Finish Blade Operator
- Sylacauga, AL, United States
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Job details
- Posting language
- English
- Posted
Original job description
Finish Blade Operator
A road, pad, or platform is only as good as its last pass. As Finish Blade Operator, you set the surface that mining access, earthworks, and civil crews build on - true to elevation, cross-slope, and smoothness - so the next trade starts on time and rework stays off the job. Your blade decides whether a section is ready or sent back.
Performance Objectives
- Finish subgrade, haul roads, and pads to specified elevation, crown, and ride on the planned passes.
- Hold line and grade from stakes, lasers, or machine control so out-of-tolerance work stays rare and is corrected before handover.
- Balance cut and fill to cut unnecessary haul and place material where the design needs it.
- Release finished sections to survey, compaction, and follow-on crews without idle gaps.
- Complete pre-start checks on blade, circle, tires, and hydraulics and clear minor faults before they stop the shift.
- Work safely around traffic, trenches, and active faces with zero recordable incidents.
- Log daily metres, fuel, and grade checks so supervisors can close sections with evidence, not guesswork.
Environment & Resources
You join a small field crew on live earthworks, road, and site-development jobs and report to the site supervisor or foreman. You run a motor grader or finish blade with grade references, radio, and basic hand tools. Fuel, wear parts, and mechanical support are supplied on site; you set the day’s passes with the crew lead before start-up.
Essential Qualifications
- Proven finish grading on roads, pads, or earthworks - not rough spreading alone.
- Ability to read stakes, plans, and simple grade sheets and hit elevation without constant reset.
- Safe control of a motor grader in dust, traffic, and uneven ground.
- Shift-start inspection habit and clear radio contact with spotters and supervisors.
- Current licence or site certification required to operate the machine.
- Readiness for shifts, remote sites, and changing weather.
Why This Role
- Work moves across roads, earthworks, mining support, and civil platforms - not one endless cut.
- Finish quality is visible and credited; strong operators set the standard others follow.
- Skill matters more than title on a practical, hands-on crew.
- Room to become the grader the project trusts when tolerance is tight.
If you can put a surface on grade and keep the crew moving, apply now. Bring your operating record and be ready to show how you finish a section.
More about this job
Skills
- Inspection