Motor Equipment Operator

Motor Equipment Operator

Salary

$50,581.23 - $88,517.10 Annually

Location

MAINTENANCE & STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, 10635 WEST DR, FAIRFAX (FJ30), VA

Job Type

FT Hourly W BN

Job Number

26-01607

Department

DPWES Stormwater Management

Opening Date

10/17/2026

Closing Date

10/30/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

S17

Posting Type

Open to General Public

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Announcement

$2,500 Signing Bonus*

Power the machines that protect our community! Join Fairfax County's Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) to help maintain and repair storm drainage infrastructure, support construction projects, and protect the community through essential maintenance and emergency response operations. Your work will help keep our infrastructure functioning safely and reliably in all kinds of weather.

Stormwater Management Division is hiring an experienced Motor Equipment Operator to join our Stormwater Maintenance Operations team. This position operates a variety of vehicles, medium and light construction equipment, and specialized tools while performing manual labor to maintain and repair storm drainage infrastructure. The successful candidate will be comfortable working outdoors in changing weather conditions, collaborating with a team, and adapting to shifting work priorities.

Key Responsibilities are:

• Operate and maintain equipment: Operate dump trucks, trailers, water trucks, snowplows, spreaders, backhoes, mini excavators, skid steers, loaders, forklifts, and other construction and small-engine equipment. Conduct daily vehicle and equipment inspections and routine maintenance checks.
• Perform stormwater maintenance and construction: Assist with the construction and repair of manholes, catch basins, walkways, headwalls, retaining walls, and storm sewer lines. Perform concrete work, drainage structure maintenance, ditch cleaning, and related repairs.
• Complete manual labor and infrastructure inspections: Perform digging, snow removal, brush clearing, grass cutting, asphalt work, material handling, and other physical tasks. Inspect transportation and storm drainage infrastructure and identify maintenance needs and potential hazards.
• Follow safety procedures: Comply with County and Division safety requirements, use appropriate personal protective equipment, complete required safety training, and perform equipment inspections. Read and interpret engineering plans to identify utility locations before excavation.
• Support emergency and weather-related operations: Respond to snow, flooding, and other designated emergencies, including after-hours and on-call assignments. Adapt to changing priorities to support essential Stormwater Management operations.
• Communicate and coordinate work: Follow and provide instructions, coordinate with supervisors and coworkers, interact professionally with the public, and complete required reports and documentation.

The Ideal Candidate Must Have:

• Teamwork: Works cooperatively with coworkers and supervisors, follows instructions, and contributes to shared goals.
• Effective Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally with team members, supervisors, customers, and other stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
• Flexibility, Dependability, and Accountability: Adapts to changing assignments, weather conditions, and operational priorities; follows through on commitments and takes responsibility for work.
• Initiative and Willingness to Learn: Demonstrates a willingness to learn new equipment, processes, procedures, and safe work practices while seeking guidance when needed.

Fairfax County's award-winning Stormwater team works to reduce flood risk and protect local watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay with comprehensive watershed and infrastructure management to protect people, the environment, and property.

A job worth doing is worth doing together. Click here to find out more about DPWES.

DPWES is a diverse, nationally accredited and award-winning public works agency with approximately 1,000 employees providing solid waste, capital facility development, wastewater, stormwater, urban forestry, and land acquisition management services for the most populous county in Virginia. Join our team to help us protect the environment and serve the people of Fairfax County by creating and preserving a sustainable community that is an ideal place to live, work, and play for everyone. Fairfax County Government is committed to our employees, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a defined-benefit retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; paid leave; tuition reimbursement; and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. Through our LiveWell Program and the County Benefits Division, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of wellbeing that empowers, educates, and engages employees and retirees to make life-long choices that promote a holistic approach to their physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and financial wellness. Please review our awesome benefits:

• Benefits
• Retirement

Note: The appointee to this position is subject to emergency callback 24 hours a day/seven days a week (24/7) to respond to snow, flood, and other designated emergencies requiring division resources, on an as-needed basis.

In 2027, all West Drive assignments will be permanently located at the new Water Resources and Infrastructure building, located at 6000 Freds Oak Road, Burke, VA 22015. Position may require traveling to multiple Fairfax County sites.

This position works in the DPWES Stormwater Maintenance Operations Branch located at 10635 West Drive Fairfax, VA. 22030

• A $2,500 signing bonus is available to new county employees hired in the Motor Equipment Operator position. Applicants must possess valid CDL at time of application submission to be eligible.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to completion of the tenth grade; and, two years of experience in the operation of medium/light motorized equipment.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• A valid drivers license.
• A Class "B" commercial drivers license (CDL).
• Must obtain CDL Class "A" designation within 3 months of hire.
• Tanker Endorsement within 12 months of hire.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a pre-employment physical examination, and a driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two (2) years of experience operating commercial vehicles and construction equipment, such as dump trucks, trailers, backhoes, skid steers, loaders, or similar equipment.
• Two (2) years of experience using hand tools, power tools, and small-engine equipment and performing routine equipment inspections or maintenance checks.
• Two (2) years of experience identifying common stormwater infrastructure, including catch basins, manholes, storm sewer pipes, drainage ditches, and related structures.
• Two (2) years of experience Demonstrated experience following workplace safety procedures, using personal protective equipment, identifying worksite hazards, and completing equipment safety inspections.
• One (1) year of experience using computers, electronic devices, and software applications to access information, review maps, or complete work documentation.
• One (1) year of experience communicating professionally with the public, customers, coworkers, or other stakeholders in a work environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to lift/ slide up to 90 lbs. with assistance. Ability to set up and operate Vacuum Flusher truck equipment units. Effectively communicate both oral and in writing. Must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment and use other automated technology to input, access and retrieve information from a laptop or desktop. Visual acuity is required to read data on computer monitors such as GIS maps. Must be able to physically negotiate rough terrain on uneven ground such as hills, wooded and marshy areas to make direct observation of work in progress including recognizing unforeseen hazards such as sharp objects, warning signs, slippery surfaces, steep depressions, tripping hazards. Must be capable of pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, stooping, walking, and climbing to enter permitted confined spaces such as in and out of catch basins and manholes. Per safety requirements, confined spaces may not be entered by persons who weigh 310lbs. or more. Must be physically fit to perform manual labor in all types of environments. This requires the ability to endure variable and extreme weather conditions such as hot, cold, during rain, noisy environments, etc. Physically and mentally able to use all applicable personal protective equipment in an outdoor environment; including hardhat, eye protection, hearing protection, safety footwear, long pants, sleeved shirt, and personal fall arrest harness. Requires the ability to stand, stoop, bend, reach, walk, climb, sit, kneel, crawl, lift, as well as work in strenuous and uncomfortable positions for long periods of time to manipulate materials with manual dexterity, use of hoses, and operate units up to 12 feet tall to set up and perform maintenance. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include exercise.

BONUS ELIGIBILITY:

Positions within this classification that require a CDL that are general merit may be eligible for a one-time hiring incentive bonus for new county employees only. This bonus program requires a signed payback agreement between the department and employee. Must have CDL at time of hire.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-NW1

Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

Please click here for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

For additional details please visit the Countys benefits webpage.

Non-Merit Positions

• Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Program

• Deferred Compensation

• Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.

• No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 10th grade
• 10th to less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associates degree
• Bachelors degree
• Masters degree
• Doctorate degree

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a related degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

03

How many years of experience do you possess in the operation of medium/light motorized equipment?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

04

Do you possess a valid drivers license?

• Yes
• No

05

Are you currently in possession of a commercial drivers license (CDL)? If yes, please check each item that applies to your class.

• Class A
• Class B
• I currently do not possess a CDL, but I do possess a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP)
• I currently do not possess a CDL nor a CLP

06

Indicate which restrictions or endorsements currently apply to your vehicle operators license. Check all that apply.

• Restriction K or L - air brake restriction
• Restriction K or L - operator in Virginia only
• Restriction J - bus only
• Endorsement N - tanker endorsement
• Endorsement P - passenger - carry
• Endorsement S - school bus
• Endorsement T - double or triple Trailer
• Other endorsement or restriction not listed here
• None of the above

07

How many years of commercial driving experience do you possess?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

08

How many years of experience do you have operating construction equipment, such as backhoes, skid steers, loaders, or similar equipment?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

09

Please indicate which vehicles or equipment you have more than one year of experience using. Check all that apply.

• Dump truck
• Tractor trailer
• Backhoe
• Ride-on vibratory roller
• Front-end loader
• Jumping jack tamper
• Snow blower
• Commercial lawn mower
• Bulldozer
• Skid steer loader
• Mini-excavator
• Chainsaw
• None of the above

10

How many years of experience do you have hauling equipment on trailers?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

11

How many years of experience do you have identifying common stormwater infrastructure, including catch basins, manholes, storm sewer pipes, drainage ditches, and related structures?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

12

How many years of experience do you have following workplace safety procedures, using personal protective equipment, identifying worksite hazards, and completing equipment safety inspections?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

13

How many years of experience do you have using computers, electronic devices, and software applications to access information, review maps, or complete work documentation?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

14

How many years of experience do you have using hand tools, power tools, and small-engine equipment and performing routine equipment inspections or maintenance checks?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

15

How many years of experience do you have communicating professionally with the public, customers, coworkers, or other stakeholders in a work environment?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

16

This position is considered essential personnel for purposes of continuity of operations and may be required to respond during inclement weather or emergency situations. Are you willing and able to report to work during these situations?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Fairfax County

Address 12000 Government Center Pkwy. Suite 270

Fairfax, Virginia, 22035

Phone 703-324-3311

Website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/fairfaxcounty/default.cfm