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Sewer Equipment Operator, Heavy

Salary

$41.90 - $43.99 Hourly

Location

Tacoma, WA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

5013-25

Department

Environmental Services

Opening Date

12/29/2025

Closing Date

1/23/2026 4:00 PM Pacific

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Position Description

The City of Tacoma is recruiting for experienced Sewer Heavy Equipment Operators to work in the Operations and Maintenance Division in the Environmental Services Department.

In the Environmental Services Department, we believe everything we do supports healthy neighborhoods and a thriving Puget Sound, leaving a better Tacoma for all. This is accomplished with a clear focus on customers, employees, and operations. Sewer Heavy Equipment Operators perform skilled work in the operation of heavy power-driven equipment such as backhoes, sweepers, loaders, and excavators; they also perform excavation and grading work used for sewer construction and maintenance activities; and operate equipment to install, repair, and maintain underground storm and sanitary sewers and related collection structures.

If the below list of personal traits sounds like you, then you are just the type of person we are looking for to join our team as a Sewer Heavy Equipment Operator.

+ Excellent attendance

+ Enjoy working both indoors and outdoors, in all types of weather conditions

+ Provides great customer service

+ Likes working with various crews as part of a team effort, or individually to accomplish an assigned task

+ Enjoys a variety of physically demanding job tasks

Examples of Job Duties:

+ Operate on a regular basis, heavy, power-driven equipment such as backhoes, excavators, street sweepers, front-loaders, dump trucks, Vactors, bulldozers, and other large trucks or equipment.

+ Operate auxiliary mechanical equipment and attachments; service and maintain assigned equipment.

+ Load and unload a variety of materials and equipment; lift and move materials to designated areas.

+ Perform excavation filing, compacting and grading work used for repair, construction and maintenance activities.

+ Operate equipment to install, repair, and maintain underground storm and sanitary sewers and related collection system structures and facilities.

+ Operate equipment in cleaning paved streets; maintain roadside conveyance systems, ponds, regional holding basis, ditches and City owned properties.

+ Assist crews to complete work assignments.

+ Maintain proper levels of supplies and equipment as needed.

+ Maintain daily work reports and other related forms.

+ Inspect equipment to assure safe operating conditions, coordinate equipment maintenance with appropriate persons or departments.

+ Ability to work safely, cooperatively and communicate effectively with co-workers and the public.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

Position requires good motor coordination and depth perception, climbing, lifting and bending.

Outdoor environment, subject to adverse weather conditions.

Required to respond to emergency callouts during off duty hours.

Employees in this classification may be subject to driving from site to site, heavy traffic and extreme weather conditions; fumes, raw sewage, confined space and excavation hazards; prolonged periods of noise and potentially hazardous materials.

Work Schedule

This classification is overtime eligible, and employees must be available and willing to work either shift (day or graveyard). Graveyard shifts receive premium pay (5%). Positions are generally staffed Sunday through Friday. Shift placement is determined by union seniority and subject to semi-annual change. These positions are subject to 24-hour call-out response to emergencies.

This classification follows a 9/80 schedule, defined as follows: during a two-week pay period, employees work four days at nine (9) hours each, Monday to Thursday, and one eight (8) hour day on Friday in the first week. The second week consists of four days at nine (9) hours each, Monday to Thursday, with a one-half (1/2) hour unpaid lunch break each workday, and Friday is a non-working day.

Week 1

Lunch

Hours

Week 2

Lunch

Hours

Monday - Thursday

30 minutes

unpaid

9

Monday - Thursday

30 minutes

unpaid

9

Friday*

30 minutes

unpaid

8

Friday*

30 minutes

unpaid

0

Qualifications

Graduation from high school or equivalent

AND

Two (2) years of heavy equipment operating experience in construction or maintenance trades.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Possession of a valid Class A Commercial Driver's License, with Air Brake restriction removed, at time of appointment with maintenance thereafter.

Knowledge & Skills

+ Operation, care and maintenance of assigned heavy equipment

+ Requirements of operating equipment in a safe manner

+ Applicable traffic laws, ordinances and rules

+ Methods, equipment and materials used in the construction field

+ Operate, service and make minor repairs on equipment

+ Understand and follow oral and written directions

+ Communicate effectively both orally and in writing

+ Maintain records and prepare reports

+ Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others

+ Observe legal and defensive driving practices

+ Place materials with accuracy

+ Excavate or move earth to required grade

+ City's sewer system locations using GIS and City of Tacoma GovME and ESRI website.

+ Quickly and accurately learn City streets and sewer system locations.

+ Knowledge of construction standards and health and safety practices.

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

Application Process

Interested individual should complete the online application and attach a resume and cover letter by the closing date and time listed on the job announcement. Applications received without attaching the required materials may not progress in the selection process.

Applicants who are eligible for veterans scoring criteria (Veterans Preference) MUST attach a copy of their DD-214 member copy 4 (proof of military discharge form) at time of application to be eligible for review for Veteran's Preference points.

Examination Process:

This is a competitive selection process. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their job application and response to Supplemental Question #9-12 reviewed and scored by a committee of subject matter experts, as the Experience and Training Test. It is the responsibility of the applicants to adequately describe all pertinent experience and training. Please make sure you read the questions and provide complete informative answers, including your roles in the position and key activities.

Candidates who pass the test will be placed on an Eligible List for potential interview and hiring consideration.

Applicants invited to interview may also participate in a practical skills assessment to demonstrate their ability to operate sewer heavy equipment.

Any vacancy that comes up within a one-year period of time will draw from candidates on the Eligible List for potential interview selection.

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.

City of Tacoma’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, 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.

The Community

Tacoma is centrally located just 32 miles south of the city of Seattle and 31 miles north of the state capital, Olympia. The City of Tacoma is also home to the Port of Tacoma, which is among the largest container ports in the United States. Like most cities in the northwest, Tacoma is surrounded by beautiful nature, offering residents many opportunities for outdoor adventures.

Largely suburban in nature with a small, but dense, urban core, Tacoma is home to numerous institutes of higher learning that attract students from across the country. The University of Washington Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, a satellite campus of the Evergreen State College, three community/technical colleges, and several trade and business schools are within Tacoma's geographic area. Downtown's Cultural District is the site of the Washington State History Museum, Museum of Glass, the Tacoma Art Museum, and America's Car Museum.

With its affordable housing and distinctive neighborhoods and business districts, the city has been recognized numerous times as a best city to live in the nation. To see a few of the great things Tacoma has to offer, view this YouTube Video!

View this exciting video to learn more about the City of Tacoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n5MWl8KFvI

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Details:

Hourly Rate: $41.90 - $43.99

Annual Salary: $87,152.00 - $91,499.20

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

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

The City of Tacoma has a technical requirement that employees filling classified roles be residents of the City at the time of their original appointment to a classified job. However, there is a process to request a waiver of this requirement from the Civil Service Board if we identify an outstanding candidate who is a nonresident. Not residing within the City of Tacoma is not an automatic disqualifier and everyone is encouraged to apply.

+ I understand that the City will request a waiver for me if necessary

+ Not applicable, I'm a City of Tacoma resident

02

The Supplemental Questionnaire is part of the examination process; accordingly, it should be completed carefully. It must be submitted with your application. 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. Do not indicate "see resume" or copy unrelated content from your resume when answering these questions. Answer all information requested in each question. Failure to do so may result in rejection of your application. I certify that the information provided is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any falsification may cancel any terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.

+ Yes

+ No

03

Do you have a high school diploma or the equivalent, such as a General Education Degree (GED) or home schooling certification?

+ Yes

+ No

04

Do you have at least two (2) years of heavy equipment operating experience in construction or maintenance trades?

+ Yes

+ No

05

Do you, or will you, have a valid Washington State Class A Commercial Driver License with Air Brake endorsement at time of appointment if you are selected for this job?

+ Yes

+ No

06

Check the boxes below for the certifications or cards you currently have.

Please note, a response of "None of the above" does not disqualify anyone from meeting the qualifications for this position. Additional training is offered by the City

+ Flagging and Traffic Control Card

+ First Aid and CPR Card

+ Forklift Certification

+ None of the above

07

Check the box of each type of equipment you have work experience operating.

+ Backhoes

+ Excavators

+ Street Sweepers

+ Front Loaders

+ Dump Trucks

+ Vactors/Combination Sewer Cleaning Trucks

+ Bulldozers

+ None of the above

08

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING TEST:

Question #9-12 is the experience and training test that will be used to establish the eligibility list. This question 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. You must describe when and where you received your experience and/or training and what work was performed. Your answers must stand on their own merit. DO NOT refer to your 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 question asked.

For question #9-12, make sure you describe your position, including your roles in the position, key activities, level of responsibility and the number of years' experience in that capacity.

Please indicate "Yes" that you have read and understand the instructions for question #9-12.

+ Yes

+ No

09

In 500 words or less please describe your experience/training operating sewer heavy equipment such as those described in this job announcement: front end loader, dump truck, backhoes, excavators, street sweepers, Vactor trucks, and bulldozers. Include the types of equipment operated, the amount of time operated, and the work you performed. Be as descriptive as possible when answering this test question. In addition, be sure to describe your work experience in construction or maintenance trades working with and around heavy equipment.

10

What is the recommended operating speed for a street sweeper to clean effectively?

11

Describe how you would properly check the hydraulic fluid level on an excavator?

12

Describe how you perform routine maintenance on the following equipment: loader, sweeper, and excavator?

13

Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.

+ Job Interest Card notification

+ Internet search

+ Professional organization

+ Community organization

+ Military organization

+ Union job posting

+ City of Tacoma employee

+ Online job board posting

+ Word of mouth

+ Other

14

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.

15

If you are a military veteran, did you remember to upload a copy of your DDForm 214, Member 4 copy, for review for Veteran's Preference eligibility?

+ Yes

+ No

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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