Heavy Equipment Operator - Landfill
Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America
Full Time
6 days ago
$44,000 - $48,000 USD
About this role
Join the City of Chattanooga Team
Chattanooga, a vibrant and growing community of over 190,000 residents within a metropolitan area of nearly 600,000 is known as the "Scenic City" for a reason. Nestled along the Tennessee River and surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we are a hub of outdoor adventure and innovation. Home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College, our city blends a rich industrial history with a tech-forward future—famously powered by the nation’s first community-wide "Gig" fiber-optic network. The City of Chattanooga was also recently designated as a "National Park City,” the first of its kind in the United States.
Our Organization
As a City, we are powered by a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,600 employees committed to excellence in public service and making Chattanooga the best community in the country. Our team ensures our city thrives through a wide range of municipal services, including:
- Public Safety: Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments.
- Infrastructure & Utilities: Public Works, Waste Resources, and specialized Stormwater management.
- Quality of Life: Award-winning Parks and Outdoors and Community Development systems and the Chattanooga Public Library.
- Transportation: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and citywide transit and pedestrian friendly initiatives.
- Innovation: Leading-edge smart-city programs with a commitment to cutting edge workforce development policies to ensure all our residents can get ahead.
Why Choose Chattanooga?
The City of Chattanooga’s workforce is the heartbeat of our community. We don't just offer jobs; we offer careers with purpose: making Chattanooga the best city in America. We are committed to being the premier employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee by providing:
- Competitive Compensation: Robust pay scales that reflect our commitment to our staff.
- Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling where possible.
- Exceptional Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs designed for you and your family that deliver savings to you beyond your paycheck, featuring a centralized health clinic and pharmacy for all City employees. .
- Growth: A focus on professional development and upward mobility within the organization.
- The Great Outdoors: Your Backyard Playground: Chattanooga isn't just near nature, it's immersed in it. As one of the most biodiverse cities in North America, the "Scenic City" offers an ecological richness that few places on earth can claim. Whether you are an
- adrenaline junkie or a weekend wanderer, world-class adventure is always less than an hour away.
- Vertical Adventures: Scale legendary sandstone cliffs in what is widely considered the premier rock climbing hub of the Southeast.
- Water & Rapids: From the high-octane whitewater kayaking of the Ocoee River to world-class bass fishing and peaceful paddling on the Tennessee River.
- Trails for Miles: Explore a massive network of mountain biking and hiking trails that wind through lush ridges, hidden waterfalls, and deep river gorges.
In Chattanooga, "work-life balance" means you can finish your shift and be at a trailhead or on the water before the sun sets.
Our mission is to work together to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable city for all Chattanoogans. To do that, it takes a team of skilled and passionate individuals. So, if you’d like to call Chattanooga home – or maybe you already do! – and want to further your career through meaningful work that makes a true impact where you live, we’d love to talk to you.
Salary: GS.08 $22.74 - 24.87 per hour
Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:00 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. (EST)
*Hours may vary due to work assignments or projects.*
Work Location: 9367 Birchwood Pike (Birchwood Landfill)
FLSA Status: This is a Non-Exempt position.
Department: PW - Landfill
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)
Maneuvers heavy equipment and operates complex mechanisms involving digging, moving earth and materials, grading, loading, paving, and performing similar tasks in order to advance projects relating to construction and maintenance of city streets, utilities, and other infrastructure.
Equipment is primarily driven and operated on-site, but does require some driving over public roads; maneuvers in and around traffic, crew workers, equipment, utilities, and other obstacles; obeys all traffic laws and safety guidelines; monitors the immediate environment and work area to ensure the safety of the operator, other workers, the equipment and the public.
Operates various heavy equipment to assist in the maintenance and upkeep of the landfill; operates bulldozer, compactor, and/or scraper to move and compact waste and other materials to ensure proper placement, level, and contents of landfill mounds; operates same equipment to move and compact earth to provide a proper covering for landfill; keeps metal pile clean and assists with sorting of waste.
Operates milling and asphalt paving machines to grind existing pavement and lay down the new pavement for construction and maintenance of roads, parking lots and other paved surfaces; controls speed, depth and width spread/grinding of equipment; operates multiple mechanisms to control speed, volume and depth of asphalt application; monitors and oversees activities of crew workers assisting with the operation of equipment and application of asphalt.
Performs basic and semi-skilled labor as appropriate to assist in the completion of maintenance, upkeep and construction projects; picks up paper, limbs and other debris; uses hand tools and operates motorized tools as necessary to complete the assigned task.
May be required to use, carry and answer cell phones, use other electronic devices to receive and track work, and/or two-way radio as determined by their job duties and supervisor.
Performs other related duties as required.
This position is deemed essential during inclement weather situations, and must report to or remain at work, even when administrative closings are announced, as determined by the Department Head.
Must meet regular attendance requirements.
Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers and citizens.
Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
May be assigned or reassigned to any division within the department.
Performs other duties as assigned.
DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any):
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
High School Diploma or GED and three (3) years of any combination of relevant education, experience, and/or training sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of this job or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Valid Class D driver’s license
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Knowledge of occupational hazards and safety precautions; general equipment and maintenance principles; materials and equipment utilized in assigned areas of responsibility; demonstrated proficiency on a minimum of three (3) types of heavy equipment to include three (3) years of experience operating heavy equipment. Typical equipment operated might include but is not limited to: excavators, rubber-tired loaders, compactor, scraper, wood chipper, paving machine, milling machine, motor grader, bulldozer, articulated dump truck, and backhoes. Must be able to use electronic devices to receive and track work.
Position requires minimal, but regular public interaction with the public and must be customer service centered, focused, and able to recognize or resolve customer needs according to departmental practices.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Positions in this class typically require climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Safety Sensitive: Y
Department of Transportation - CDL: N
Child Sensitive: N
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check / drug screening / lift test
The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
KJS 04162026