TUCSON WATER EQUIPMENT OPERATION SPECIALIST

Tucson Water is the second largest water utility in Arizona, serving over 730,000 customers over a 390 square mile service area. Tucson Water is recognized internationally as a leader in water conservation, sustainability, and service. Our employees are proud stewards our community’s most precious natural resource, working to embody the utility’s motto of “Pride in Service.”  

The City of Tucson Water Department is seeking highly skilled individuals to operate and maintain a variety of heavy equipment such as: front-end loader, backhoe, and motor grader. The Equipment Operation Specialist performs departmental related duties, and assists in the installation and repair of customer water services.

This position is subject to on-call, stand-by and working evening shifts as needed as well as extended work hours. Work requires climbing in and out of equipment, and the ability to work in various work environments such as: extreme heat, cold, rain and rough terrain conditions.

CITY WIDE BENEFITS

The City of Tucson offers a wide range of generous benefits for eligible employees. Some of those benefits include:

• Medical: Choice between a high deductible plan (HSA or HRA), or Network plan
• Dental: Choice between a national dental PPO and a local dental HMO
• Vision: Coverage for annual eye exam and glasses or contacts, plus LASIK
• Life: City-paid coverage for you & dependents, plus option to buy more
• Long-Term Disability: Income replacement of up to 60% of your base salary in the event of a qualifying disability
• Employee Assistance Program: Enhance your wellbeing when life doesn’t go as planned
• Flexible Spending: Pay for qualified health and dependent care expenses using pretax dollars
• Colonial Voluntary Benefits: Financial help in the event of cancer, hospitalization, accident, and more

 

Your Security and Future

• Pension: Generous pension plans that help both civilian and public safety employees retire more comfortably
• Deferred Compensation: Save more toward a comfortable retirement with a 457(b) plan
• Training & Tuition Assistance: Pursue your dream through internal training or financial help toward a degree
• Back-Up Care: Care for your loved ones when your regular care is unavailable

 

Your Peace of Mind

• Paid Parental Leave: Six (6) weeks paid leave when you welcome a child, plus other generous leave policies for FML, Medical and USERRA
• Paid Time Away: New hires enjoy 37 days of paid time off in the first year, with time increasing steadily thereafter (In year one: 13 accrued days of vacation, 13 accrued days of sick leave, and 11 paid holidays)
• Employee Discounts: Generous discounts, ranging from car rentals to computers, gifts to groceries, electronics to entertainment
• Social Connectedness: Forge connections with the community we serve through paid volunteerism and payroll-deducted charitable giving

Operates and maintains a variety of heavy equipment.  Work is performed in a fast paced, high traffic environment where team safety practices are essential and operation of equipment in all types of weather is required. Equipment Operators work in self-environment locations and also operate mowers in the Avra Valley area.

Examples of essential duties may include but are not limited to:

• Operates construction equipment such as backhoes, front-end loaders, trenchers, uniloaders with attachments, farm tractors, dump trucks, graders, water trucks, and other associated equipment.
• Works in heavy traffic areas and intersections.
• Operates backhoes and track excavators for excavations of water mains and assists in repairs of broken mains; excavates for installations of fire hydrants and fire protection lines; removes concrete foundations and abandoned piping.
• Uses backhoes to excavate around high-pressure gas lines, electrical conduits, sewer lines, telephone lines, and cable lines to access water mains.
• Participates in various work activities associated with job assignments, including manual labor tasks and guiding and directing others in the work team.
• Safely transports equipment to job sites.
• Maintains a variety of heavy equipment by inspecting equipment, performing preventative maintenance of equipment, cleaning equipment components, and reporting necessary repairs.
• Performs weed removal and asphalt maintenance.
• Performs administrative duties by investigating and resolving customer complaints, identifying, locating and requesting necessary materials, and completing logs and reports.

Minimum Education Level & Type: High School Diploma or G.E.D.

Valid and Unrestricted CDL - Class A  required for Transportation and Water departments

Some positions may require Weedeater and Chainsaw Certification

**You are encouraged to print this bulletin because it contains important dates and information that will not be available online once this position closes.**

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be evaluated on the education and work experience in their employment profile and the responses to their supplemental questions. The highest scoring applicants will then be invited to participate in a practical skills test.  

• Practical Skills Test will be held June 9, 2023 

The practical skills assessment will evaluate an applicant’s ability to operate the following heavy equipment safely and efficiently: 

1. Excavate a straight ditch (trench and bench) using a CAT 420 Series Backhoe with ISO/SAE (Excavator/John Deere) Controls that can be changed prior to testing, if needed.
2. Fill front end loader bucket using a 930 Series or larger Articulating Front End Loader and load a 12 yard dump truck
3. Construct an inverted road using an M-Series CAT Motor Grader with joystick controls

Upon completion of all examination processes, the highest scoring applicants will be placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  An applicant's ranking on the Civil Service list will be based on their final score which will be calculated as:      

• 95% of your rating for the Practical Skills Test
• 5% of your rating for Training and Experience

This recruitment will establish a civil service list that may be utilized to fill vacancies occurring within the next 6 months. Hiring interviews maybe conducted post list and prior to final selections.  

Veterans, Native American, or Disability preference points will be added to the final score for those that are placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  If you qualify for preference points as outlined in the Employment Profile, you must upload your documentation as part of the application process or email it to Roxie.Escarcega@tucsonaz.gov. The DD 214 must be a copy that indicates characterization of service.  

If you are in need of Americans with Disabilities Act-related accommodation during the testing process, please contact Roxie Escarcega at (520) 837-2138 at least 48 hours prior to the evaluation.

Communication during this process will be sent via email, so please ensure your browser accepts emails from jobs@tucsonaz.gov and check your email account regularly. Failure to respond or follow instructions may result in disqualification.

Non-NIDA Drug Test

Basic Physical

Hep B Vaccine (follow City of Tucson protocol)

If at Water or Transportation, then:

CDL Physical

NIDA Drug Test

If at Water, then also:

Respirator Physical

75 lb Lift Test

To ensure accurate payroll information for tax purposes, the successful candidate will need to provide their original Social Security Card or original letter from the Social Security Administration with their social security number prior to beginning work with the City of Tucson.

The City of Tucson hires lawful workers only - US citizens or nationals and non-citizens with valid work authorization - without discrimination. Federal immigration laws require all employers to verify both the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. In its efforts to meet the law's requirements, the City of Tucson participates in the E-Verify program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to aid employers in verifying the eligibility of workers.

Retired City of Tucson employees receiving benefits from the Tucson Supplemental Retirement System who are considering reemployment with the City should be aware that pursuant to Section 22-37(g) of the Tucson City Code, retirement benefits shall be suspended during the period of reemployment with the City of Tucson unless you have been separated at least twelve consecutive months before returning to work AND you return to a non-permanent employment classification. Creditable service does not accrue during any reemployment period.