Heavy Equipment Operator

Salary : $75,755.68 - $90,787.84 Annually
Location : Santa Maria, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-4005-02
Department: Public Works
Division: Public Works-Roads
Opening Date: 10/08/2026
Closing Date: 10/22/2026 5:00 PM Pacific


Description
We are currently accepting applicationsto fill one (1) full-time Heavy Equipment Operator vacancy in the Flood Control Division of the Public Works Department in Santa Maria

BENEFITS OVERVIEW!

• Vacation: 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment.
• Holidays: 13 days per year.
• Sick Leave: 12 days sick leave per year. Unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement.
• Health Plan: Choice of medical and dental plans (with vision care). County contributes toward the employee's premium.
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria: Provides ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Click on Benefits Tab above or for more information on County benefits. In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

We are also accepting applications to establish employment lists for future Full-Time, Part-Time, and Civil Service Rule 1414* Heavy Equipment Operator vacancies in All Locations. *NOTE: Positions vacated as a result of a leave of absence (Civil Service Rule 1414) and the duration of the appointment shall be subject to the return of the individual who is on leave. A person who is appointed to a position under Civil Service Rule 1414 may be able to transition into a regular position in the classification without re-application or re-testing, depending on the performance of the appointee and the needs of the department. BENEFITS: The 1414 position is eligible for Full-Time benefits.
Please note that the w ork schedule for this position will depend upon the needs of the Department.

THE POSITION: Under general supervision, the selected candidate performs skilled work operating heavy equipment in the maintenance and construction of roads, public works or flood control facilities; leads maintenance staff as needed; performs related duties as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: This class is distinguished from Maintenance Worker I/II and Heavy Truck Driver by the primary assignment of operation of heavy construction equipment on a regular basis but may perform lead supervision as a secondary assignment.

IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Dedication and team loyalty
• Good judgment and be solution-oriented
• Be a good team player and work closely with crews and others
• Ability to safely load, legally secure, and safely unload equipment from trucks and trailers
• Ability to safely operate equipment in and around live traffic and ground personnel
• Experience utilizing the USA/Dig Alert system and understand its function
• Ability to follow direction and instruction as it relates to the task, job, or work assignment
• Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook email
• Experience creating Daily Work Reports
• Ability to organize and prioritize work, and meet deadlines
• Ability to be detail oriented while handling multiple projects with competing priorities
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with diverse people and personalities
• Customer service-oriented skills and experience
• Ability to remain professional with the utmost level of diplomacy and integrity
• Ability to lead and effectively manage multiple situations occurring simultaneously
• Ability to be open to change and new information, and adapt behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, and unexpected obstacles
• The ability to exercise appropriate judgment in answering questions and releasing information; analyzing and projecting consequences of decisions and/or recommendations
• Experience using Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is desirable
• A current valid California Class A Driver's License without Air Brake or Automatic Transmission restrictions, other endorsements are encouraged and may be required

ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT: The Santa Barbara County Public Works Department consists of five divisions: Transportation, Resource Recovery and Waste Management, Flood Control & Water Resources, the County Surveyors Office, and Administration. The County's Public Works Department employees are committed to efficiently providing, operating and maintaining public works infrastructure, facilities and services to make everyday life as safe and convenient as possible for the public we serve. To learn more about us, visit .

Examples of Duties
Examples of Duties
Operates heavy construction equipment including, but not limited to, motor graders, loaders, bulldozers, excavators, scrapers, cranes, steel rollers and chip spreaders on various landfill, road and flood control projects; performs minor maintenance and repair of equipment; and may act as lead worker over maintenance crews.


Specific duties include assignments listed below:
Road Maintenance: Cuts, slopes and grades roadbeds and shoulders; constructs and maintains roads and berms; clears rock and mud slides from roadways; excavates roadways and trenches; spreads sand, gravel, base, soil and hot asphalt pre-mix; compacts construction material; and performs other road maintenance construction operations.

Flood Control Maintenance: Cuts, slopes, and grades flood control channel beds and hillsides; constructs and maintains creek beds and dams; clears rock and mud slides from flood control channels; spreads and compacts constructions material; and performs other flood control maintenance and construction operations.

Solid Waste Disposal: Cuts, slopes, and grades hillsides and solid waste landfill sites; fills, packs, and levels refuse to established grade; and may operate diesel tractor-trailer combination on an intermittent basis.

Employment Standards


Possession of a valid California Class A Driver's License AND :

• Two (2) years of experience in the operation of heavy construction equipment; OR,
• One (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Maintenance Worker II with Santa Barbara County, including the operation of heavy construction equipment; OR,
• A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Appointees to those positions requiring a Class A license will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs prior to beginning work; once on the job, incumbents will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs and/or alcohol on a random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up basis.


Knowledge of: mechanical operation of various types of heavy diesel- and gas-powered construction equipment; heavy construction practices.

Ability to: operate, maintain and service equipment; learn and apply departmental procedures; follow written and oral instructions; work well with others.

Supplemental Information


Performing the essential functions of this classification requires various types of physical exertion including regularly lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds. In addition, incumbents in this series must be willing to work different shifts, weekends, and in emergency situations.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications).
2. Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking. Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the employment list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Supplemental Questionnaire ranking assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

NOTE: The hiring department will conduct INTERVIEWS with the selected top candidates. The selection interviews may include a Performance Examination . The Performance Examination will measure candidates' ability to perform a variety of duties comparable to those performed on the job.
The appointee must satisfactorily complete a 12-month probationary period.
Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.


APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: October 22, 2026, by 4:59PM PST . Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at: .

Kim Clark, Human Resources Specialist,
Retirement Plans

• Generous County Defined Benefit Plan
• Eligible to participate in 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
• Retirement Reciprocity with CalPERS, CalSTRS, and 1937 Act plans
• For more information on our retirement plans, please visit: and

Health Benefits

• Choice of dental, vision and medical plans. In addition to the Benefit Allowance noted above, the County contributes toward medical premiums and dental premiums
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria which provide ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential assistance with personal and workplace problems to employees and their immediate family members
• Healthcare Advocacy Program to help employees navigate the complexities of health plan benefits
• Available Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account (HSA), Supplemental Term or Whole Life Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance and more!
• For more information on our health benefits, please visit:

Paid Time Off

• Vacation Leave 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment
• Sick Leave 12 days annually with unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement
• Paid Holidays based on bargaining unit (view the compensation summary for this bargaining unit, link below)
• Alternative Transportation Benefit (TDM) up to 2 days of additional vacation for using alternative methods of commuting
• For more information on Paid Time Off please view the Compensation Summary for this bargaining unit (available below)

Miscellaneous Benefits

• County Paid Term Life Insurance
• County Paid Long Term Disability Insurance
• Childcare and Employee Discounts
• Relocation Assistance may apply
• Flexible work schedule may apply
• For more information on all of these benefits, please visit:

Compensation Summary

• To view the Compensation Summary specific to the bargaining unit for this position (link to full Memorandum of Understanding also available at bottom of the summary), please visit:

*This benefits list is for convenience only; please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for complete details of terms and conditions. Amounts are generally prorated for part-time employment.
01


All applicants must meet the Employment Standards (Minimum Qualifications) listed below at the time they apply. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide all supporting information on their application and not on their resume. If you realize you do not meet the qualifications listed below or do not provide enough information on how you meet the employment standard you selected; please be aware, your application will not be accepted. Which Employment Standard did you clearly state on your application?

• Possession of a valid California Class A Driver's License AND two (2) years of experience in the operation of heavy construction equipment.
• Possession of a valid California Class A Driver's License AND one (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Maintenance Worker II with Santa Barbara County, including the operation of heavy construction equipment.
• Possession of a valid California Class A Driver's License AND a combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.
• None of the above - I do not meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

02


If you selected option 3 in the preceding question, please provide your combination of training, education and experience which you believe is equivalent to meeting the employment standards as indicated on the job bulletin. If you did not select this option, please put "N/A" below.
03


A current valid California Class A Driver's License is required for this position at the time of appointment. Do you currently have a valid California Class A Driver's License? If yes, then please write your license number and expiration date. If you do not have a California Class A Driver's License, please put "N/A" below.
04


Please make sure you select which vacancy location(s) you want to be considered for currently and in the future. Qualifying candidates that pass the required selection steps will placed on the vacancy location(s) Employment List where they have expressed that they are willing to work.

• Santa Barbara
• Santa Maria
• Lompoc
• All Locations

05


I understand my responses to the following supplemental questions will be used as a scored selection device that will determine my ranking on the employment list for this job. For information on protest procedures for the supplemental questionnaire, please see Civil Service Rules 612 and 613:

• I understand.

06


How many years of experience do you have in operating heavy construction equipment?

• Five (5) or more years of experience in operating heavy construction equipment.
• Four (4) or more years of experience in operating heavy construction equipment.
• Three (3) or more years of experience in operating heavy construction equipment.
• Two (2) or more years of experience in operating heavy construction equipment.
• None - I do not have experience in operating heavy construction equipment.

07


Describe in detail the types of heavy equipment you have experience in operating. Please include the name of your employer(s), and/or organization(s), and your overall responsibilities. If you do not have experience in operating heavy equipment, please put "N/A" below.
08


List below any relevant training, coursework, organization(s) and/or certifications (i.e. IMSA Signs & Markings certification; American Public Works Association certification(s); etc.) that you possess.
If you do not have this experience, please put "N/A" below.
09


How many years have you continuously maintained a valid California Class A Driver's License?

• Has continuously maintained a Class A California Commercial Driver's license 8-10 years.
• Has continuously maintained a Class A California Commercial Driver's license 6-8 years.
• Has continuously maintained a valid Class A California Commercial Driver's license 4-6 years.
• Has continuously maintained a valid Class A California Commercial Driver's license 2-4 years.
• Has possessed valid Class A California Commercial Driver's license 0-2 years.
• Does not have a valid Class A California Commercial Driver's license.

10


Please mark below which pieces of equipment you are proficient in. Select all that apply.

• Motor Grader
• Wheel Loader
• Bulldozer
• Excavator
• Dump Truck
• Backhoe/Loader
• Trash Compactor
• Scraper
• Spray Rig or Paint Striper
• Brush Chipper
• High Lift
• Paver
• Dingo
• None of the above.

11


Which endorsements do you currently possess? Select all that apply.

• Tanker
• Airbrake
• Doubles/Triples
• None

Required Question