Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced, highly skilled Heavy Equipment Operator & Pool Construction Specialist to lead the excavation, site prep, and logistical phases of our outdoor projects. In this role, you will be responsible for transporting and operating a variety of machinery—including skid steers, mini excavators, mini skids, and telehandlers—with extreme precision.
Beyond digging pool shells to exact specifications and grading, you will be the backbone of the job site's efficiency. You will use your machinery to safely set pool structures into place and continuously feed materials (stone, sand, pavers, plumbing supplies) to the ground crew throughout the life of the project. When the machine work is done, you are a true team player who will jump off the equipment to assist the pool and landscape crews with whatever it takes to finish the job.
Key Responsibilities
- Precision Equipment Operation: Expertly and safely operate a fleet of machinery including Skid Steers (track and wheel), Mini Excavators, Mini Skid Steers (e.g., Dingo), and Telehandlers/Lulls.
- Pool Excavation to Spec: Dig out pool shells and trenches to exact blueprint specifications, ensuring correct depths, slopes, and tight tolerances for pool placement.
- Pool Setting: Assist in rigging, lifting, and meticulously setting the pool shell or walls into the excavated space safely and perfectly level.
- Ground Crew Material Logistics: Act as the primary support for the crew by utilizing telehandlers, skid steers, or loaders to move, stage, and supply stone, sand, pavers, and other heavy materials directly to the ground crew exactly when and where they need them.
- Proficient Site Grading & Base Prep: Execute rough and final grading of dirt. Install, level, and screed base stone perfectly to create flawless drainage and a rock-solid foundation for pool structures, pavers, and retaining walls.
- Backfilling & Compaction: Backfill around installed pool walls or plumbing lines with precision, ensuring proper soil/stone compaction to prevent any future settling or shifting.
- Equipment Transport (Load & Unload): Safely drive, back up, load, and tie down heavy machinery on trailers. Secure all loads according to DOT standards and safely transport equipment to and from job sites.
- Cross-Crew Collaboration: Act as a flexible team player. When machines are parked, step down to assist pool installation, hardscape, or landscape crews with manual labor, setting transits, layout adjustments, or whatever else is needed to finish the project.
- Daily Machine Maintenance: Perform basic daily inspections on equipment (greasing pins, checking fluids, cleaning tracks/tires, and reporting mechanical issues).
Requirements & Qualifications
- Experience: Minimum 3–5 years of proven experience operating heavy equipment specifically in pool construction, excavation, or hardscape environments.
- Mastery of Grade & Rigging: Must know how to read a laser level/transit to independently verify elevations, and have basic knowledge of safe rigging/strapping techniques for lifting and setting structures.
- Hauling & Trailering Skills: Proven experience safely loading, strapping/chaining down, and towing heavy equipment trailers behind commercial trucks.
- Rigorous Safety Standards: A flawless track record of safety, with a deep understanding of machine load limits, blind spots, ground crew proximity safety, and utility hazards.
- Physical Stamina & Attitude: Ability to lift up to 75 lbs, handle strenuous physical labor when assisting ground crews, and maintain a positive, helpful attitude.
- License: Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record. (CDL Class A is a major plus for hauling larger equipment rigs).
Pay: $23.00 - $33.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
