Government Jobs in Oregon with H-1B Sponsorship

The Position

Come Join the City of Portland as a Construction Equipment Operator!

Job Appointment: (Full time, Part time, Limited Duration)
Work Schedule: A Variety of schedules available
Work Location: Multiple Locations
PBOT - 2929 N Kerby Ave, Portland, OR 97227
Parks - 4315 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefit for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.
Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.
Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.
Please note, there is a work skill demonstration test for this recruitment. A work skill demonstration is a test on different components for specific skills to determine if you have the minimum skills to be eligible for the position. Please refer to Recruitment Process Step 3 for tentative dates, locations, and possible skills.

Position Summary

Come Join the Portland Bureau of Transportation or Portland Parks and Recreation as a Construction Equipment Operator. Construction Equipment Operators are skilled positions that are crucial in helping the Bureau meet their goals in construction and maintenance.

What you’ll get to do:

- Loading and unloading a variety of heavy-duty motorized equipment
- Operating a variety of heavy-duty motorized construction equipment such as backhoes, dozers, front-end loaders, road graders, cold mining machines, paving equipment (such as asphalt rollers) and recycling equipment (such as rock crushers)
- Safe, skillful, and efficient use of the machines to build or repair streets, sidewalks, water lines, and sewers, or in assisting on other City construction projects
- Service and making minor repairs on their machines as needed
- Assignments involve responsibility for the safe operation of others working in conjunction with the equipment and occasionally directing the work of unskilled or semi-skilled helpers.

Important Highlights:

- Work is often done in heavy traffic
- There are positions available on either day or swing shift
- May require working on Saturday or Sunday and holidays
- This is an essential position during inclement weather, natural disasters, and other emergencies
- Employees are expected to be available to report to work as soon as possible to help ensure the essential operations of the City's infrastructure
- Employees are expected to work effectively with a culturally diverse workforce and to recognize the value of and cultivate cultural diversity in the workplace.

An ideal candidate will have:

- Experience with a variety of heavy-duty machinery and a proven track record of safety.
- Completed a heavy equipment apprenticeship program with 4-6K hours.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage, and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides people and businesses with access and mobility. We keep Portland moving. The Portland Bureau of Transportation embraces diversity, models inclusivity, and promotes equity through its service delivery, internal operations, organizational culture, and in its work with partners and the community.

Portland Parks & Recreation: City of Portland, Oregon is a growing and diverse city of 620,000 residents, nearly 20% of whom speak languages other than English at home. Portland Parks & Recreation values a diverse workforce and seeks ways to promote equity and inclusion within the organization and with the public. PP&R encourages applications from candidates with knowledge, ability and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities with diverse racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Although not required, PP&R encourages candidates that can fluently speak another language to include that information in their resume. Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill positions in Portland Bureau of Transportation and Portland Parks & Recreation.

Contact Information:

Tami Larison
Senior Recruiter
Tamara.Larison@portlandoregon.gov

To Qualify

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:
- Possess a valid Class "A" Commercial Driver's License and current medical card at time of application. Applicants must upload a copy to be considered
- Experience in the operation of excavation equipment safely.
- Experience loading, unloading, and securing construction equipment on a large truck and trailer
- Experience safely driving a large truck with trailer to transport construction equipment in a City environment
- Knowledge of the OUNC (Oregon Utility Notification Center) AKA Oregon Dig Law and applying safe work practices regarding construction and equipment
- Experience understanding oral and written instructions including grade hubs and engineering drawings

Applicants must also possess:
- Possess an acceptable driving record and submit a "complete" five-year court-certified Driver's Abstract of Driving Record (obtained at applicant's expense) upon offer.
- Positions may require additional endorsements or certifications
- Ability to pass a Prehire Evaluation that may require a medical exam, screenings and physical capacities test (PCT), after an offer of employment has been made and accepted.
- Take and pass a Pre-employment DOT drug test upon offer

The Recruitment Process

This recruitment will consist of an evaluation of each applicant's answers to the supplemental questions, work history, education and certificates/license information as demonstrated in their application.
- First Review: Applications including the work history and answers to the supplemental questions will be evaluated for minimum qualification requirements.
- Work Skills Demonstration: Candidates whose applications clearly reflect the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a hands-on work skills demonstration that will include driving as well as manual labor.
- Eligible List Established: Those that pass the work skills demonstration will be placed on an equally ranked eligible list. You have 14 days from the notice of the examination results to let us know if you disagree with your results. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.

STEP 1: Apply online between March 30, 2026 – April 13, 2026

Required Application Materials:

- Resume
- Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.
- Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Optional Application Materials:

If you wish to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your veteran documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) by the recruitment's closing date.
Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans’ Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members. If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.
Update: As of March 3rd, 2025, if you made the eligible list and met the eligibility to receive veteran preference, you will no longer need to submit veteran documents for future recruitments.

If you need to update or remove your veteran preference for a specific recruitment or from your master profile, please contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tip

Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
Your résumé should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.

How We Determine Pay:

The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act. Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
Do not attach any additional documents.
Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.
All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process.
E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation Phase 1: Week of April 13, 2026
The evaluation is based on each applicant’s training and both paid and unpaid experience as demonstrated in the résumé and responses to the supplemental questions. These materials form the basis of the pass/fail review used to determine eligibility for the next step in the process. Incomplete, vague, or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
Applicants have 14 days from the date they are notified of their Phase 1 minimum-qualification results to request a review and discussion of their evaluation outcome. For full details on this process, refer to City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01.

Step 3: Minimum Qualification Evaluation Phase 2: Work Skills Demonstration

Applicants who successfully pass Minimum Qualification Evaluation Phase 1 of the recruitment process will be scheduled to participate in the work skills demonstration, weighted 100%. The work skills demonstration test will cover the following:
- Operating a backhoe
- Operating a track hoe
- Operating paver and milling machine
- Loading/Unloading equipment
- Maneuvering equipment over a trench

An invitation will be sent via email. Out-of-town candidates will be required to travel to participate in phase II.
Phase II is tentatively scheduled for week of May 5, 2026
A photo ID will be required for admittance to the test.
All Health and Safety protocols must be followed.
Applicants have 14 days from the date they are notified of their Phase 2 minimum-qualification results to request a review and discussion of their evaluation outcome. For full details on this process, refer to City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01.
Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 4: Establishment of Eligible List: Late May 2026
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 5: Selection (Interview): June 2026
Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview.

Step 6: Offer of Employment: July 2026

Step 7: Pre-Employment Exam – Preplacement Physical Examination: To Be Determined
As part of the conditional job offer, candidates must complete a Prehire Evaluation during the hiring process/probationary period. The Prehire Evaluation may consist of a medical exam, screenings, and a physical capacities test (PCT) required for work clearance and safety compliance. The PCT measures physical ability through job-related tasks such as lifting, carrying, climbing, shoveling, and repetitive movements. Unless already employed in a City position requiring a similar or more demanding PCT, candidates must pass all required tasks to proceed with employment. For more information visit the Prehire Evaluation page.

Step 7/8: Start Date: July 2026
A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

Additional Information

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Click here for additional information regarding the following:
- City of Portland Core Values
- Recruitment Process - Work Status
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Veteran Preference
- ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations