Utilities Senior Equipment Operator

Utilities Equipment Operator

***PLEASE NOTE: THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO CURRENT CITY OF CLARKSVILLE GAS & WATER EMPLOYEES ONLY. YOU MUST BE EMPLOYED WITH CLARKSVILLE GAS & WATER FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS TO APPLY AND BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. APPLICATIONS NOT MEETING THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.***

This is the third of three levels in the Utilities Equipment Operations series. Incumbents operate equipment used in the excavation, construction, and maintenance of underground utilities. Responsibilities may include preparing materials and equipment for the assigned job; ensuring safety standards are adhered to; and performing duties of the lower level.

Example of Duties

Essential Functions:

1. Operates equipment necessary for maintenance of water/sewer/gas infrastructure, which includes back-hoes, rubber-tire loaders, large dump trucks, CCTV equipment, vacuum trucks, jet wash trucks and related equipment.
2. Coordinates utilities equipment operator activities, which may include preparing materials and equipment for jobs, prioritizing, assigning work and ensuring compliance with internal and external standards and regulations.
3. Safely performs mechanical and/or hydro excavation and backfilling in proximity, above, underneath, and beside existing utilities including high voltage electrical, high-pressure gas lines and infrastructure without causing damage to other utilities or structures.
4. Performs maintenance on various utilities equipment/parts including hydrants, valves, water mains, taps, and sewer mainlines; operates a variety of equipment, controls, valves, and pumps, implementing adjustments as appropriate based on output and performance readings; installs and repairs equipment.
5. Performs daily inspections and maintenance on heavy equipment, dump trucks, trailers, and various other equipment such as greasing, belt adjustment, flu levels and system flushing.
6. Locates underground utilities in cases of excavation.
7. Performs slope excavations and understands line standards required by OSHA for employee entry into trenches where line excavation as required.
8. Establishes layout and sets up safety traffic controls around work area and is responsible for ensuring the safety of employees and the public following all safety practices and procedures.
9. Performs other related work as required.

Typical Qualifications

Minimum Education and Training:

• High school graduate or GED equivalent.
• Six (6) years of experience, operating heavy construction equipment, vacuum trucks, jet wash trucks and related equipment.
• An equivalent combination of education, state certification, and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above will be considered in lieu of experience-only time requirements.

License and Certifications:

• Position may require either Class D Driver's License or Class A Commercial Driver's License.
• Position typically requires one or two of the following:
  • TN Grade 2 Water Distribution Systems Operator Certification
  • TN Grade 2 Wastewater Collection Systems Operator Certification
  • Three (3) years of experience in water distribution/wastewater collection construction in lieu of each Certification (Six years total experience in lieu of any Certification)
  • Natural Gas Operator Qualifications

Supplemental Information

Minimum Qualifications and Standards Required:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of methods, materials, tools, and equipment used in constructing, maintaining, and repairing City utilities systems.
• Project coordination techniques.
• Manual labor.
• Safe work methods.

Skill in:

• Utilizing applicable tools and equipment.
• Coordinating projects.
• Prioritizing and assigning work.
• Performing routine maintenance and repair functions on equipment and facilities.
• Performing manual labor.
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with subordinates, coworkers, supervisor, the public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Physical Requirements:

The work is heavy work which requires exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. It occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: Making rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something steady to thrust forward, downward, or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. It occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual ability 1: sufficient to perform an activity like preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Visual ability 2: sufficient to include color, depth perception, and field vision.
• Visual ability 3: sufficient to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Visual ability 4: sufficient to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, both day and night.
• Visual ability 5: sufficient to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.