Back to jobs
New

Excavator Operator

Peekskill, NY

đŸŒ± About Dandelion Energy:

Dandelion Energy is transforming how homes are heated and cooled—starting from (below) the ground up. As the nation’s leading residential geothermal company, we design, install, and maintain all-in-one heating and cooling systems that are cleaner, quieter, and up to 4x more efficient than traditional HVAC, with a focus on large, scaled deployments to large homebuilders. We’re an ambitious (and growing) team on a mission to revolutionize home heating.

Backed by Google Ventures (GV) and other top tech investors, our end-to-end geothermal solution is breaking the status quo of residential heating and cooling technology, and we’re scaling rapidly to meet demand. Whether we’re serving national homebuilders or individual homeowners, our mission is the same: to make geothermal the default choice for heating and cooling in the U.S.

📌 About the job

As an Excavator Operator at Dandelion Energy, you’ll serve as the lead operator on a trenching crew — playing a critical role in installing the underground piping systems that power our geothermal heating and cooling technology. This is a skilled, field-based role where you’ll be hands-on with excavation equipment and responsible for trenching precision, pipe installation, and site restoration. Success in this role comes from safety, craftsmanship, and proactive communication with your crew and project supervisors. You’ll report to the Regional Trenching Lead and work in close coordination with drilling and installation teams to deliver high-quality projects.

 

🛠 Responsibilities

  • Operate excavators to dig trenches safely and efficiently for HDPE piping systems
  • Install HDPE pipe/fittings from boreholes to heat pumps
  • Restore landscapes to rough grade following excavation
  • Ensure safe excavation practices around utilities (gas, electric, water, sewer)
  • Tow, haul, and set up excavation equipment at job sites
  • Maintain a safe, organized, and professional job site
  • Provide guidance to trenching crew helpers and coordinate daily tasks
  • Communicate progress, site conditions, and needs to supervisors and project leads

🎯 You will thrive in this role if you have

  • A skilled, safety-first mindset with strong excavator operating experience
  • High standards for quality, efficiency, and integrity in your work
  • Problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt in dynamic field conditions
  • A proactive, reliable, and team-oriented approach to getting work done
  • Excitement about building a sustainable future through renewable technology

✅ Must-haves

  • 1+ years of direct experience operating excavators
  • Proven comfort and skill excavating safely around utilities (gas, electric, water, sewer)
  • Valid driver’s license with a safe driving record (required for traveling to job sites)
  • Ability to tow and haul excavation equipment on a trailer
  • Ability to lift 50 lbs and perform physical work outdoors in varying conditions
  • Strong work ethic, dependability, and customer service mindset
  • Willingness to travel up to ~35% to support regional projects

🌟 Bonus points for

  • Experience in residential construction or excavation
  • Broad construction knowledge, with familiarity in electrical, plumbing, and gas systems
  • Familiarity with irrigation systems
  • Prior exposure to geothermal, HVAC, or renewable energy projects
  • Current CDL

💰Compensation 

The expected base hourly range for this role in New York is $25-34/hour and is non-exempt/overtime eligible. This role is also eligible for a monthly performance bonus. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

🌳 You’ll love working at Dandelion because:

Since spinning out of Google X in 2017, Dandelion Energy has been transforming home heating and cooling through cutting-edge geothermal technology. We design and install the most efficient residential heat pump in the U.S., serving both individual homeowners and some of the nation’s largest homebuilders.

Our team has elevated the profile of geothermal heat pumps nationally, delivered thousands of high-quality installations across the country, and successfully championed electrification-friendly policy at local and federal levels.

We’re a multidisciplinary, mission-driven team of experts—spanning hardware engineering, HVAC, drilling, solar finance, behavioral economics, and startup operations—united by a shared mission: to make clean, affordable heating and cooling the default for every home. The work is complex, meaningful, and built to scale.

We foster a collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive work culture where cross-functional teamwork, curiosity, and continuous learning are core to how we operate. Our nationwide team is united by a shared passion for sustainability and a commitment to scaling clean, affordable energy solutions that make a real difference.

We’re driving a wholesale shift in how homes are heated and cooled—join us.

 

🎁 Benefits & Perks:

  • Medical (including mental health), dental, vision, and pet insurance
  • 401(k) plan
  • Commuter benefits
  • Generous paid sick leave, vacation, and parental leave
  • Learning & development support, including on-the-job training and virtual courses

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Dandelion Energy? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Dandelion Energy’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.