EQUIPMENT OPERATOR 1

The City of Milwaukee is proud to employ a diverse workforce that is committed to providing exemplary service to the City’s residents. If you have a passion for being a part of an inclusive team of public servants, please consider the following opportunity.

To learn more about the Department of Public Works, please visit: https://city.milwaukee.gov/dpw  

The Equipment Operator 1 performs professional driving and critical manual labor functions, including municipal solid waste and recycling collection, street sweeping, snow and ice control, and operation of heavy equipment for the Department of Public Works. This position is critical to the cleanliness, health and safety of the City, its residents and visitors.

The Department of Public Works is committed to providing the highest-quality services to its internal and external customers.

NOTE: On a weekly basis, applications received will be reviewed and the names of qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring department for immediate further consideration.

Driving and Technical

• Perform professional commercial driving; operate collection and specialty vehicles.
• Collect and load municipal solid waste or recyclable waste, furniture, miscellaneous items, and brush.
• Drive, maintain and operate trucks and special equipment, such as garbage packers, street sweepers, Roll-Offs (open top dumpsters), automated side loading trucks, Vacall vacuum trucks, tri-axle dump trucks, salt trucks, and front-loading trucks to perform waste collection, leaf clean-up, plowing, salting, or other ice control operations.
• Serve as a first responder for emergency snow and ice control operations by operating salt trucks, garbage trucks with plows, and other equipment to provide the City of Milwaukee with safe, passable streets throughout the winter season.  
• Monitor vehicle condition and perform minor maintenance on trucks, such as checking and maintaining fluid levels, greasing, washing, inflating tires, and checking tire tread; report vehicle maintenance needs.
• Modify vehicle-related equipment, including adjusting the broom on street sweepers, connecting plowing blades onto garbage packers, securing loads, and attaching hydraulic lines to maintain optimal equipment performance.
• Operate assigned vehicles safely and load them within legal weight limits.
• Perform manual labor such as lifting, pushing, and pulling waste carts and other large items such as furniture and brush.
• Use provided software systems for route stops, service verification, exception reporting, and other functions.
• Provide job-related documentation by completing forms for payroll reporting, vehicle service needs, combined collection crew checklist, and residential cart tag notifications.

Customer Focus

• Provide professional, courteous waste collection services and assistance to City residents, including providing sanitation services information, answering questions, listening to complaints and concerns, offering resolutions and, when necessary, referring the matters to a supervisor.

We welcome qualified individuals with disabilities who are interested in employment and will make reasonable accommodations during the hiring process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.

• Drive and work in inclement weather (e.g., snow and ice) and withstand prolonged exposure to extreme weather conditions (e.g., heat, cold, rain, wind, and snow).
• Respond to emergency call-outs and report within 60 minutes or fewer at any time during the day or night, any day of the week, for snow and ice control operations and other emergencies.
• Work extended hours and beyond normally assigned shifts to meet the needs of the department.
• See clearly both near and far to read signage and perform job duties safely and accurately.
• Perform heavy physical work, including lifting, moving, and transferring objects and equipment weighing up to 100 lbs. occasionally and up to 50 lbs. regularly.
• Perform physical activities in the work environment for extended periods of time that require walking long distances, climbing in and out of equipment, reaching, pushing, and pulling.
• Willingness to work throughout the City of Milwaukee as assigned.

The preplacement medical requirements for this title include:

• Physical/lift test
• Audiogram
• Vision
• DOT – Drug Test

1.  Valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) (Class A or B) without the Air Brakes restriction by the date the application period closes, throughout the hiring process and throughout employment.

2. Valid Wisconsin CDL at the time of appointment and throughout employment.  

3. Good driving record. Driving records will be checked prior to a job offer.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

You must provide your CDL number by the application closing date to be considered for this position. The CDL number must be provided on the online application or sent via email to staffinginfo@milwaukee.gov. Not providing your CDL number by the close of the application period will result in the application being rejected.

A CDL may be obtained by passing: 

- The General Knowledge and Air Brakes portions of the Commercial Driver’s License test given by the State of Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles.
- A road test administered by an approved third-party administrator. Please visit the DMV’s website for more information regarding the testing process and third-party administrators for the road test: http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/com-drv-vehs/cdl-how-aply/cdl-how-to-apply.aspx

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS: By law, persons in these positions are required to pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to random drug and alcohol testing during the course of employment. Candidates must provide consent in the federal DOT Clearinghouse for the City to receive the results of any drug and alcohol tests conducted by previous employers within the past 2 years, if the U.S. Department of Transportation required those tests.

• Experience driving vehicles over 26,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight, including snow plowing.

Technical

• Knowledge of and ability to follow safe working practices.
• Ability to safely operate related vehicles and equipment such as trucks, plows, and ice equipment.
• Ability to monitor traffic to ensure safe conditions while working.
• Ability to read and interpret City Street maps.
• Ability to follow directions and schedules.  
• Ability to troubleshoot and perform minor maintenance on assigned vehicles, such as checking and maintaining proper fluid levels, tire air pressure, and tread on tires.
• Ability to read, interpret, and learn departmental rules, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to learn to use a software system relevant to waste collections.

Communication, Customer Service, and Interpersonal

• Customer service skills to work effectively with diverse groups of people inside and outside the organization.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team-oriented, collaborative environment with people whose backgrounds may differ from one’s own, including the ability to interact with the public courteously.
• Verbal communication skills to explain the basics of garbage and recycling policies, in addition to snow/ice and leaf operations. 

Judgment 

• Ability to utilize sound judgment. 
• Ability to maintain situational awareness at all times. 
• Honesty and responsible usage of City of Milwaukee resources.

The current starting salary (pay range 8EN) is $56,100 annually ($26.97 hourly), and the resident incentive salary for City of Milwaukee residents is $58,344 annually ($28.05 hourly). Appointment will be made in accordance with the City of Milwaukee Salary Ordinance.

An Equipment Operator 1 is eligible for promotion to the Equipment Operator 2 position after four years of service and equipment proficiency.  The minimum starting salary (pay range 8FN) for the Equipment Operator 2 is $58,905 annually ($28.31 hourly) and the resident incentive salary for City of Milwaukee residents is $61,261 annually ($29.44 hourly).

The City of Milwaukee provides a comprehensive benefit program that includes the following:

• Wisconsin Retirement Systems (WRS) Defined Benefit Pension Plan
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Comprehensive Wellness Program
• Onsite Clinic Services
• Onsite Employee Assistance Program
• Alternative Work Schedules
• Long Term Disability Insurance 
• Group Life Insurance
• Tuition Benefits
• Paid Vacation
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave and other paid leave 
• Flexible Spending Arrangement
• Commuter Value Pass  

For full details of the benefits offered by the City of Milwaukee, please visit https://city.milwaukee.gov/der/benefits. 

THE SELECTION PROCESS will be job-related.

THIS IS A CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT. Applications will be accepted and interviews held in 2026 as often as necessary to meet the City's needs. The names of candidates who pass all phases of the selection process may remain on an eligible list resulting from a continuous examination for up to six months.

• APPLICATIONS and further information may be accessed by visiting www.jobapscloud.com/MIL.
• Applications and license documentation should be submitted no later than the deadline listed above.
• If you would like assistance completing an application, please contact the Department of Employee Relations at (414) 286-3751 or staffinginfo@milwaukee.gov.
• The Department of Employee Relations is in City Hall, 200 E Wells St, Room 706, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

EEO = 803

The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.