Equipment Operator III - Regional Wastewater Reclamation

Job Description Summary Department - Regional Wastewater Reclamation Job Description OPEN UNTIL FILLED Job Type: Classified Job Classification: 5685 - Equipment Operator III Salary Grade: 8 Pay Range Hiring Range: $23.98 - $28.19 Per Hour  Pay Range: $23.98 - $32.39 Per Hour  Range Explanation: Hiring Range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity. Pay Range is the entire compensation range for the position. The first review of applications will be on 07/17/2026 . The Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department is seeking qualified candidates for the position of heavy Equipment Operator III. This role is integral to our mission of safeguarding public health and protecting the environment through effective wastewater and solid waste management. In this position, you will be responsible for operating and maintaining specialized equipment used in construction, system operations, site clean-up, material transport, and waste disposal. Specific duties may vary depending on the assigned area. Some assignments may involve significant interaction with the public and working in environments that include hazardous conditions, exposure to noxious or potentially harmful materials, and unpleasant odors. If you are looking for a career in an industrial setting, have experience as a Heavy Equipment Operator, enjoy a teamwork environment, and meet the minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply. Class A CDL Required. Essential Functions: As defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, this classification may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by incumbents of this class. Work assignments may vary depending on the department’s need and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor. Operates a variety of equipment such as graders, water trucks, backhoes, boom trucks, trenchers, dump trucks and front-end loaders, in a wastewater treatment facility, to maintain, transfer and transport waste products; Operates compactors and conveyors to move waste material and load dump trucks for transport to drying beds or landfill; Moves waste materials and loads dump trucks for transport to drying beds or designated landfill sites using appropriate equipment; Watches for and removes materials or items that may clog conveyor system;  Removes debris or blockages to maintain safe and efficient equipment operation; Assists in cleaning sludge from aerators, tanks, and ponds using a skid steer, crane, or dump truck and appropriate personal safety equipment or clothing and must be confined-space certified; Performs sludge removal from aerators, tanks, and ponds using heavy equipment while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).Uses hand tools or equipment to load sludge from bottom of aerators into bucket for leading into dump truck; Uses hand tools or equipment to clean and perform minor repairs on machinery, remove fallen debris, and clear areas that are too delicate for heavy equipment; Hauls waste material to landfill, ensuring compliance with environmental and dumping regulations as needed; Maintains drying beds clean and uses appropriate equipment to move waste material to assure even drying; Uses a front-end loader, grader, and/or dump truck to maintain drying beds, ponds, and nearby areas free of weeds and trimming trees; Uses a backhoe to excavate around high volume lines and valves or repair sinkholes; Operates vacuum trucks to clean out sumps; Performs minor equipment repairs and servicing; Participates in a variety of manual labor tasks when assisting mechanics and technicians; Operate and maintain a 3:1 slope ratio on embankments; Hauls liquid waste from outlying plants to designated disposal facilities using a semi-truck with a smoothbore trailer. Minimum Qualifications: Five years of experience operating heavy equipment such as front-end loaders, motor graders/scrapers, backhoes, bulldozers, trenchers, and similar earthmoving or construction equipment. (Completion of a vocational/technical program from an accredited college or technical school in heavy equipment operations may be substituted for six months of the required experience.)  Driving experience in commercial transportation equipment, including tractors, tractor/semi-trailer combinations, and other CDL-operated vehicles. (Relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college or university may be substituted.) OR: Three years of experience with Pima County as an Equipment Operator II and an Arizona Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application. Preferred Qualifications : (Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.): Minimum three ( 3) years experience in operating a variety of equipment such as graders, water trucks, backhoes, boom trucks, trenchers, dump trucks, tankers, and front-end loaders. Minimum one ( 1) year experience in over-the-road wet and dry material transporting and trailering equipment. Experience with/k nowledge of traffic laws, local, state, and federal rules and regulations as applied to vehicle and heavy equipment operation procedures. Selection Procedure: Pima County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the selection process only those candidates that