Excavator Operator
About this job
We are seeking an experienced and safety-conscious Excavator Operator to join our civil construction team across New Zealand. You will be responsible for operating a range of excavators safely and efficiently to deliver high-quality excavation, site preparation, and trenching for underground utilities and civil structures.
Key Responsibilities • Site Preparation & Earthworks: Perform bulk earthworks, site levelling, grading, and final trim operations according to engineering plans. • Services & Utilities: Safely excavate, trench, and backfill for stormwater, wastewater, and water reticulation systems. Expose underground utilities (gas, power, telecom) using safe hand-digging or hydro-vac methods. • Structures & Foundations: Excavate deep trenches and precise pits for foundations, retaining walls, and concrete structures. • Material Handling: Load trucks, position heavy concrete pipes, manholes, and trench shields. • Plant Maintenance: Conduct daily pre-start checks, track greasing, and routine servicing. Report faults and maintain a clean machine. • Health & Safety: Actively participate in hazard identification, adhere to Site Specific Safety Plans (SSSP), and maintain safe working clearances around ground crews, pedestrians, and structures.
What We Offer • Competitive Remuneration: $30 - $35 per /hour, depending on experience • Growth: Opportunities to work on diverse projects and progress into site supervision or foreperson roles. • Culture: A supportive, safety-first working environment
Job Requirements
• Experience: Minimum 2–3+ years of operating excavators in the New Zealand civil construction, roading, or infrastructure sector. • Licensing: Valid NZ Class 1+ Driver's License. • Endorsements: Wheels, Tracks, and Rollers (WTR) endorsements are required. • Technical Skills: Ability to read and interpret site plans, drawings, and surveyor markings. Experience with machine control GPS systems is a strong advantage. • Soft Skills: Strong communication skills, a proactive approach to on-site problem solving, and the ability to work cohesively with ground crews and spotters. • Compliance: Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. • Criminal Convictions: Assessed on a case-by-case basis
- Days of work
- Mon - Fri, occasional Saturdays as needed; from 7am to 3-5pm depending on workload (30 hours per week)
- Pay Details
- $30 - $35 per hour, depending on experience
- Job Category
- Other Machine Operators
- Career Level
- Intermediate (2 - 4 years)
- Driver Licence
- Full, (Class 1) - Car Licence, (R) - Roller, (T) - Tracks, (W) - Wheels (Special Type)
- Pre-employment drug test required
- Yes
Interested in this job?
To apply for this job please phone 0800 779 009 and quote Job ID 23137547
You may need to register first with Work and Income as a Job Seeker to be considered for specific roles.
If you are deaf, hearing impaired, or speech impaired, there are a range of options to contact us. Please include the Job IDs for any of the jobs you're interested in as part of the message.