Heavy Equipment Operator

Job Title: Heavy Equipment Operator

Job Description

This role operates a variety of heavy equipment on commercial and industrial construction projects across the Greater Columbus and Central Ohio area, including Columbus, Grove City, New Albany, Hilliard, Lancaster, and Jeffersonville. You will focus on civil site work such as site grading, underground utilities, trenching, backfilling, and compaction on projects like data centers, multi-family developments, healthcare facilities, and business centers.

Responsibilities

• Operate heavy equipment including skid steers, dozers, and excavators safely and efficiently on active construction sites.
• Perform site grading and earthwork to meet project specifications and tolerances.
• Install and assist with installation of underground utilities, including digging and trenching around existing utilities with care and precision.
• Backfill and compact trenches and excavations to required density and standards.
• Use equipment such as backhoes, loaders, front-end loaders, and track hoes as needed for civil site and civil construction tasks.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in commercial or industrial construction.
• Proven ability to operate excavators, dozers, and skid steers as an experienced heavy equipment professional.
• Hands-on experience with civil site work, including grading, trenching, backfilling, and compaction.
• Experience working safely around underground utilities and understanding of safe digging practices.

Work Environment

This position is entirely field-based and takes place outdoors on active construction sites in the Greater Columbus and Central Ohio area, including locations such as Columbus, Grove City, New Albany, Hilliard, Lancaster, and Jeffersonville. You will work around heavy equipment and construction activity, often on large civil site projects involving grading, underground utilities, and earthwork. Typical workdays begin around 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, with a standard 40-hour workweek and the potential to work some Saturdays for a total of up to approximately 48–50 hours. The environment requires appropriate construction attire and personal protective equipment, and you will frequently work in varying weather conditions while operating equipment such as excavators, dozers, skid steers, backhoes, loaders, front-end loaders, and track hoes.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Lancaster, OH.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $28.00 - $32.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Lancaster,OH.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 30, 2026.

About Aerotek

Aerotek® Inc. provides staffing and services solutions in manufacturing, logistics, construction, aviation, facilities and maintenance. We provide the expertise, solutions and people required to rise to the challenges of North American industry. Headquartered in Hanover, Md., Aerotek operates a unified network of over 200 offices across North America, supporting more than 18,000 clients each year. Aerotek is an Allegis Group company, the global leader in workforce and business solutions. To learn more, visit: Aerotek.com | 1-888-AEROTEK.

Aerotek offers weekly pay, employee benefits including medical, dental & vision, life insurance, health advocacy and employee assistance programs, a 401(k) plan, and employee discounts.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.

We know that finding work is hard, and finding meaningful work is harder. Aerotek connects 180,000+ light industrial and skilled trades workers with 14,000+ employers each year, helping our workers navigate an evolving labor market and find jobs that meet their goals, skills, and interests. Since 1983, we have provided a variety of career opportunities across North American industry – from short-term assignments at Fortune 500 companies where you can build your skills, to long-term opportunities where you can play a vital role in solving companies’ construction, manufacturing, and maintenance challenges. Our 1,500+ experienced recruiters across 250+ offices work relentlessly to put our workforce in a position to thrive. Let us rise to meet your challenges and put our people-are-everything spirit to the test as your career continues to grow.