Heavy Equipment Operator

Heavy Equipment Operator

This recruitment is being conducted to fill two full-time vacancies. The list established by this recruitment may be used to fill future full-time, part-time, limited term, and temporary vacancies for up to one year. The City of Vallejo is seeking qualified candidates for the role of Heavy Equipment Operator as collaborative members of the City's Water Department Distribution Division. The Heavy Equipment Operator is responsible for operating the most difficult and complex heavy construction and maintenance equipment in a variety of maintenance activities, including excavating, grading, loading and related operations; and perform semi-skilled and skilled maintenance tasks.

At the City of Vallejo's Water Department, we're committed to delivering safe, reliable, and high-quality drinking water to our community. Our team is comprised of skilled professionals who take pride in their work and are driven by integrity, innovation, and service. Joining our department means being part of a collaborative, mission-driven organization where your technical expertise, leadership, and ideas will help shape the future of Water Distribution in Vallejo. We offer a supportive work environment with opportunities for professional training, career advancement, and direct impact on vital public infrastructure. This is more than a job, it's a chance to grow your career while serving the community of Vallejo in a meaningful way.

The ideal candidate for Heavy Equipment Operator will have three years of increasingly responsible experience in schematics maintenance work, involving the operation of construction equipment. In addition, they will possess their class A driver's license.

The Vallejo Water Department is a dynamic organization engaged in growth and positive change for the benefit of our customers and community. The Department provides potable water to 121,000 customers through a highly complex system including multiple raw water sources, three treatment plants, a Sludge Dewatering Facility, 600 miles of distribution pipes, 8 pressure zones, 27 pump stations, and 37,000 service connections. Vallejo Water is a Treatment-5/Distribution-5 system. The Water Department operates independently of Public Works and reports directly to the City Manager, giving the team increased autonomy and visibility to address critical water issues. This change gives drinking water-related operations and issues greater visibility and strategic direction for the benefit of ratepayers. The Water Department's strategic goals include: infrastructure reliability, public trust, sustainability, organizational performance, and financial viability. The Water Department has six Divisions: Water Treatment, Engineering, Distribution, Watershed and Facilities Management, and Administration/Conservation.

The City of Vallejo is located in Solano County and has a population of approximately 121,000 residents. Vallejo is a rapidly changing, highly diverse community located midway between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento. It is a friendly, active waterfront community that attracts innovative, hardworking people and takes great pride in its 148-year history and maritime heritage. Residents of Vallejo are situated to take advantage of the best of what the area has to offer. Golf, museums, performing arts, boutique shopping, brewpubs and a wide selection of restaurants are all available in Vallejo. Residents and visitors alike enjoy Vallejo's delightful historical downtown area, weekly downtown farmer's market, and beautifully restored Victorian homes and business facades. Vallejo is also home to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, one of America's only combination wildlife, oceanarium and theme parks.

This is an advanced journey classification. Employees within this class are distinguished from Public Works Supervisors in that the latter is the first-line supervisor classification responsible for the supervision, assignment and review of public works maintenance, repair and construction services for an assigned section.

Receives general supervision from supervisory and management staff. May exercise functional and technical supervision over lower-level maintenance staff.

Examples Of Important Responsibilities And Duties

Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Operate heavy construction equipment such as backhoes, rollers, motor graders, boom trucks, dump trucks, 10- and 18-wheeler trucks, front end loaders, cement truck, trencher, bulldozer, and forklift for a variety of maintenance and construction operations involving streets, and water systems.
• Grade and crown City streets, roads and alleys using motor grader; roll asphalt.
• Excavate water lines; backfill jobs upon completion.
• Clean debris from ditches, culverts and creek beds; bulldoze hill sides and fire trails as required.
• Perform additional construction and maintenance tasks such as concrete work, truck driving, asphalt spreading, and a variety of minor repair activities.
• Identify equipment needs for each assigned project; pick up and deliver heavy equipment from construction sites.
• Estimate time, materials and equipment required for jobs assigned, requisition materials as required.
• Ensure the adherence to safe work policies and procedures.
• Perform preventive maintenance on heavy and light equipment as required.
• May provide lead supervision to a small crew of lower level maintenance staff.
• Respond to and resolve difficult and sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities / Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Operation and maintenance requirements of heavy power driven equipment.
• Practices, methods, and materials used in general construction and maintenance work.
• Occupational hazards and standard safety practices necessary in the area of work assigned.
• Principles and procedures of record keeping.
• Traffic laws, ordinances, and rules involved in heavy equipment operations.
• Safe work practices.

Ability to:

• Operate a variety of complex heavy power driven equipment such as backhoes, motor graders, and boom trucks.
• Perform a variety of semi skilled and skilled construction and maintenance tasks.
• Use and operate hand tools, power tools, and mechanical equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Read and interpret maps, sketches, drawings, specifications and technical manuals.
• Perform a variety of manual tasks for extended periods of time and in unfavorable weather conditions.
• Apply good judgment and practical knowledge to resolve unusual or irregular problems in the area of work assigned.
• Perform duties in a manner to maximize public safety in the area of work assigned.
• Respond to the Corporation Yard for emergency call out.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Work independently in the absence of supervision.
• Perform heavy manual labor.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Experience and Training Guidelines Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: Three years of increasingly responsible experience in schematics maintenance work involving the operation of construction equipment.

Training: Formal or informal education or training which ensures the ability to read and write at a level necessary for successful job performance supplemented by specialized training in construction technology.

License or Certificate: Possession of a valid California Class A driver's license or the ability to obtain a Class A Driver's License prior to the completion of the probationary period. The Class A Driver's License is to be maintained throughout employment with the City of Vallejo.

Supplemental Information

Construction site environment; loud machine noise; some lifting; work in inclement weather conditions.

The Recruitment & Selection Process

1. Applications are due by 5:00 P.M. on Monday, July 6, 2026. Applicants must submit a completed City of Vallejo online application, including all responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire (Resume/Cover Letter Optional), by the posted deadline in order to be considered. NOTE: If you have problems creating a user account, obtaining your already created account information, or submitting your online application, please contact governmentjobs.com applicant support directly at View phone number on click.appcast.io. City of Vallejo staff are unable to assist with these issues.

2. Applications will be screened for overall qualifications in the week of July 6, 2026.

3. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their supplemental responses scored by Subject Matter Experts the Week of July 13, 2026. The most qualified applicants from the scoring of the supplement questions will be invited to participate in performance exams.

4. Performance exams and Oral Panel Interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of July 27, 2026. Candidates must achieve a minimum passing score of 70%. Those achieving 70% or higher will be placed on the Register of Eligibles (eligible list)