Cochrane is located in the breathtaking Bow Valley corridor in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta. With a population of over 37,000 people, and growing steadily every year, Cochrane is a thriving town, surrounded by world-famous ranch country. Our western heritage is reflected in the Town’s architecture and our friendly people. The Town of Cochrane welcomes innovative and skilled individuals to join our team of over 250 employees.
Did you know the Roads team manages over 324 lane Km of roadways in Cochrane? They ensure roads are maintained to minimize economic loss to the community and prevent or reduce accident or injury by providing safe winter driving conditions. The Roads team also operates and maintains the storm sewer system, including approximately 120km of underground storm sewer mains and drainage swales, ditches, stormwater facilities, outfalls, oil grit separators and wetland areas.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a skilled Roads Operators to add to this team of hard-working and dedicated individuals. The Roads team is responsible for the maintenance and inspection of all Town of Cochrane asphalt, concrete, gravel surfaces, traffic control devices and storm water systems including, the operation and maintenance of related heavy equipment. They support road maintenance and road construction initiatives, and comply with safe work practices, procedures and legislation at all times.
If you are an experienced heavy equipment operator with Class 3 license with a Q endorsement and have at least 3 years of experience operating and maintaining equipment within a municipal roads environment or a construction environment, you are just the operator we are looking for!
Why build your career with Cochrane?
Beyond the stunning Rocky Mountain views and the vibrant culture of our growing town, we offer a workplace that actually invests in you. Work-Life Balance That Works: We know our team works hard. To ensure you have time to enjoy the beautiful landscape we live in, our summer operations (April – October) transition to a 4 x 10-hour shift schedule. Imagine having every Friday or Monday off all summer long to head into the mountains, spend time with family, or just recharge.
- A Culture of Innovation: We aren’t a "status quo" municipality. We value curiosity, critical thinking, and experimentation. If you have a better way to do things, we want to hear it.
- Total Compensation: As a unionized position you’ll enjoy competitive public sector pay, a comprehensive health and dental package, and professional development that keeps your skills sharp and your certifications current
What are some of the duties of the Roads Operators?
- Operate a variety of heavy equipment such as: single and tandem axle trucks, street sweeper, wheel loader, skid steer loader, thawing unit and combination hydro vacuum truck, grader, backhoe, loader mount snow blower, asphalt roller, tack trailer, spray patcher, bucket truck, snow plow, sander, line painter, tandem trailers, portable welder and sidewalk grinder.
- Maintain and inspect all asphalt, concrete, gravel, traffic control devices and storm systems within the municipal boundaries.
- Maintain street signage system and sign inventory.
- Maintain traffic signals and signaled pedestrian corridors.
- Apply road surface painting.
- Respond and investigate customer inquiries and participate in resolving operational concerns to maintain constructive relationships with both internal and external customers and suppliers.
- Provide after-hours service, emergency assistance and on-call duties.
- Assist with the tenders related to contracted work until completion related to annual projects such as: asphalt road surfaces, concrete surfaces, traffic signals, crack sealing, line painting, dust control, road gravelling and manhole repairs.
- Participate in Construction Completion Certificate (CCC) inspections as well as Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) inspections of roads, sidewalks and storm facilities.
- Adhere to the Snow and Ice Control Policy, coordinating resources for snow and ice control, making aligned decisions on material usage and manpower required to maintain roadways.
- Perform general inspections and maintenance of vehicles and equipment and documents any required maintenance.
- Ensure all work is performed in accordance with workplace health and safety standards and that all Town policies and procedures and provincial or federal legislation is adhered to.
- Remain current in all certifications required for the position.
- Design and fabrication relating to metal and wood materials.
If many of the following characteristics and skills describe you, we want to meet you!
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Education and Experience:Required:
- High School Diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum 3 – 5 years’ heavy equipment operator experience.
- Experience in road repairs and maintenance.
- Experience operating and maintaining equipment (hand tools, grinders, wheel loader, trailers etc.).
- Experience working within a municipal roads environment, or within a construction environment.
Preferred:
- Enrollment or completion of Post-Secondary Education.
- Mechanical aptitude and basic problem-solving skills.
- Erosion control training.
- Experience in storm water systems.
- Knowledge of Municipal, Provincial and Federal Standards.
Skills and Abilities:Required:
- Physically able to perform required duties.
- Self-motivated and ability to work independently and in a team environment.
- Ability to understand and carry out instructions and perform manual tasks.
- Good working knowledge of MS Office suite.
- Excellent customer service.
- Demonstrated mechanical aptitude.
- Good organizational, documentation and time-management skills.
- Excellent punctuality, reliability, and drive.
- Heavy equipment operation skills.
Preferred:
- Knowledge of methods, materials and equipment used in performing routine maintenance, roads, and construction task.
- Ability to develop effective working relationships which require excellent communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to deal effectively with complaint investigation and resolution with good listening, problem solving and conflict management skills.
- Organizational skills and able to maintain accurate work records.
Certifications, Licenses and/or Designations:Required:
- Alberta class 3 driver’s license with air brake endorsement (Q).
- Clean Criminal Record.
Preferred:
- Standard first aid and CPR/AED level C.
- IMSA work zone safety course or equivalent.
- Traffic signal training through IMSA.
- Welding and oxy acetylene introductory training at SAIT or Olds College.
- Confined space entry and rescue level 1 & 2.
- Defensive driving.
- Flag person training.
- H2S Alive.
- Alberta temporary traffic control.
- Fall protection comprehensive.
- Cargo securement.
- Leadership for Safety Excellence.
- Safe Trenching, Excavation and Ground Disturbance.
- Participation in the Town’s Safety Training - Fire Extinguisher, Trailering, Skid Steer, Bucket truck, Front end loader, and Grader.
Hours of Work & Flexibility
- Summer (April – October): Enjoy a 4 x 10-hour schedule (Mon–Thurs or Tues–Fri).
- Winter (November – March): To keep our community safe, you will move to a night shift (10:30 pm – 7:00 am) with potential extended hours (7:00 pm – 7:00 am) and a standy on-call rotation. Candidates must reside within 30 minutes of Town for on-call response.
The Town of Cochrane is committed to providing a healthy and safe work environment for all of its employees. As a Town of Cochrane employee you must take reasonable care to protect your health and safety and that of others present at Town worksites, perform work safely, follow all relevant health and safety legislation, Town directives and procedures and attend all identified orientations and training.
Still interested? Here’s how to apply:
- Qualified individuals are encouraged to submit your resume, and a letter stating how your experience match the required qualifications, skills and abilities for this position.
- All qualified candidates will be requested to complete an online suitability survey.
- Applications for this position will be accepted until 9pm MST September 4,2026 at www.cochrane.ca/jobs
- Salary range: $35.40 – $36.47 per hour and is a unionized position covered by the Teamsters Collective Agreement.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All applicants must be legally entitled to live and work in Canada.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All applicants must be legally entitled to live and work in Canada.
Land Acknowledgement
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
