Rigger III

Overview

The Rigger III serves as the Lead Rigger responsible for directing rigging operations on data center, construction, and other mission-critical job sites. This position oversees lift planning, crew coordination, qualification verification, hazard control, and execution of complex and critical lifts. The Rigger III ensures compliance with OSHA requirements, company standards, customer requirements, engineered lift plans, and site-specific safety expectations. This role provides technical leadership, verifies pre-lift readiness, enforces stop-work authority, and maintains the highest safety standards. This role may operate a crane or other covered equipment only when properly certified or licensed, evaluated, authorized, and assigned in accordance with applicable requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee rigging activities on data center, construction, and mission-critical project sites.
• Serve as Lead Rigger and designated qualified person for assigned rigging operations, including verification of lift plans, rigging configurations, crew qualifications, equipment condition, fall-zone controls, communication protocols, and stop-work readiness.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute complex, engineered, critical, tandem, high-value, unusual, or high-risk lifts with project leadership, crane operators, equipment operators, safety teams, and customer representatives.
• Conduct advanced inspections of rigging equipment, lifting devices, lift points, below-the-hook devices, and load-control systems; verify identification and working load limit markings; and remove damaged, defective, unmarked, or suspect equipment from service.
• Review, verify, create, or support development of lift plans and ensure proper rigging configurations, load paths, barricades, exclusion zones, tag-line controls, and communication methods are established before work begins.
• Assign and supervise work of Rigger I and Rigger II team members based on training, qualification, experience, task complexity, and site conditions.
• Operate a crane or other covered equipment only when current equipment-specific certification or licensing, employer evaluation, company authorization, and project approval are in place.
• Maintain documentation for lift plans, job hazard analyses, pre-lift meetings, rigging inspections, qualification records, equipment deficiencies, safety briefings, and compliance records.
• Enforce OSHA, company, customer, and site-specific safety standards across rigging operations, including PPE, fall protection, suspended-load avoidance, fall-zone control, equipment inspection, hazard communication, and housekeeping.
• Identify hazards, suspend lifts, and stop work when unsafe conditions, unclear communication, defective equipment, uncontrolled access, weather concerns, or unapproved changes to the lift plan are present.
• Conduct pre-lift meetings, toolbox talks, safety briefings, post-lift reviews, and ongoing training for rigging personnel.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for crane operators, equipment operators, site leadership, safety teams, and customer representatives regarding rigging execution and lift readiness.
• Coordinate protection of mission-critical assets, finished surfaces, energized equipment, access routes, building systems, and surrounding work groups during equipment movement and lifting operations.
• Report and document unsafe conditions, defective equipment, injuries, incidents, dropped objects, near misses, property damage, and lessons learned in accordance with company and site requirements.
• Perform additional duties supporting rigging leadership, material handling, equipment movement, training, and jobsite safety operations as assigned.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Ability to work in physically demanding construction environments, including standing, walking, climbing, bending, kneeling, reaching, gripping, pulling, carrying, and handling rigging equipment for extended periods.
• Ability to work at heights, around heavy equipment, near active lifts, in noisy areas, in indoor and outdoor conditions, and within restricted-access or mission-critical facilities.
• Ability to work variable shifts, overtime, weekends, and travel between job sites as project needs require.
• This is a safety-sensitive leadership position that requires alertness, sound judgment, effective communication, and compliance with company drug, alcohol, and fitness-for-duty requirements.

Qualifications

Required Certifications

• Forklift Certification – Required Prior to Hire
• Scissor Lift Certification – Required Prior to Hire
• Telehandler Certification – Required Prior to Hire
• Fall Protection Certification – Required Prior to Hire
• First Aid / CPR Certification – Required Prior to Hire
• OSHA 30 – Construction – Required Prior to Hire
• NCCCO Rigger Level II – Required Prior to Hire
• NCCCO Signal Person Qualification – Required Prior to Hire
• Non-CDL Qualification – Required Within 30 Days of Hire
• DCRA 7B Licensure – Required Within 120 Days of Hire
• CDL Class A (CDL-A) – Required Within Six (6) Months of Hire

Preferred Certifications

• Lift Director Certification
• Safety Trained Supervisor for Construction (STSC)
• Additional customer, project, equipment, or site-specific certifications may be required based on assignment.

Skills

• Advanced knowledge of rigging techniques, lift planning, critical-lift controls, load calculations, center of gravity, load dynamics, sling angles, hitch configurations, lift points, working load limits, rigging hardware, and rigging math.
• Ability to interpret, validate, and implement engineered lift plans, drawings, manufacturer instructions, project specifications, and customer requirements.
• Ability to verify crew qualifications, equipment readiness, lift-zone controls, communication plans, rigging configurations, and pre-lift readiness before lift execution.
• Strong leadership, crew coordination, task assignment, mentoring, and field decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication, including hand signals, radio protocols, lift direction, pre-lift briefings, and coordination with operators, project leadership, safety teams, and customer representatives.
• Expert-level hazard identification, fall-zone control, suspended-load safety, stop-work enforcement, and incident/near-miss reporting.
• Ability to train and develop Rigger I and Rigger II personnel and reinforce safe work practices, inspection standards, and jobsite expectations.
• Strong decision-making skills in high-risk, fast-paced, congested, restricted-access, or mission-critical environments.