Heavy Equipment Operator

Lautenbach Recycling•Mount Vernon, WA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This is an equipment-first production role. If you're an operator who takes real pride in running equipment well, this is the job. You'll spend the day running equipment: feeding screeners, moving material with a loader, working an excavator, and keeping production flowing from raw yard waste to finished product. You'll work alongside the Site Manager and the rest of the crew to keep the yard running the way it should. The role involves managing material from inbound yard waste through to finished product, including building and turning windrows with attention to moisture, temperature, oxygen, and contamination; blending soils and compost to specification; and keeping stockpiles organized and production moving. Safety and yard awareness are crucial in tight yards with multiple types of vehicles and equipment. Customer interaction is also part of the role, assisting with product selection, loading, and basic guidance, as well as covering the scale house when needed.

Requirements

Proven experience operating loaders and excavators — confident, not just capable.
Comfortable working outside year-round in a fast-moving production yard.
Someone who takes ownership of their equipment and their work.

Nice To Haves

Experience with trommel or deck screeners and grinding equipment is a strong plus.
Background in composting, soils, landscaping materials, recycling, or similar operations.
Understanding of how material behaves through the process — wet vs. dry, finished vs. raw, contaminated vs. clean.

Responsibilities

Feed grinders and screeners consistently without overloading.
Blend materials accurately using bucket counts and layering.
Build and turn windrows.
Stage stockpiles.
Manage yard traffic safely.
Use excavators for material handling, digging, pile management, and yard reconfiguration.
Operate screening equipment (Trommel & Deck Screens), adjusting feed rates to prevent clogging or poor separation, reading material moisture, and managing overs and reprocessing flow.
Feed material correctly into grinders to avoid jams and damage, watch for contamination, and coordinate grind size.
Perform daily walkarounds and equipment care.
Flag problems early and work safely around others.
Manage material from inbound yard waste to finished product.
Build and turn windrows with attention to moisture, temperature, oxygen, and contamination.
Blend soils and compost to specification.
Keep stockpiles organized and production moving.
Keep traffic flow safe.
Follow good safety practices.
Spot issues early.
Ensure incoming material meets acceptance standards.
Help customers with product selection, loading, and basic guidance.
Cover the scale house when needed.
Handle situations calmly and professionally.