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Maintenance II

When the system needs building or fixing, you’re who the basin counts on.

The Maintenance II crew keeps the District’s canals, drains, structures, and equipment working — running heavy equipment, welding steel, pouring concrete, and rebuilding the structures that carry water across the basin. It’s hands-on, physical, essential work, and when the season demands it you can be called in to run a ditch rider’s route too. The gravity-fed system that helps feed the country only keeps running because someone keeps it in repair — that someone is you.

What you’d do

This is the District’s build-and-repair crew — the people who keep the system standing season after season.

Equipment & earthwork

  • Operate and service heavy equipment — backhoes, excavators, loaders, dump trucks, dozers, forklifts, cranes and hoists, graders, mowers, and other District vehicles.
  • Excavate, load, haul, and dump earth, rock, and other materials.
  • Haul, load, and unload equipment on trailers.
  • Keep District vehicles and equipment clean, and log their operation.

Build & repair

  • Repair District structures, and weld, cut, and grind steel.
  • Mix, place, and finish concrete, and build wooden structures — bridges, concrete forms, and more.
  • Assist the mechanic with repair of District vehicles and equipment, using a range of hand and power tools.
  • Paint, and handle traffic control (flagging) as the work requires.
  • Step into a ditch rider’s route when the Manager needs you during the irrigation season.

What the work asks of you

We want you to know what the job is before you apply. This is outdoor, physical work:

  • Working outdoors in inclement weather — heat, cold, snow, and rain.
  • Driving and walking on narrow, uneven irrigation and drainage banks.
  • Walking, lifting heavy objects, bending, and reaching.
  • Working in mud and water, or over water.
  • Keeping your cool with the occasional unhappy customer.

What the schedule looks like

This is a year-round role, with overtime when the work calls for it.

Day to day

Normal hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with regular overtime. This is construction and maintenance work in every season — pouring concrete, building forms, and repairing structures, often out in the winter cold. Weekends and holidays can also bring emergency call-ins, paid as overtime.

When the water needs you

During the irrigation season you can be substituted into a ditch rider’s route when the Manager needs it — a 10-days-on, 4-off schedule keeping water moving across the basin.

What you’d bring

  • A high school diploma or equivalent, with solid basic math and problem-solving skills.
  • A valid Class A CDL without an air-brake restriction — or the ability to obtain one. The District provides off-season CDL training and reimburses the cost of obtaining and maintaining a District-required CDL.
  • A valid Oregon driver’s license.
  • The ability to pass pre-employment and random drug & alcohol testing — the District is a drug-free workplace — and a criminal background check.
  • First aid and CPR certification (the District provides the training).
  • A willingness to work mandatory overtime — including emergency call-ins on weekends and holidays — with work beyond normal hours on a regular basis.
  • The physical ability to handle the working conditions above, and to understand and follow District policies and procedures.
  • Above all, dependability — and a commitment to the patrons this system serves.

Why Klamath Irrigation District

We’ve delivered water to this basin since 1905, and we still move it the way it was first engineered — by gravity, without pumps or power. This is steady, year-round work with people who look out for one another, in service of the farming families who feed the country. It’s public service in the truest sense: a chance to serve your neighbors and be part of something larger than yourself.

What we offer

Pay and benefits for this role are set by the IUOE Local 701 collective bargaining agreement. They include:

  • District-funded retirement contribution
  • Health, dental, vision & life coverage
  • Paid vacation, sick leave & 9 paid holidays
  • CDL training & reimbursement
  • Annual boot & clothing allowance ($175)
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility

The District pays the single-employee premium for medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and short-term disability coverage, with family coverage available. The District provides off-season CDL training and reimburses the cost of obtaining and maintaining your required CDL, and overtime can be taken as pay or comp time.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Get the application

    Download and print the District’s application form, or pick one up at our office.

    Download application (PDF)
  2. 2

    Submit it to our office

    Drop it off in person or send it to our office staff.

    (541) 882-6661 cherrese.wilson@klamathid.org

    K.I.D. Office · 6640 KID Lane, Klamath Falls, OR 97603 · Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

  3. 3

    We review & reach out

    Applications are kept on file for six months. We’ll be in touch with qualified candidates.

Klamath Irrigation District is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status. The District is a drug-free workplace; this is a safety-sensitive role subject to pre-employment and random testing.