Heavy Excavator Operator
Visa sponsorship
Construction · Auckland, New Zealand · Full-Time · $35 - $40/hr · Visa: Employer sponsored
For operators looking to build a long-term career in heavy plant, this Heavy Excavator Operator position in Auckland offers a permanent role with specialist attachment work that sharpens your skill set.
The employer runs a high-volume scrap metal recycling yard. You would control a 30-tonne tracked excavator and move between shear, grapple and magnet attachments, owning the full processing chain from heavy steel reduction to export container loading. Hours are full-time, starting from 30 weekly and reaching up to 50.
Potential AEWV sponsorship support is mentioned for highly qualified international applicants who are already onshore or ready to move, which may open a pathway for the most capable candidates.
Skilled operators should present their experience precisely. Build your CV with Build AI CV and record machine sizes, attachment types and your licence endorsements.
Key Responsibilities
- Reduce automotive bodies, machinery and structural steel using the hydraulic shear
- Sort metals with the grapple and supply processing plant, including balers and shredders
- Stockpile ferrous metals with the magnet and keep processing lanes clear, completing daily pre-start checks and managing hydraulic lines when attachments are swapped
Requirements & Eligibility
- Operating experience on 30-tonne-plus excavators
- Experience drawn from a scrap metal yard, heavy demolition or quarry environment
- Direct and confident hydraulic shear, grapple and magnet operation (essential)
- A valid NZ Class 1 licence holding a WTR endorsement (highly preferred)
- Precise spatial awareness around operating trucks, machinery and ground personnel
- Capable of passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening
Apply: Apply by email · WhatsApp
Visa guide: New Zealand AEWV: A Planning Guide for Indian Professionals