Heavy Equipment Operator

Position Responsibilities:

All Heavy Equipment Operators:

• Implements and maintains a safe workplace program and ensures that safety is the highest priority
• Reads and understands the manufacturer’s operating manual for each piece of equipment before operating
• Is responsible for the safe and technically proficient operation of heavy and light equipment such as bulldozers, articulating loaders, excavators, graders, backhoes, fork-lifts, trenchers, snow blasters, traverse equipment, tracked agricultural tractors, PistenBully, Mattracks, dump trucks, snow/dirt moving and grooming equipment, etc.
• Operates heavy equipment as required, including but not limited to the following activities in both dirt and snow: Road grading, ditch cleaning, trench excavation, movement, stockpiling, loading of aggregate/snow, snow plowing, snow removal, loading/unloading of trucks/trailers, material handling, disabled vehicle recovery, road construction and maintenance, airfield construction and maintenance, loading/unloading of shipping containers.
• Performs daily equipment inspections per the manufacturer to ensure all equipment is properly maintained and in safe operating condition.  Notates any repair or maintenance needs on the daily check list and notifies the appropriate foreman or supervisor of these items daily. 
• Performs daily safety inspection per the manufacturers daily check list and performs minor maintenance as required prior to operation of any equipment.
• Tracks equipment hours daily and notifies the appropriate foreman or supervisor when equipment is within 25 hours of its PM due hours.
• Accurately records time worked, and equipment hours used daily in Maximo and timecard.
• Performs general duties as required in support of ASC goals and contractual commitments.
• Complies with all ASC Environmental Health & Safety and Quality Assurance requirements and goals and provides documentation to these divisions as necessary.
• Performs other duties as required.

SPoT Only:

• Operates heavy equipment as required, including the following activities: Grading, 9,000lb knuckle boom crane operation, snow removal, traverse and equipment recovery operations, fueling bladders, loading/unloading cargo, perform basic maintenance on sleds and housing modules, runway construction and maintenance, recovery of science equipment including NASA payloads.
• Operates on assigned traverse for no less than a 50-day duration to the South Pole and back at least once, (twice if assigned to SPOT 1 and 3).
• Lubricates, checks fluids, and performs safety inspection and minor maintenance as required prior to operation of any equipment.
• Arranges equipment maintenance according to manufacturer recommendations or as directed by the Vehicle Maintenance Facility and Supervisor, Fleet Operations.

Required Education, Experience, Certificates and Licenses:

• High School diploma or GED
• Four years of experience as a heavy equipment operator

Expected Skills and Competencies:

• Team player and group dynamics are of the utmost importance.  

Preferred: 

• Class A CDL Driver’s License
• Rigging certification
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office
• Prior cold-climate equipment operations experience
• Ability to thrive in an equipment and resource limited environment

Physical and/or Other Requirements:

• Willingness and ability to deploy to Antarctica for extended periods
• Successful completion of Medical and Dental examinations required by the NSF for deployment to Antarctica
• Successful completion of drug screening and background check required by employer
• Successful completion of Federal Background Check required by the NSF
• Must be willing and able to lift and move items, parts, assemblies, and equipment up to the safety regulation maximum as required by the position.
• Must be willing and able to perform physical activities including heavy lifting, climbing in and out of equipment, crawling, snow shoveling, ice-chipping, walking long distances daily, and working outdoors in extreme cold as required by the position.
• Must participate in community programs, such as “house-mouse” (chores), “daisy-picking” (cleaning-up around the station), recycling efforts & safety objectives.
• Valid Driver’s License issued in the United States
• Must be able to obtain and maintain facility credentials/authorization. Note: US Citizenship is required for facility credentials/authorization at this work location.

Boots Required:   Yes