Summary
This senior maintenance specialist role focuses on asphalt and street services, involving hands-on repair and upkeep of city roads, equipment, and facilities, along with leading teams and ensuring quality work.
It suits experienced workers who enjoy technical problem-solving, operating heavy machinery, and contributing to community infrastructure in a stable government setting.
Ideal candidates are reliable team players with a background in construction trades and a commitment to safety and public service.
Full Job Description

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.
Hiring Range: $52,903.00 - $82,086.00
Hours: 7:00 am - 3:30 pm (Summer Hours - 6:00 am - 2:30 pm)
Top-notch management, highly qualified, competent staff and opportunities for career advancement and professional success make the City of Durham's
Environmental & Street Services Department is a great place to work. Our consistent and steady work environment sets us apart from traditional construction-related worksites, and our exceptional benefits and retirement plans support your long-term success. We create the foundation on which Durham is built, using innovative methods that support the City's growth and enhance our quality of life. We need innovative, highly qualified talent to do that. If growing professionally while serving your community is for you, bring your skills to Durham!
Devoted to maintaining and repairing City property, vehicles, roads and traffic systems, equipment and facilities, providing custodial services, and collecting, transporting and disposing municipal solid and yard waste through the performance of semi-skilled and skilled labor and technical work. Provide specialized paraprofessional and skilled technical maintenance work that requires sufficient subject-matter knowledge and expertise in an assigned field to reconcile and verify the work of others; train others; serve as an escalation point for problem-solving; coordinate processes; implement policies and procedures and provide technical assistance to higher level staff. Decision-making is limited to organizing tasks in more complex operational processes that include coordination of logistics and handling of unanticipated factors within standard policies and procedures to meet established goals. Perform highly technical maintenance work or lead work crews performing basic and complex labor, equipment operation, construction, maintenance, and/or repair tasks.
Responsible for ensuring daily activity logs and reports are correctly completed; assigning work; inspecting work; ensuring quality control; operating complex equipment; and performing the most complex of tasks related to the work assignment.
Requirements
- May perform lead duties including assigning and inspecting work, coordinating safety training, and ensuring quality control and compliance with applicable operations, policies, and procedures.
- Performs the most complex of tasks related to the work assignment; plans, designs, installs, modifies, and/or maintains radio communications network, traffic signal, and other electrical, plumbing, and related systems, equipment, and devices; coordinates tree removal, planting, and pruning operations, and debris loading, hauling, and disposal operations; performs or coordinates carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, painting, concrete work, welding, masonry and other trades work.
- Operates complex equipment, as assigned, including (but not limited to) aerial lift truck, knuckle boom loader, chipper, chainsaw, crane (boom), and stump grinder.
- Ensures that daily activity logs and reports are correctly completed; monitors inventory; proof work and reviews of the work of others to ensure accuracy and completeness.
- Provides customer service; responds customer questions, concerns, and trouble calls; troubleshoots complex issues; and provides information on policies and procedures.
- As assigned, may serve as a lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion.
Qualifications
- High School Diploma or equivalent (GED, HiSet, TASC).
- One year of additional technical training in the area of assignment.
- Four years of equipment operation/driving experience or technical maintenance experience related to assignment.
- Incumbents must complete job related and/or safety training based on assignment, such as (but not limited to) lock out/tag out, confined space entry, ladder safety, CPR, respirator and emergency evacuation training.
- A valid North Carolina Class C Driver’s License with a satisfactory driving record is required for facilities maintenance and radio systems assignments that include driving between multiple facilities and/or locations to perform work, transfer equipment or inspect work.
- A valid North Carolina Class A Commercial Driver’s License with a satisfactory driving record is required for some crew chief/crew lead assignments.
Additional Information
Ability to proficiently operate asphalt paver, Backhoe, Excavator, Rubber Tire Loader, 10-ton roller.
Familiar with placement, setting up and finishing of asphalt and use of hand tools required to perform these tasks.Experience digging out asphalt cuts.Experience loading/unloading heavy equipment onto trailers and towing to designated locations.Experience working outdoors in various weather conditions.Ability to utilize communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisors, the general public, and others to sufficiently exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.
Knowledge of DOT traffic laws and requirements applicable to heavy equipment operation.
Position designated as a Group 1, meaning it is critical to emergency operations and will report to work in spite of or because of an emergency or disaster event.Subject to stand-by/recall and after hours work and work during inclement weather.
Required to operate service truck and/or dump truck outfitted with plow based upon class of license possessed during winter weather operations.