Job Description
SMC Ltd have an incredible opportunity available for a Senior Groundsperson to assist the Deputy Head Groundsperson and Head Groundsperson, covering sports pitches at both the MKM Stadium and Cottingham Training Ground in East Yorkshire.
As Senior Groundsperson you will help manage and motivate a team of dedicated individuals, ensuring the pitches are maintained to an exceptionally high standard.
Contract Type: Full time, permanent
Hours: 37.5 per week, including weekends and Bank Holidays
Closing Date: 11am, Friday 2 May 2025.
We are looking for someone to join our existing team of 6 grounds staff, who is self-motivated and enthusiastic. The successful candidate will have previous experience with managing or supervising a small team, who can lead in the absence of the Deputy Head or Head Groundsperson. The successful candidate will have previous experience working in the sports turf industry and will ideally hold Level 3 NVQ in Sports Turf Management.
Applicants should be flexible and available to work various shift patterns, including evenings and weekends depending upon the fixture schedule of the club’s first team. This role requires working outdoors in all weather conditions.
Covering both the football and rugby seasons, this is an exciting time to join us and gain valuable experience within an elite sports setting.
Your key responsibilities
- Assist the Grounds Manager with the day to day management of the Grounds Team and cover the role during periods of absence.
- A team member who will help ensure our pitches are of the highest standard required for elite sport and safe for use during training and the playing of matches.
- Preparation and maintenance of sports pitches at the MKM Stadium and First Team Training Ground, including preparing pitch markings prior to all Hull City and Hull FC fixtures.
- Post-match remediation of the playing turf at the MKM Stadium and first team training facilities.
- Be capable of operating all machinery used onsite in a safe manner and in strict compliance with current Health & Safety legislation.
- General day to day maintenance of all machinery used at the site; ensure appropriate daily records relating to the pre-operations checks and machinery use are completed and maintained for inspection.
- Assist with maintaining adequate stock levels of fertilisers, seeds and other relevant materials, submitting requests for additional resources when necessary.
- Help identify new working practices and/or products to improve pitch quality, undertaking any relevant training when required.
What are we looking for?
Essential:
- A minimum of 2 years experience of working in the sports turf industry.
- Previous experience within a managerial or supervisory role, leading a team.
- Pro-active approach to work, able to work independently or as part of a team.
- Be a frequent user of driven vehicles such as tractors and ride-on mowers, holding relevant licences where applicable.
- Be a frequent user of hand-tools such as spades, forks, trowels, rakes, hoes, shears and secateurs.
- General knowledge of fertilisers and pesticides.
- Setting height of cut on mowers and set cut accordingly.
- General knowledge of health and safety procedures with relevant training certificates where applicable.
- Demonstrate self-motivation, organisation, planning, prioritisation and good time management.
- Strong attention to detail.
Beneficial:
- Level 3 (or working towards) in Amenity Horticulture or Level 2 in Sports Turf Management.
- Experience in using pedestrian lawnmowers (cylinder and rotary).
- Knowledge of irrigation.
- Use of tractor mounted sprayers, with relevant spraying certification (Pa1, 2 & 6)
- Knowledge of pitch grow lights.
What can we offer you?
- 25 days annual leave (plus Bank Holidays), increasing to a maximum of 30 days plus BH’s with years of service.
- 20% off at Tiger Leisure.
- 2 x season cards for you and/or your family to attend Hull City home games (following probation).
- Full staff uniform for all seasons.
- Opportunity for career progression and training.
