Skilled Groundskeeper

Sits within the Grounds Department and works closely with the Head Groundskeeper and Deputy Groundskeeper to maintain and prepare elite training pitches and surrounding facilities to the highest possible standard. It is vital in ensuring First Team, Academy, and Women's teams have access to outstanding training surfaces throughout the year. The postholder contributes to the day-to-day maintenance of natural, hybrid, and artificial playing surfaces while supporting a professional, safe, and high-performance environment.

• Carry out day-to-day grounds maintenance across natural, hybrid, and artificial training pitches, including mowing, marking, aeration, divoting, and presentation.
• Assist with the preparation and presentation of elite training surfaces, preparing training pitches to the highest possible standards.
• Support matchday pitch preparation and post-match recovery operations, ensuring pitches are safe, playable, and fit for purpose.
• Maintain grassed areas, hedgerows, boundaries, landscaped areas, surrounding grounds, training facilities, and external areas.
• Operate sports turf maintenance machinery safely and effectively, and conduct basic maintenance of machinery, equipment, and goalposts.
• Carry out pre-use and post-use inspections, ensure equipment is cleaned, maintained, and stored appropriately, and report defects, faults, or maintenance requirements to management.
• Operate and support irrigation systems, frost protection measures, adverse weather procedures, drainage management, and pitch protection strategies.
• Assist with the application and handling of substances in accordance with COSHH regulations.
• Maintain high standards of health, safety, and hygiene, follow Club policies and procedures, and ensure safe working practices and environments for players, staff, visitors, and contractors.
• Work collaboratively with the wider Grounds team, support colleagues across the training ground, assist with deliveries, stock control, and general site operations, and maintain a flexible approach to changing operational requirements.

• NVQ Level 2 in Sports Turf Management or an equivalent qualification.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
• Ability to work independently and use own initiative.
• High attention to detail.
• Professional approach and strong work ethic.
• Passion for maintaining elite sporting facilities.
• Experience maintaining sports pitches and grounds.
• Experience operating grounds maintenance machinery and equipment.
• Experience preparing playing surfaces for training and/or matches.
• Experience working safely within a grounds maintenance environment.
• Experience maintaining high standards of presentation and quality.
• Experience working effectively within a team environment.

• Experience working on professional sports pitches.
• PA1, PA2A, and PA6 spraying certificates.
• Experience operating irrigation systems.
• Experience using frost protection systems.
• Experience within football, rugby, cricket, golf, or other professional sports environments.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

• Thorp Arch Training Ground

• Competitive salary package

• Pension scheme
• Range of exciting benefits and perks