Heavy Equipment Operator Job Description Template

Job title

Heavy Equipment Operator

Job summary

[Company name] is seeking a dependable heavy equipment operator to join our team in [city, state]. In this role, you will inspect equipment before each shift and report defects, operate excavators, dozers, loaders, backhoes, graders and rollers and support our team’s commitment to safety, quality and service.

Responsibilities

• Inspect equipment before each shift and report defects
• Operate excavators, dozers, loaders, backhoes, graders and rollers
• Dig, grade, load and move earth and materials to plan specifications
• Read grade stakes, plans and GPS machine-control displays
• Coordinate with spotters, laborers and truck drivers using hand signals and radios
• Perform basic maintenance such as greasing and fluid checks
• Follow utility-locate, trenching and site safety rules
• Follow company policies, safety procedures and applicable regulations

Required qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent or equivalent training
• Working knowledge of equipment operation (excavator, dozer, loader, grader) and reading grade stakes and plans
• Spatial awareness and depth perception and patience and precision
• [Add role-specific requirements, such as driver’s license or ability to pass a background check, if job-related]

Preferred qualifications

• Apprenticeship completion
• NCCCO crane operator certification
• CDL Class A or B
• Experience with excavators and mini-excavators

Skills

• GPS machine control
• Pre-shift inspections
• Trenching and excavation safety
• Hand signals and spotter coordination
• Communication with ground crews
• Focus over long periods

Work environment and schedule

Operators work outdoors on construction sites, highways, quarries, mines and landfills. The work is often in noisy, dusty and muddy conditions, with exposure to weather and heavy-equipment hazards. Usually full-time with long days in good weather. Overtime is common in peak season; work may slow in winter in cold regions.

Pay and benefits

$[min]–$[max] per [hour/year], depending on experience. [List benefits: health insurance, paid time off, retirement plan, training and certification support.]

Equal opportunity

[Company name] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law, and we provide reasonable accommodations upon request.