Operations & Maintenance Technician IV - Equipment Operator (Backhoe/Excavator)

At the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, we deliver reliable water to a region with 19 million people—and to accomplish this, we rely on a team of Talented Employees: innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators who make it all possible. 

This recruitment may result in an Eligibility List*. 

The Operations and Maintenance Technician IV – Equipment Operator (Backhoe/Excavator) functions as a journey-level professional who leverages extensive field experience and technical knowledge to manage both light and heavy machinery.

In this role you will be responsible for the repair, relocation, and service connection of massive pipelines measuring up to 13 feet in diameter. This role requires installation of concrete-reinforced structures and encasements; construction of buildings and substructures; and heavy construction shoring (heavy beams and steel plates) activities. Hands-on utility tasks include concrete breaking, placing and tying reinforcing steel, and completing cast-in-place reinforced concrete finishes.

As Operations and Maintenance Technician IV – Equipment Operator (Backhoe/Excavator), you will operate an extensive equipment portfolio. This ranges from standard vehicles and multiple-axle trucks or trailers to specialized heavy machinery including excavators, dozers, backhoes, loaders, tractors, dump trucks, water trucks, and cranes.

The working environment demands high adaptability, as tasks frequently require working inside large-diameter pipes beneath residential streets and operating within underground substructures. Furthermore, you must be available to travel and work in remote desert locations for an estimated eight weeks throughout the year. Travel typically occurs in one- or two-week increments, though schedules may vary based on evolving project needs.

• →Primary Tool: Operate excavators and backhoes for precision trench excavation. 

• →Truck Driving: Drive dump trucks, water trucks,vac trucks and stake bed trucks. 

• →Water Assets: Facility Maintenance including vegetation removal, grading of patrol roads and other repairs on MWD infrastructure. 

• →Roadway Support: Build and maintain access roads and rights-of-way. 
• →Hauling: Load and transport equipment using multiple-axle trucks and trailers.

This opening is for the Operations and Maintenance Technician IV – Equipment Operator (Backhoe/Excavator) located in the Construction Services Unit at our Lake Mathews Reservoir Facility in Riverside  

High school diploma or high school equivalency certificate in addition to a minimum of 6 years in a heavy construction equipment operation position. 

OR 

High school diploma or high school equivalency certificate and attainment of journey level skills through a recognized equipment operator trade training program and/or applicable related experience within a industrial environment.   

Qualifying Experience: Your resume must at a minimum include the month and year you began and ended employment, name of the organization, your title, and a brief description of your experience. If your employment was part-time, make sure you identify it on your resume next to the month/year.  

Sponsorship: Applicants for employment with The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States (i.e., H1-B or other employment-based immigration case). 

#LI-Onsite

Valid Driver’s license from state of residency equivalent to a California Class A, B, and/or C with appropriate commercial license endorsements. .  

• Crane certification • Forklift Certification • Hazardous Materials Certification  • Manlift Certification • Respirator Certification 

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs. 

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities, who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process, please call (213) 217-7738 or email: jobs@mwdh2o.com. 

Metropolitan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic(s).