes instructions and decides what needs to be done with the assigned equipment in order to complete the job.
• Reads and understands schematics, blueprints or sketches of work to be done.
• Understands Miss Utility marks and is familiar with the hazards associated with other below and above ground utilities including a general understanding of the Miss Utility laws and regulations and related company policies.
• Performs safety/operational inspections and routine minor preventative maintenance to equipment.
• Has a general understanding of Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act and company policies relating to same.
• Assist with wet taps using large and small tapping machines, install repair sleeves, flare copper, and install meter settings and yokes.
• Be familiar with the duties of Laborer, Truck Driver, and Utility Worker classifications.
• Assists with erecting barricades and placing safety lights around worksites to protect workers from street traffic, may flag traffic as required.
• Maneuvers pipe sections, valves and fittings into position.
• Backfills excavations using compaction equipment on dirt, crushed stone and cold mixed asphalt.
• Removes and installs water meters, reads meters after installation.
• Work overtime as required.
• Drive Company vehicles and pull trailers as required.
• Performs maintenance work on Company property and grounds.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Knowledge/Skills

Language Skills:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

Mathematical Skills:

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret graphs.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instruction furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Experience/Education

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
• Two (2) years experience operating backhoe and other construction equipment.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write simple reports and correspondence

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Valid motor vehicle operators license with acceptable driving record.
• Confined Space Entry Certification (post-hire)
• VDOT Flagging Certification (post-hire)

Work Environment

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job in all weather conditions and is regularly exposed to vibration.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions.
• The employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts and is frequently expose to toxic or caustic chemicals and extreme cold.
• The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, extreme heat and risk of electrical shock.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee frequently is required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance, talk or hear, and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or remove up to 50 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 100 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Competencies

Champions safetyCustomer obsessedCultivates innovationNimble learningDrives ResultsCollaborates

Join American Water...We Keep Life Flowing™

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.