Sanitation Equipment Operator

As part of the University’s Facilities Operations, the staff in Campus Grounds oversees seasonal and academic cycle grounds care for a large university campus consisting of approximately 2,300 acres of diverse landscape, 60 parking lots, 56 miles of walkways, and 22 miles of roadways.  Our team includes the Garage and University fleet repairs, moving-logistical support of campus events, running the surplus program, including several warehouse complexes for rental equipment, documents storage, surplus items and the entire waste and recycling stream for the University.  Campus Grounds deliver and take down over 125,000 pieces of rental equipment each year, manage nearly 100,000 square feet of warehouse space, and remove over 5,000 tons of waste and recycling each year.

The Sanitation Equipment Operator provides recycling, special waste, and trash removal services on a daily basis for designated University properties, operating specialized equipment such as scooters, commercial rear-loading trash trucks, forklift side, and top-loading compactors. Maintain equipment and dumpster sites. Experience preferred, CDL license with brake endorsement a must. The normal work week for this position is Monday-Friday 7:00am – 3:30pm. Based on business needs, other work schedules may be assigned or required.

Daily Tasks: 

• Operate special equipment, including commercial vehicles, pick up trash, special waste, and recycling materials at designated University properties and dispose of that material at designated landfills and/or resource recovery sites.
• Manually lift waste and recyclables into dumpsters and/or waste vehicles.
• Attach dumpsters to rear-loading waste vehicles and operate hydraulic machinery for packing material and unloading material at landfills and resource recovery locations.
• Perform minor maintenance on commercial vehicles such as checking motor fluids and lubricants, greasing necessary fittings, and keeping hydraulic fluids at proper levels.
• Utilization of CMMS and other applications for data tracking.
• Maintain daily logs of commercial vehicles, Biodigester and reporting defects to the Sanitation Crew Supervisor or fleet mechanic.
• Maintain and inspect all dumpsters for defects.  Grease and/or replace casters and lids as necessary.  Report any major defects to the Sanitation Supervisor.
• Maintain dumpster sites, performing occasional racking and sweeping as necessary.  Including cleaning the interior of dumpsters and toters.
• Operate trash compactors and perform minnow repairs such as checking hydraulic fluid levels.
• Assist in organics collection and transport, including hauling food scraps, operating system controls, data collection, weighing toters, offloading, and sorting compost accordingly. Conduct safety checks and the cleaning of the Biodigester machine.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Interactive Tasks:

• Demonstrated ability to work in a culturally diverse environment with demonstrated flexibility and composure.
• Model our core value of Teamwork by developing internal and external partnerships to better accomplish goals; maintains good working relationships with co-workers, superiors and public.
• Show our core value of Innovation in support of the department, encouraging creativity, sharing valued remarks, and demonstrating perseverance with recommendations to management.
• Practice our core value of Integrity by performing job duties in accordance with University and departmental policies and procedures, professional standards and practices and in accordance to relevant laws, regulations and practices.
• Demonstrate our core value of Inclusiveness by representing strong employee morale and cultivating a culture of inclusion, fairness, and effective leadership while embracing diversity in recruitment and talent retention efforts.
• Show our core value of Respect when representing the university or department during campus activities, customer service, or other topics of general interest to the public or University Community; maintains appropriate attendance in the workplace by keeping tardiness and unplanned absences to a minimum.  
• Model our core value of Sustainability while performing work duties such as waste removal, product usage, and interacting with the campus community to encourage good recycling habits.
• Collaborate with the University community and promote healthy working relationships on a regular basis through professionalism and courtesy. 
• Create a safety culture by modeling safe behavior, regularly participating in scheduled Safety Huddles, demonstrating safe work practices, and serving as an ambassador on safety matters. 
• Contributes to the overall success of the department by performing other essential duties and responsibilities as assigned.

• Must have a current, valid New Jersey or Pennsylvania Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with air brake endorsement and a current Federal D.O.T. medical form. Must also provide any other documentation as mandated under federal and state regulations for CDL licenses.
• Must have a High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• Must be able to bend at the waist and knees or work overhead, in and around vehicles to perform minor maintenance and inspections and clean up trash sites.
• Must be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway and traffic signs, and be able to make entries into official records and logs.
• Must be able to repetitively climb in and out of vehicles with 20” high steps, up to 50 times per day.
• Must be available for overtime work on weekends, holidays, and after-shift hours.
• Must be able to direct others and organize pick-up routes on a daily basis.
• Must be able to stand or walk for 6 hours at one time, up to 8 hours per day;
• Must be able to sit for less than 2 hours during an 8-hour day;
• Must be able to operate a motor vehicle or heavy equipment (e.g., forklift or sanitation truck) frequently (34 – 66% of the workday)
• Must be able to lift or carry up to 25 pounds frequently (34 – 66% of the workday) and up to 70 pounds occasionally (less than 33% of the workday);
• Must be able to lift up to 70 pounds in a range of motions from floor to shoulder height;
• Must be able to use hands for simple grasping, pushing, or pulling with forces up to 25 pounds frequently (34 – 66% of the workday);
• Must be able to squat, reach overhead, lift overhead, push or pull with forces up to 75 pounds occasionally (up to 33% of the workday);
• Must be able to bend, and climb in and out of vehicles frequently (34 – 66% of the workday);
• Must be able to work outdoors in a variety of temperatures and environmental conditions;
• Must be able to shovel snow and ice from trash pickup areas;
• Must possess the ability to work at heights, physical agility and full range of motion, and ability to maintain balance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous work experience in the sanitation industry environment or equivalent

Conditions of Employment:

• This position is represented by a labor union and is subject to the terms and conditions of the SEIU 175 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• The final candidate will be required to complete a background check and a post-offer pre-employment physicality assessment.
• All Facilities employees are core essential employees and are expected to be available to work as directed by the department during emergencies impacting university operations.
• At times during the academic year management reserves the right to limit approval of leave requests in order to accommodate university special events or activities.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.