Department of the Army

Railroad Maintenance Vehicle Operator

Southport, North Carolina Full time

Railroad Maintenance Vehicle Operator

Department: Department of the Army

Location(s): Southport, North Carolina

Salary Range: $26.69 - $31.09 Per Hour

Job Summary: About the Position: This position serves as Railroad Maintenance Vehicle Operator, performing a variety of routine and recurring track repairs and preventative maintenance services. The 596th Transportation Surface Brigade provides surface deployment and distribution services from Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, Military Ocean Terminal Concord, the West Coast and Alaska, in order to project combat power and lethality and meet our nation's strategic objectives.

Major Duties:

  • Perform maintenance and repair work on standard gauge railroad tracks while operating rail maintenance vehicles and equipment.
  • Perform maintenance tasks such as: checking and adding fuel, water, oil, and lubricants; changing belts, loses, or filters; checking for air or fluid leaks, and checking utility systems for proper operation.
  • Spread ballast, resurfaces, and lines track as well as prepares proper elevations and super elevations in curves.
  • Load material such as rails, ties, ballast, and tools on motor maintenance cars and trailers and unloads at work site.
  • Cut and fill roadbed drainage, etc., by resurfacing or ballasting, removing obstructions and debris from drainage ditches, and cut weeds along right of way.
  • Perform maintenance and repair work on angle bars, switch stands, switch points, frogs, tongue and mate switches, cross and switch ties, etc.
  • Maintain, repair, clean, lubricate and adjust switch points.
  • Replace worn rails, install, and adjust mechanical flange, oilers, switch point protectors, heel blocks, guard rails and related equipment on switches.
  • Operate railroad maintenance equipment adhering to safety rules and procedures.
  • Use hand, foot, and eye coordination in close sequence to drive and operate different railroad equipment controls at the same time.

Qualifications: Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision. Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of an Railroad Maintenance Vehicle Operator without more than normal supervision. I have the ability to perform some tasks including rail alignment of straight sections of track, tie replacement, and ballast maintenance. I can operate a tie inserter to remove or insert ties. Maintain switch stand operation, lubrication and adjustment. Perform general vehicle maintenance tasks such as: checking and adding fuel, water, oil, and lubricants; changing belts, hoses, or filters; and checking for leaks. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating. Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Related to Mobile Equipment Operation) Ability to Operate Safely (Non-motor Vehicles) Operation of Motor Vehicles Reliability and Dependability Work Practices (Including Keeping Things Neat, Clean, and in Order) PHYSICAL EFFORT: Operator applies continuous physical effort in manipulating equipment controls with hands and feet and stretching and moving to maintain vision and observe work being accomplished. Subject to machine movement which may include jolting, jarring, lifting, lowering, and vibrating movements. Will be required to typically lift and move heavy items weighing over 50 pounds and exert efforts in moving and positioning rail components. WORKING CONDITIONS: Works in open or closed cabs or operator platforms. However, operator works outside and is exposed to a wide range of weather and temperature conditions; high noise levels; fumes and dust; and vibration from equipment operation. Any unusual environmental working condition that may arise will be compensated for under an appropriate category of the environmental pay regulation.

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/08/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12857936). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-08