Job Description

Overview

UIC Government Construction is seeking a General Laborer to support various physical tasks at construction sites. Responsibilities may include operating hand and power tools (e.g., air hammers, tampers, cement mixers, hoists, and measuring equipment), preparing job sites, digging trenches, setting braces, building scaffolding, assisting with demolition, and cleaning up debris. This role may also involve supporting other skilled trades as needed.

Responsibilities

Essential functions will include:

• Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
• Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures
• Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to theappropriate locations.
• Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
• Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
• Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
• Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
• Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• One (1) year of general labor experience.

Knowledge and Critical Skills/Expertise:

• Proficient in the use of hand and small power tools.
• Familiar with construction materials, methods, and tools used in building and infrastructure projects.
• Understanding of machines and tools, including operation, maintenance, and basic repairs.
• Ability to monitor gauges, dials, or indicators to ensure proper machine function.
• Strong hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity for handling and assembling materials.
• Capable of coordinating multiple limbs for tasks requiring physical precision.
• Able to perform physically demanding tasks such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, and material handling.
• Skilled at inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify issues or defects.
• Proficient at monitoring environmental and material cues to detect and assess problems.
• Able to operate equipment and machinery using physical controls (excluding computers and vehicles).
• Knowledge of relevant tools, procedures, and safety practices to effectively support project completion.

Physical and Mental Demands:

• Occasionally lift, push, or pull 50–100 lbs; frequently handle up to 20 lbs.
• Perform physical movements such as bending, squatting, crouching, crawling, kneeling, and prolonged standing (2–3 hour intervals).
• Safely climb stairs, scaffolding, ladders, and ramps.
• Work at varying heights and body positions (waist, eye level, overhead).
• Maintain balance on uneven surfaces and around obstacles.
• Use hand strength and coordination to operate tools and equipment.
• Work safely using required PPE (e.g., hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toe boots, respirators, harnesses) per OSHA standards.
• Respond to verbal commands and audible sounds; maintain adequate vision for job duties.
• Perform tasks at heights above 12 feet from ladders, scaffolds, or lifts.
• Fully extend arms in all directions (overhead, lateral, downward).
• Perceive object attributes (size, shape, temperature, texture) using hands and fingers.
• Rotate head and torso side to side and around the vertical axis.
• Perform physically demanding tasks involving full-body movement, climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, and material handling.
• Use hands and arms to handle, install, position, and manipulate materials.

Working Conditions:

• Must be able to work in extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.
• Regular exposure to wet or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and outdoor weather.
• Frequent exposure to heights, airborne particles, fumes, and extreme heat.
• Work environment is typically loud and may involve close proximity to moving equipment.
• Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is required at all times to mitigate associated risks.
• Work is performed in a construction site setting.