Heavy Equipment Operator

Who We Are

Ruby-Collins is an industry-leading, employee-owned general contractor headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more than 70 years, we’ve been a trusted builder in the water and wastewater space, completing over $3 billion in work for communities across the country.

Consistently named one of the Southeast’s best places to work and a top contractor, our culture is grounded in safety and respect—every person home safe, every day. We value our people as our greatest strength and invest in clear paths for growth, learning, and advancement.

We also show up as neighbors. Beyond the work itself, our teams stay connected to the communities we serve, contributing time, expertise, and steady partnership where it matters most.

Industry-Leading Insurance & Benefits

We maintain a flexible and results-driven environment built on trust. To fully support our professionals and their families, we offer a premier compensation and benefits package:

100% Company-Paid Family Healthcare: $0 premiums for Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, completely covering you and your entire family.
Extended Year-End Rest: Flexible PTO plus an annual company closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Comprehensive Coverage: 100% company-paid Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), and Life Insurance policies.
Financial Security: A competitive 401(k) plan with a 5% company match, alongside annual raises and performance bonuses.
Advanced Wellness: $0 telemedicine access and 24/7 personal nurse/EAP support networks.
Top-Tier Culture: Work within a collaborative environment consistently named a “Best Place to Work” in the Southeast.

Job Overview

The Heavy Equipment Operator is a skilled and versatile field role responsible for the safe, precise, and efficient operation of a variety of production-class equipment (such as excavators, loaders, dozers, and skid steers). This role supports diverse operations across all divisions, including deep excavations, structural backfilling, grading, and material handling for heavy civil infrastructure and water/wastewater projects.

Duties & Responsibilities

Equipment Operation: Safely and efficiently operate excavators, front-end loaders, bulldozers, and skid steers to execute trenching, mass excavation, fine grading, and structural backfilling.
Site and Structure Support: Manage equipment operations within tight municipal easements, active treatment plant footprints, and environmentally sensitive areas (such as wetlands) with minimal site disruption.
Rigging & Precision Lifting: Execute critical, precision lifts for heavy infrastructure components, including large-diameter pipe, precast concrete structures, and trench shoring systems.
Utility Spotting & Damage Prevention: Proactively identify, expose, and protect existing underground and overhead utilities. Maintain constant visual and radio communication with ground spotters and crew members to eliminate the risk of utility strikes.
Safety Leadership: Adhere strictly to OSHA standards for heavy equipment operation, trench safety, and rigging. Maintain a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe operating conditions or practices.
Daily Maintenance & Inspections: Perform comprehensive daily pre-and post-operation inspections (fluids, grease points, tracks/tires, safety controls) of assigned machinery.
Logistics & Reporting: Maintain accurate equipment logs and immediately report any mechanical issues, deficiencies, or required repairs to the Superintendent and fleet maintenance team to minimize operational downtime.
Ground Support & Labor: Exit the cab to assist with manual tasks including hand-digging, spotting for other operators, and site cleanup.

Qualifications & Requirements

Experience: Proven experience operating heavy equipment in a heavy civil, earthwork, or pipeline construction environment.
Technical Knowledge: Proven ability to dig and cut to precise grades using lasers, stakes, or GPS equipment. Strong understanding of soil mechanics, sloping, and working safely around complex shoring systems.
Plan Reading: Basic to intermediate familiarity with civil plan sets, site layouts, and utility profiles.
Travel & Location: Must live within a commutable distance to the job site and be willing to work out of town during the week. Note: Travel per diem is provided, and crews are home on the weekends.
Compliance: Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening/physical and authorized to work in the US.