Senior Sports Turf Operative

• 40 hours week (phone number removed)pm approximately with 30-minute lunch break, hours will change through the year to allow for summer and daylight etc.

Our client is seeking a grounds person with experience in greenkeeping or sports turf management to join their busy team. You will be working in 46 acres and supporting the Grounds Manager and Deputy Grounds manager in the day -to -day management of this school's vast estate.

Your tasks:

Sports Turf Maintenance Tasks

• Prepare and maintain outdoor sports areas including football pitches, rugby pitches, cricket squares, athletics tracks, hardcourts and all-weather surfaces to the high standards set out by the Grounds Manager and Deputy Grounds manager.
• Set up and dismantling of sports equipment.
• Undertake a wide range of turf operations, including mowing, aerating, scarifying, seeding and top dressing.
• Operation of powered hand tools including mowers, strimmers and hedge cutters.
• Contributing to weekly and monthly maintenance programmes to ensure the required standard of surface presentation.
• Setting & marking out sports pitches, cleaning equipment stores and associated washdown areas.
• Supervising and monitoring a small team.
• Ensure work areas are kept clean, tidy and secure at all times.
• Carry out gritting, salt spreading, snow cleaning, as necessary, including highway footpaths through the school.
• Ensure pathways and roads are maintained to a clean and tidy standard.
• Work closely with the Senior Garden supervisor, managing the day-to-day tasks set out by the Grounds manager

Health and safety

• Be aware of Health and Safety requirements noting that all duties must be carried out to comply with current Health & Safety at Work legislation.
• Ensure all equipment, machinery and buildings are secure.
• Be aware of and report any security risks posed within the school.
• Maintain and operate safely and professionally a range of vehicles and equipment required for grounds care operations, including tractors with PTO driven implements.
• Use technical and operational knowledge to ensure a safe environment and to promote, monitor and maintain health & safety.
• Follow all Health and Safety Policy guidelines and policies as stated within the school's Health and Safety Policy.

Machinery Maintenance

• Undertake the general maintenance of machinery on a day-to-day basis, reporting faults and updating the machinery maintenance records accordingly.
• Working with other departments to support school events
• Work alongside other departments to facilitate school functions and events
• Undertake such other duties, as detailed by your line manager, that may from time to be required to ensure the smooth running of the school.

Experience needed for this role:

• Experience in greenkeeping or sports turf management.
• Good working knowledge of all aspects of groundsmanship.
• Significant experience in groundsmanship.
• Understanding of the requirements of sports turf surface preparation.
• Clear understanding of relevant Health and safety legislation.
• Experience of driving machinery used to prepare and maintain sports turf.
• Willingness to work at height (using ladders and scaffold towers).
• Accomplished in sports pitch preparation, setting out and turf management.
• Ability to prepare cricket wickets.
• Competent machine operator.
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues and others, as well as independently.
• Hard working with attention to quality and detail.
• Trustworthy, reliable and prepared to work in all weathers.
• Flexible approach to work and willing to work extra hours when required (including some Saturdays).
• A keen interest in sports (including cricket would be useful).
• Excellent timekeeping skills with a clear ability to prioritise work, solve problems and seek help when needed.
• Computer literacy skills.