Head Groundsperson / Pitch Manager

What the role involves

• Plan the maintenance and renovation of pitches
• Manage the grounds team and contractors
• Report on pitch quality to coaches and leagues

Ways in, with or without formal qualifications

Experience, knowledge and interests count in football. These routes are what people in this role commonly point to.

• Education-light

  Apprenticeships and trainee schemes

  Paid work-based training for sport, coaching, business, groundskeeping and digital roles, with a recognised qualification but little classroom time.

• Network

  Mentors, conferences and online communities

  Football runs on relationships. Meeting people at conferences, courses and online communities opens more opportunities than cold applications.

Qualifications and licences

Employers commonly ask for one or more of these.

• Vocational

  Groundsmanship & Turf Management Qualifications

  Vocational and professional qualifications in sports turf, usually combined with on-the-job apprenticeship experience.

Skills and knowledge

• Pitch & Turf Management
• Leadership
• Finance & Budgeting
• Project Management

Tools you may use

• Pitch and turf equipment

Where this role is found

• Top-flight clubs
• Lower-league & semi-professional clubs
• Stadiums, venues & events

Where this role leads

This is a top-of-ladder role. Many people move into board, advisory, ownership or mentoring roles from here, or into a new sector by combining their experience.

Common stepping stones into this role

• Groundsperson

Pay and context by region

Illustrative estimates scaled from a UK baseline. Check local job adverts and union or association data.