Utility Locator

Salary

$53,272.00 - $78,713.00 Annually

Location

101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC

Job Type

Full time with benefits

Job Number

26-06108

Department

Environmental & Street Services

Opening Date

09/22/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

Position Description

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

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 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!

Salary Range: $53,272 - $78,713

Hiring Range: $53,272 - $64,766

Shift: Monday - Friday; 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

*After successful completion of training period, as a condition of employment, the employee must serve a rotating one week (7 day) on call shift, including weekends and holidays, and be available 24 hours per day during that period.

The Utility Locator will locate, and mark water, sewer, and storm drains to avoid damage in the excavation areas performed by other utility companies, contractors, and private residents. Other duties include maintaining locating equipment, performing periodic maintenance checks, gathering necessary marking supplies, working as a team to protect city utilities, residents, and issues of public safety, while responding to NC811 tickets using state-of-the-art utility locate software. All work is completed in the field with very little, if any, in-office duties.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Plan and route daily work to perform utility locating, construction staking, and equipment maintenance; collect survey data; transport equipment and supplies; establish work safety zones; use specialized systems and equipment to perform and record operations; review maps; perform technical calculations; prioritize work orders; and follow all City policies and safety procedures.
• Maintain equipment, supplies, and vehicles, including system checks, equipment calibration, cleaning, and preventative maintenance; report unresolved equipment issues and ensure proper working condition of all assigned tools, systems, and vehicles.
• Prepare and maintain routine reports, records, field notes, and other documentation; accurately enter data into work order management or other recording systems.
• Locate and mark City-owned water, sewer, and storm drain systems.
• Organize and review daily workload; utilize GIS to research and verify work orders.
• Perform light excavation with hand tools when necessary to expose buried utilities.
• Work independently while contributing to the overall success of the team.
• Must work rotating on-call shift as a condition of employment

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalent (GED, HiSet, TASC).
• Two years of related experience locating utilities.
• Valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license "or" if you currently have another states driver's license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Must work rotating on-call shift from 4:00pm to 7:00am as a condition of employment.
• One year of advanced study or training past high school equivalency resulting in appropriate technical certification.
• Three or more years of related experience.
• Understanding of basic utility infrastructure and interpreting GIS data.
• Knowledge of various locating devices including electromagnetic and GPR.

Benefits – General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman's Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan

Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service

Employer

City of Durham

Address

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, North Carolina, 27701

Website

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/durhamnc