Senior Solid Waste Maintenance Worker

Position Description

RECRUITMENT OVERVEW - Join Our Team As A Senior Solid Waste Maintenance Worker

Are you an experienced maintenance professional ready to take on a vital role in keeping our city safe, clean, and running smoothly? We are looking for a skilled, hardworking Senior Solid Waste Maintenance Worker to join our team.

This journey-level role offers stable work, hands-on variety, and the opportunity to make a visible impact on the community every single day. If you have mechanical aptitude, a strong work ethic, and a Class B CDL, we want to hear from you!

Why You'll Love This Role

• Stable, Essential Career: Work in a critical public service role with dependable hours and a consistent schedule.
• Hands-On Variety: No two days are the same. You will switch between welding, heavy equipment operation, vehicle maintenance, and community field interactions.
• Community Impact: Play a direct role in maintaining the safety, cleanliness, and beauty of city streets and neighborhoods.

What You Will Do

• Maintain & Repair: Perform routine to complex maintenance on solid waste bins, vehicles, and equipment, including welding, painting, and replacing parts.
• Inspect & Service: Conduct preventative maintenance on fleet and keep the solid waste yard organized.
• Operate Heavy Equipment: Safely navigate and operate dump trucks, skiploaders, and forklifts.
• Community Service: Deliver and exchange residential containers, clear illegal dumping sites, and resolve customer service inquiries with tact and professionalism.
• Lead by Example: Maintain detailed daily activity logs, ensure strict adherence to safety protocols, and help train lower-level crew members.

The City of Tulare is a vibrant and steadily growing community with a population of 70,693 located in the heart of California's Central Valley. The organization, staffed with 402 full-time employees, enjoys a culture of fiscal conservatism, collaboration, teamwork and dedication to public service and our community.

We are currently recruiting to fill one immediate vacancy and an eligible list will also be established to fill future vacancies in this classification for a period of up to six months.

To be considered for this outstanding career opportunity applicants must submit a detailed application with detailed information in each section of the application: Education, Work Experience, Certificates and Licenses, and Skills. In addition to submitting a detailed application, applicants are required to respond to the supplemental questions associated with the application. Responses to the supplemental questions will be used to help us evaluate applicants’ qualifying knowledge, skills, and abilities. Resumes may be attached but will not be accepted in lieu of a complete, detailed application or in lieu of detailed responses to the supplemental questions.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Under general supervision, cleans and performs routine to complex maintenance and repair of bins, vehicles, and equipment; cleans and maintains solid waste yard; delivers and picks up bins and containers; and performs related work as required.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives technical and functional direction and training from the Solid Waste Crew Leader and general supervision from the Solid Waste Supervisor. No supervision of staff is exercised.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This is the journey-level class in the solid waste maintenance worker series that performs the full range of duties required to ensure that City is maintained in a safe and clean condition and provides the highest level of safety for public use. Responsibilities include performing a wide variety of tasks in the maintenance and repair of vehicles, tools, and equipment. This class is distinguished from Solid Waste Crew Leader in that the latter is responsible for technical and functional direction over lower-level solid waste operations staff and is capable of performing the most complex duties assigned to the division.

Examples of Essential Functions

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only) Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is related or a logical assignment to this class.

• Performs routine to complex maintenance and repair of bins, vehicles, and equipment, including welding, painting, cleaning, and replacing lids and castors.
• Inspects and reviews condition of sanitation vehicles and equipment; performs preventative maintenance of vehicles and equipment, including checking oil and water levels, brakes, and lights, changing tires, and draining air tanks; washes and cleans vehicles; fills and greases vehicles.
• Delivers and picks up containers for non-payment or new constructions; exchanges damaged containers.
• Cleans and maintains solid waste yard.
• Operates a variety of tools and equipment, including skiploaders, forklifts, and dump trucks in a safe and accurate manner.
• Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition, including cleaning alleys of illegal dumping, trimming trees to ensure safe passage of vehicles, and securing vehicles and equipment at the close of the workday.
• Performs solid waste operator, and/or senior solid waste operator duties, as assigned.
• Issues notice to residential customers regarding sanitation violations; responds to complaints and answers questions from public or escalates to crew leader or supervisor, as necessary.
• Responds to operations, maintenance, and repair emergency situations as required.
• Observes safe work methods and makes appropriate use of related safety equipment as required.
• Maintains records and logs of daily activities; prepares reports as necessary.
• May provide training to lower-level staff or new employees.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Operation and routine to complex maintenance and repair of solid waste vehicles, equipment, and tools, including welding and painting.
• Basic solid waste collection and disposal principles, practices, vehicles, tools, and equipment for maintaining sanitation and cleanliness of a City, including residential solid waste collection.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Safety equipment and practices related to the work, including the handling of hazardous solid waste.
• Safe driving rules and practices.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service to the public and City staff, in person and over the telephone.

Ability to:

• Safely and effectively use, operate, and maintain the full range of equipment and tools required for the work.
• Perform routine to complex equipment maintenance, including welding and painting.
• Work with heavy automotive equipment requiring good motor coordination and physical strength.
• Perform heavy manual labor for extended periods of time in all types of weather.
• Troubleshoot maintenance problems and determine materials and supplies required for repair.
• Participate in solid waste collection and disposal operations and related projects.
• Operate a motor vehicle safely.
• Maintain accurate logs, records, and basic reports of work performed.
• Follow department policies and procedures related to assigned duties.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Communicate effectively in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

• Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade and one (1) year of experience in the maintenance and repair of tools, equipment, and vehicles.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of a Class B California Driver's License with Air Brake Endorsement.

Additional Information

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must possess mobility to work in the field; strength, stamina, and mobility to perform medium to heavy physical work, to work in confining spaces, around machines and to climb and descend vehicles, and to operate varied vehicles, tools, and equipment; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone or radio. The job involves fieldwork requiring frequent walking in operational areas to identify problems or hazards. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate above-mentioned tools and equipment. Positions in this classification bend, stoop, kneel, reach, and climb to perform work and inspect work sites. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 75 pounds and heavier weights with the use of proper equipment.

ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

Employees work in the field and are exposed to loud noise levels, cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, mechanical and/or electrical hazards, and hazardous physical substances and fumes. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives, and contractors in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

• Members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). In accordance with the California Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), the City of Tulare will offer the following retirement benefit (2.0% at 62) to new PERS members beginning January 1, 2013 with three (3) years final compensation. Existing PERS members with no break in service will receive the 2.5% at 55 formula with single highest year.
• City pays a portion of the employee and dependent coverage costs of group medical, dental and vision insurance. An opt-out plan is also available.
• Life insurance - $20,000 coverage.
• 10 working days vacation per year. Additional days based on years of service.
• 12 days sick leave per year.
• 15 holidays annually: 12 city observed holidays, plus birthday credit and 2 in-lieu holidays.
• Flexible benefit program - IRS Section 125 Plan.
• Deferred compensation plan - 457 Plans available.
• City sponsored employee health care clinic - Services include: general medical care and health and wellness coaching. No deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket expenses.

Closing Date/Time: 7/19/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

City of Tulare

559-684-4204 Show more