The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority seeks an Equipment Mechanic Operator to maintain the Authority’s fleet and to operate a variety of equipment to maintain lands in the Authority’s management.

Our mission is to conserve the natural environment, support agriculture, and connect people to nature by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for future generations. Since 1993 the Open Space Authority has protected almost 30,000 acres of natural and working lands across the Santa Clara Valley. Our agency manages and conserves a network of open space lands and natural resources, while providing compatible opportunities for hiking, biking, and equestrian uses, with a focus on increasing equity of access to the outdoors for all our constituents.

We know our continued success depends on our employees and the work they do. We are committed to providing a collaborative and inclusive work environment that encourages growth and development; and acknowledges individual and team achievements.

The Ideal Candidate

You are a hard-working and motivated individual with advanced equipment experience, who enjoys being outdoors and working with your hands and takes pride in providing excellent support to your team. As a member of the Field Operations Department, the Equipment Mechanic Operator supports the Authority’s daily operations by maintaining and operating heavy and light equipment, transporting equipment to project sites, and ensuring equipment maintenance is completed and recorded.

Some of the equipment that the Authority relies on this position to transport, operate and maintain include Kubota SVL95 track loader with multiple attachments, Kubota L39 wheel loader backhoe with multiple attachments and Kubota KX018 mini excavator with multiple attachments. Additional equipment used in this position are dozers up to D6 class, excavator with attachments up to 310 class, drum roller CS56 class, Backhoe-box scraper 450 class, track loader 973 class, track loader-skid steer with multiple attachments 979 class.

Your creative thinking and problem-solving skills will lead to success in this dynamic role. You are comfortable engaging with the public in preserves and to providing training to Authority staff on safe operations and maintenance of appropriate equipment.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Completion of the twelfth (12th) grade supplemented by specialized training in heavy equipment repair and operation.
Three (3) years of experience operating and transporting heavy equipment and maintaining and repairing vehicles, tools, and power equipment.
Must possess a valid California Class A Driver’s License, with clean DMV record.
Experience in construction, maintenance, and/or repair of parks, open spaces, and/or related facilities.
Ability to weld for fabrication and repair projects.
Knowledge and experience with small engine repair.
Possession of, or ability to obtain, 4 Wheel Drive and ATV Safety Certification.

Note: This position is required to take and pass a pre-employment background check. Finalists will be asked to provide a copy of their driver’s record from the CA Department of Motor Vehicles.

If you are excited by the opportunities and challenges offered in this position, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience is non-typical or if you are not sure you meet every one of the qualifications described.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this full-time, non-exempt position is $44.57 to $54.18 hourly, depending on experience and qualifications. To complement this salary, we offer a robust benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents – we cover 100% of the cost for these premiums. We participate in CalPERS retirement programs as well as offering a separate 457 Plan for tax deferred retirement savings. A basic life insurance policy is provided to all eligible employees with the option to purchase additional personal insurance benefits. The typical shift for this position will be Monday to Friday each week.

Application and Selection

All application materials must be received prior to February 3, 2025, at 5:00 PM. To be considered for this opportunity, submit your application materials including cover letter and a self-prepared resume at the application link provided below. The Open Space Authority utilizes a robust process that will ask qualified candidates to engage in multiple steps leading up to a final panel interview. We encourage applicants to closely monitor email communication from the Authority’s hiring team. Final panel interviews are tentatively set for February 12, 2025.

Go here to apply for the job: https://bit.ly/41YKDP3

Workplace Culture Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

The staff of the Open Space Authority are passionate about conservation and driven to make an impact in the community through their work. Everyone brings a unique skillset to their role and the creative collaboration of all staff maximizes talent to realize the Authority's mission. We have established values and defined supporting behaviors that are shared and demonstrated by every employee at the Authority. Together all of these reflect the culture that makes the Authority the high performing agency that it is. We are Intentional, Respectful, Accountable, Empowering, Innovative, Collaborative, and Inclusive. You can learn more about the staff of the Authority and how everyone works together on our website here.

The Open Space Authority envisions the Santa Clara Valley as a region dense with beautiful natural areas, where a vibrant network of interconnected open spaces, trails, wildlife habitats, and thriving agricultural lands enrich our communities. Learn more about the Authority tackles these goals.

The Authority values Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access in our work to preserve the natural environment, support agriculture, and connect people to nature:

We have Accessible, Collaborative, and Accountable processes to engage the diverse communities we serve in our programs, projects, careers, and governance opportunities.
We have Respect for the land and all people in our community.
We are Inclusive and acknowledge current and historic land stewards.
We Empower future generations of conservation leaders.
We invite everyone to join and connect to nature with us.

The Authority is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are earnest in our efforts to comply with all state and federal laws providing Equal Employment Opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or physical disability. We are committed to creating a safe environment where people are treated with respect and appreciated for their unique differences, where issues are promptly raised and resolved and where communication flows across all levels of the agency.