Motor Equipment Operator

Motor Equipment Operator, Gravity Sewers Repair Maintenance

Join Fairfax County – A stable, inclusive workplace where your skills make a difference. At Fairfax County, we keep our communities safe and moving by maintaining the critical infrastructure people rely on every day. This position works as a part of our Gravity Sewers Repair Maintenance Group—an essential team that ensures reliable sewer service across the county. If you take pride in operating heavy equipment, working outdoors, and contributing to work that directly serves the public, this role offers stability, clear advancement opportunities, and a supportive environment built on teamwork and respect.

Key responsibilities include:

• Operate heavy equipment: Safely operate medium and heavy equipment, including dump trucks, backhoes, skid-steer loaders, mini-excavators, and other specialized tools to support sewer maintenance and repair operations.
• Perform sewer maintenance & repairs: Assist with the inspection, excavation, repair, and restoration of sewer lines, manholes, and related infrastructure while performing physically demanding field work in various weather conditions.
• Inspect & maintain equipment: Conduct daily inspections and perform routine maintenance and minor repairs on vehicles, equipment, and tools to ensure safe and reliable operation.
• Utilize technology & document work: Use Outlook, GIS, GPS, tablets, and work order management systems to receive assignments, document completed work, track materials, and update job status.
• Promote safety & teamwork: Adhere to all safety policies and procedures, including traffic control, confined space, trenching, and PPE requirements, while collaborating effectively with crew members to complete work safely and efficiently.
• Provide reliable customer service & emergency response: Maintain professional interactions with coworkers and the public while responding to after-hours emergencies, severe weather events, and other operational needs as required.

The ideal candidate must possess:

• Safety focus & accountability – Demonstrates a strong commitment to workplace safety by consistently following established procedures, identifying and reporting hazards, using equipment responsibly, and taking ownership of the quality and accuracy of their work.
• Technical knowledge & equipment operation – Possesses experience operating medium-sized heavy equipment and using hand and power tools, while performing routine equipment inspections and basic maintenance to ensure safe and efficient operations.
• Problem solving & adaptability – Identifies and troubleshoots common utility infrastructure issues, adapts quickly to changing priorities and field conditions, and remains calm and solutions-focused during emergency response situations.
• Technology proficiency – Is comfortable using computers, tablets, Outlook, GIS, GPS, and work order management systems to receive assignments, document work performed and maintain accurate records.
• Teamwork, communication & customer service – Works effectively as part of a field crew by collaborating with coworkers, communicating clearly and respectfully with supervisors, team members, customers, and the public, and providing professional customer service.
• Dependability & work ethic – Demonstrates reliability by completing assignments efficiently, maintaining attendance and accountability, responding to after-hours emergencies when needed, and performing physically demanding work in a variety of outdoor and weather conditions.

Wastewater Management positions are responsible for providing uninterrupted sewer service to residents during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies. This position is designated as emergency service and is subject to 24-hour on-call and may be required to report to work during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies, including after-hours and weekend work during emergency incidents to fulfill emergency service duties. Overtime may be mandated when emergencies occurred related to the health, welfare, or safety of either the public or employees.

Wastewater Management is part of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), please visit us here to learn more about us. DPWES is a diverse, nationally accredited and award-winning public works agency with approximately 1,000 employees providing solid waste, capital facility development, wastewater, stormwater, urban forestry, and land acquisition management services for the most populous county in Virginia. Join our team to help us protect the environment and serve the people of Fairfax County by creating and preserving a sustainable community that is an ideal place to live, work, and play for everyone.

Fairfax County Government is committed to our employees, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a defined-benefit retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; paid leave; tuition reimbursement; and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Through our LiveWell Program and the county Benefits Division, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of wellbeing that empowers, educates and engages employees and retirees to make life-long choices that promote a holistic approach to their physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and financial wellness.

Please review our awesome benefits:

• Benefits
• Retirement

Note: The appointee to this position is subject to emergency callback 24 hours a day/seven days a week (24/7) to respond to snow, flood, and other designated emergencies requiring division resources, on an as-needed basis. In 2026, all Wastewater Collection Division assignments will be permanently located at the new Water Resources and Infrastructure building, located at 6000 Freds Oak Road, Burke, VA 22015. Position may require traveling to multiple Fairfax County sites. This announcement may be used to fill one or more positions.

* A $2,500 signing bonus is available to new county employees hired into positions requiring a CDL. Applicants must possess valid CDL at time of application submission to be eligible. The hiring incentive will be paid upon hire in a single lump sum, require a retention period of 12 months, and require a signed payback agreement between the department and employee.

Employment Standards

Minimum qualifications: Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to completion of the tenth grade; and, two years of experience in the operation of medium/light motorized equipment.

Certificates and licenses required:

• A valid driver's license.
• A Class "B" commercial driver's license (CDL).
• DOT Medical Card.
• VDOT Work Zone Traffic Control Certification (Flagger) within 12 months of hire.
• VDOT Work Zone Traffic Control within 12 months of hire.
• Confined Space Certification within 12 months of hire.
• CPR/First Aid within 12 months of hire.
• Osha 10 within 12 months of hire.

Necessary special requirements: The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a pre-employment physical examination, and a driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

Preferred qualifications:

• Two years of experience operating construction/utility tools and equipment.
• One year of experience performing routine inspections and maintenance of underground utilities, sewer manholes and sewer lines.
• Intermediate level of experience using computers systems related to Microsoft Office, GIS, GPS, and an asset management program.
• Possession of any of the following certifications:
  • Class "A" Commercial Driver's License (CDL).
  • Basic Traffic Control
  • Confined Space Entry
  • A Virginia Flagger Certification.
  • Manhole Assessment Certification (MACP) or Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP)

Physical requirements:

• Ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in written form.
• Ability to lift/slide up to 90 lbs. with assistance.
• Ability to set up and operate Medium/Heavy duty equipment.
• Ability to work around and in contact with raw sewage.
• Must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment and use other automated technology to input, access and retrieve information from a laptop or desktop.
• Visual acuity is required to read data on computer monitors such as GIS maps.
• Must be able to physically negotiate rough terrain on uneven ground such as hills, wooded and marshy areas to make direct observation of work in progress including recognizing unforeseen hazards such as sharp objects, warning signs, slippery surfaces, steep depressions, tripping hazards.
• Must be capable of pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, stooping, walking, and climbing/crouching to enter permitted confined spaces such as in and out of catch basins and manholes.
• Per safety requirements, confined spaces may not be entered by persons who weigh 310lbs. or more.
• Must be physically fit to perform manual labor in all types of environments. This requires the ability to endure variable and extreme weather conditions such