Lead Athletic Field Specialist (Grounds Nursery II - Athletics)

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 09/04/2026

Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis during this posting to maintain a current pool of interested candidates.

Help Create Championship-Caliber Playing Surfaces at UNC

At the University of Northern Colorado, we believe great athletic experiences begin long before the opening whistle. They start with safe, beautiful, and professionally maintained playing surfaces that allow student-athletes to compete at their highest level.

We are seeking a skilled, motivated, and detail-oriented Lead Athletic Field Specialist to help maintain and elevate UNC's athletic facilities. This position plays a critical role in the care of our NCAA competition and practice venues, including natural grass fields, synthetic turf facilities, track and field venues, stadium environments, and athletic facility surrounding landscapes.

This is more than a grounds position-it is an opportunity to directly impact the student-athlete experience while working behind the scenes to create exceptional game-day environments. If you enjoy working outdoors, collaborating with coaches and athletics staff, leading field operations, operating specialized equipment, and seeing the results of your work showcased under stadium lights, we encourage you to apply.

Why Join UNC?

• Competitive State of Colorado benefits package
• PERA retirement program
• Employee tuition waiver and educational opportunities
• Paid leave and holiday benefits
• Professional development opportunities
• Meaningful work supporting student-athletes, campus recreation, and university events
• Collaborative team environment where your expertise is valued
• Opportunity to work on a diverse portfolio of natural grass and synthetic athletic facilities
• Direct involvement in NCAA Division I athletic competition and special events

Position Summary

The Lead Athletic Field Specialist plans, coordinates, and performs athletic field and grounds maintenance activities within a designated work zone. This position serves as the lead athletic grounds professional responsible for maintaining UNC''s outdoor athletic facilities, including synthetic turf fields, track and field venues, baseball and softball complexes, soccer facilities, practice fields, stadium environments, and associated landscaping.

Working under the direction of the Grounds Manager, this position coordinates athletic field preparation, turf management, irrigation operations, event support, and resource allocation while providing work leadership to assigned staff. The successful candidate combines technical expertise in sports turf management with strong communication, leadership, and customer-service skills to ensure athletic facilities consistently meet the highest standards for safety, appearance, and performance.

What You'll Do

As the lead athletics grounds professional, you will coordinate and perform maintenance activities for UNC athletic facilities, including competition and practice fields, synthetic turf facilities, track and field venues, stadiums, and surrounding landscapes.

• Lead athletic field preparation for practices, competitions, tournaments, and special events
• Perform field painting and NCAA-compliant game markings
• Manage turf maintenance, mowing, aerification, topdressing, and field renovation activities
• Operate, monitor, troubleshoot and repair irrigation systems
• Perform synthetic turf grooming and maintenance
• Operate a variety of specialized grounds and athletic field equipment including tractors, mowers, skid steers, loaders, forklifts, backhoes, aerifiers, spreaders, sprayers, and utility vehicles.
• Coordinate work assignments for student staff and provide day-to-day leadership for assistant team members
• Support coaches, athletics personnel, campus recreation programs, and occasional conference and event field rental activities to ensure facilities are prepared and presented at a high standard
• Monitor field conditions to provide safe, high-quality playing surfaces
• Foster a collaborative culture focused on teamwork, customer service, and continuous improvement

What Makes This Opportunity Unique

Few grounds positions offer the opportunity to have a direct impact on NCAA athletics. In this role, you will help prepare facilities for collegiate competitions, collaborate with coaches and university partners, apply professional sports turf management practices, and contribute to the appearance, safety, and performance of UNC athletic venues.

Whether preparing a soccer pitch for match day, maintaining a synthetic turf field, supporting a track and field event, or coordinating operations for a busy athletic weekend, your work will be seen and appreciated by student-athletes, coaches, fans, and the entire university community.

Ideal Candidates

We are seeking professionals who take pride in their work and understand the importance of quality playing surfaces. Experience in athletic field maintenance, sports turf management, irrigation systems, landscape maintenance, equipment operation, event preparation, and leadership is highly valued. Passion, professionalism, reliability, and attention to detail are equally important.

Minimum Qualifications: PER State Guidelines

Preferred Qualifications:

Turf management or sports field management or related qualification/education

Informal requirements include a passion for continuous learning and producing high-quality work, the ability to communicate clearly and professionally with university staff and athletic personnel, and an inclination to value team success over personal recognition.