Heavy Equipment Operator

Your Role

As a Heavy Equipment Operator, you'll safely operate yellow iron heavy equipment to move, load, sort, and transport materials throughout our transfer stations, recycling facilities, landfills, and other post-collection operations. You'll perform equipment inspections, maintain a safe work environment, and partner with your teammates to maximize productivity while ensuring compliance with all safety and environmental standards.

What You'll Do

• Safely operate heavy equipment such as loaders, excavators, skid steers, forklifts, material handlers, compactors, and other equipment as assigned.
• Move, load, transport, and organize waste and recyclable materials while maximizing operational efficiency.
• Perform pre-shift and post-shift inspections to ensure equipment is operating safely and efficiently.
• Identify equipment concerns and communicate maintenance needs promptly.
• Perform basic preventive maintenance and routine equipment care.
• Follow traffic patterns, operational procedures, and site-specific work instructions.
• Work closely with teammates, spotters, and supervisors to safely coordinate equipment movement throughout the facility.
• Maintain accurate equipment inspection reports and other required documentation.
• Keep work areas clean, organized, and free of safety hazards.
• Assist with general site operations and other duties as needed to support business needs.
• Reinforce company safety policies while maintaining compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, and company standards.
• At Coastal, we win as a team. Our Heavy Equipment Operators work safely, communicate effectively, support one another, and do whatever is necessary to keep our operations running efficiently.

What You'll Bring

• One (1) or more years of experience operating heavy equipment in waste and recycling, construction, mining, aggregates, utilities, landscaping, agriculture, or another industrial environment.
• Experience operating loaders, excavators, skid steers, forklifts, or similar heavy equipment.
• Strong understanding of equipment safety, preventive maintenance, and daily inspections.
• Commitment to safety, teamwork, and operational excellence.
• Ability to work independently while communicating effectively with teammates and leadership.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Waste industry experience, bilingual (English/Spanish or English/Creole), and experience operating multiple types of heavy equipment are a plus.