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Equipment Operator

Salary

$39.83 Hourly

Location

Tacoma, WA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

5020-26

Department

City of Tacoma - CITY WIDE LIST

Opening Date

12/12/2025

Closing Date

12/22/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Position Description

Join the City of Tacoma as an Equipment Operator – Your Expertise in Action!

Are you skilled in operating equipment and passionate about making an impact in your community? The City of Tacoma is recruiting for the position of Equipment Operator. Equipment Operators operate a variety of trucks and equipment.

This recruitment will be used to establish an employment list that is intended to be used for the next year to fill openings in the role of Equipment Operator throughout the City. These positions are Classified and Represented by local 117. If you're looking for a dynamic role where your skills and dedication can contribute to meaningful work, we encourage you to explore this opportunity and join a team that values excellence and community impact!

Below you will find an overview of the Equipment Operator classification within the various departments around the city. The City of Tacoma conducts recruitment for Equipment Operators in different Departments. We welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

Public Works – Street Operations Division: Equipment Operators operate a variety of trucks and equipment, such as but not limited to dump trucks, lowboy, vibratory rollers, computerized oil distributors, plow trucks, brine trucks, self-contained hot patch trucks, and water trucks, etc. Duties include driving/operating a wide variety of equipment in the installation, maintenance, and repair of City infrastructure, working independently or as part of a large crew on a project. Experience operating dump truck with pup trailer is desired. This position is occasionally responsible for providing work direction to subordinate staff to accomplish assigned duties. Work is performed independently after receiving general instructions from a Crew Leader or Supervisor.

Tacoma Water: Equipment Operators operate a variety of trucks and light equipment to transport workers and material to assigned job sites in a safe and efficient manner; clean, service and maintain assigned trucks and equipment in safe working condition; maintain related records and logs including daily work reports; assist crew workers as needed in the performance of maintenance operations; set-up work site area as needed; set-up traffic patterns and place traffic cones according to recognized safety procedures; work safely and cooperatively with co-workers and the public; and perform related incidental work as assigned.

Our ideal candidate for these positions will possess the following competencies:

+ Safety: makes safety a core value in all work that is performed, including operating equipment in a safe manner.

+ Collaborates: builds partnerships and works cooperatively with others to meet shared goals.

+ Communicates effectively: delivers communication orally and in writing that conveys a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

+ Decision Quality: makes good and timely decisions.

+ Situational Adaptability: adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.

+ Being Resilient: handles difficult situations well and rebounds from setbacks and adversity.

+ Work Independently: ability to perform work independently and with initiative.

Qualifications

Two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in street maintenance, underground utility, or construction trades, working with and around construction equipment, including operation of Class A CDL vehicles up to GVW of 105,500 LBS

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

A valid Washington State Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class A with maintenance thereafter. Some positions may require Air Brake and/or Manual Transmission restrictions removed and/or Tanker Endorsement

Must obtain a valid flagging and traffic control card and a First Aid and CPR card prior to probation completion with maintenance thereafter

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

Position requires climbing, pushing and occasionally lifting objects weighing up to 50 lbs. properly and safely without assistance and up to 100 lbs. with assistance

Outdoor environment subject to occasional extreme weather conditions

Subject to driving in heavy traffic from site to site

Employees in this position maybe subject to noise, fumes and potentially hazardous materials

Knowledge & Skills

+ Operation, care and maintenance of assigned trucks and light equipment

+ Requirements of operating equipment in a safe manner

+ Applicable traffic laws, ordinances and rules

+ Record-keeping techniques

+ Health and safety regulations

+ Operate, service and make minor repairs on equipment

+ Understand and follow oral and written directions

+ Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others

+ Observe legal and defensive driving practices

+ Perform heavy manual labor

+ Work independently with little direction

+ Learn quickly city streets and locations

+ Communicate effectively with others

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We're committed to eliminating racial and other disparities, and we actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.

The City of Tacoma believes that diversity of thought, background, and experience contributes to our success and innovation. If you’re passionate about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.

Apply

Interested individuals should apply online and attach a detailed resume and cover letter that includes job experience, major responsibilities and accomplishments related to this position.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their responses to the supplemental questions scored. Applicants will be scored based on the information provided in their responses only. It is the responsibility of the applicant to list all pertinent experience and training in their response to each supplemental question.

Applicants must pass the evaluation of supplemental questions to be placed on the eligible list for interview and hiring consideration.

Appointment is subject to passing a pre-employment medical exam and drug screen. This position is covered by a Labor Agreement between the City of Tacoma and Local 117.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Details:

Hourly Rate: $39.83

Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma (https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/human-resources/employee-benefits/)

Get Assistance

For assistance with the application process or questions regarding this job announcement please contact the Human Resources office at (253) 591-5400 by 4:00 p.m. of the closing date of the job announcement.

For technical difficulties using the NEOGOV system, call the applicant support line at 1-855-524-5627 between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.

Communication with the City of Tacoma

We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from Tacoma.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk email folders.

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

01

Responses to supplemental questions must be original content created by the applicant using their own words. The use of online tools or resources to create responses, such as Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, etc.), Google, Bing, etc., or plagiarism in any form, is considered cheating and falsification of the application. I understand that any form of cheating or falsification will disqualify my application for further consideration.

+ Yes

+ No

02

Do you have two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in street maintenance, underground utility, or construction trades, working with and around construction equipment, including operation of Class A CDL vehicles up to GVW of 105,500 LBS?

+ Yes

+ No

03

Candidates accepted for this position may be required to have a valid Washington State Class A Commercial Driver License with Air Brake restrictions removed, at the time of appointment. If you are offered a position, will you be able to show that you meet this requirement?

+ Yes

+ No

04

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING TEST:

Questions #6-10 are the experience and training test that will be used to establish the eligibility list. These questions will be scored by subject matter experts who will not have access to any of your application materials, and will provide scores based solely upon your answers to the questions. Your answers must stand on their own merit. DO NOT RESPOND WITH "SEE RESUME" in lieu of answering this question, as raters will not have access to your resume or application and this will result in a score of 0 points and you will fail the test. Your score on the experience and training test will ONLY reflect your response to the questions asked.

Please indicate "Yes" that you have read and understand the instructions for questions #6-10.

+ Yes

+ No

05

Please indicate which of the following pieces of equipment you have experience operating. Select all that apply.

+ Dump Trucks

+ Lowboy

+ Vibratory Roller

+ Computerized Oil Distributors

+ Plow Truck

+ Brine Trucks

+ Hot Asphalt Patch Truck

+ Water Tanker Truck

+ Skid Steer

+ Bucket Truck

+ Pup Trailer

+ Other

06

In 250 words or less, please describe how you gained experience on the equipment you indicated in question 5 above.

07

In 250 words or less, describe the key safety procedures required before, during, and after operating equipment on a construction site.

08

In 250 words or less, describe a situation where you had to maintain or troubleshoot a piece of equipment during a job. What was the issue, and how did you resolve it?

09

In 250 words or less, how have you communicated or coordinated with crew members and supervisors to complete maintenance or repair tasks?

10

In 250 words or less, describe how you prioritize tasks and manage time while operating equipment on a busy job site. How do you ensure productivity while maintaining safety and communication with the crew?

11

One of the City's Principles that guides us is Equity. Describe what equity means to you and describe any experience you have working with diverse groups of people.

12

Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.

+ Job Interest Card notification

+ Professional organization

+ Military organization

+ City of Tacoma employee

+ Online job board posting

+ Word of mouth

+ LinkedIn

+ Indeed

+ Facebook

+ Instagram

+ Careers in Government

+ Government Jobs

+ Outreach Event

+ National Diversity Network

+ African American Job Network

+ Asian Job Network

+ Disability Job Network

+ Latino Job Network

+ Retirement Job Network

+ LGBT Job Network

+ Veteran Job Network

13

Please provide specific information regarding how you learned about this job opening. Thank you, your feedback will be used to evaluate our success reaching the public and refine our methods for future job postings.

Required Question

Employer

City of Tacoma

Address

Human Resources Department 747 Market Street Tacoma, Washington, 98402-3764

Phone

253-591-5400

Website

http://www.tacoma.gov

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