Groundsperson

Reports to: Head Groundsperson

AFC Wimbledon is a professional football club based in South West London playing its home games in a new state of the art stadium opened in August 2021.
The move to the new stadium marked a pivotal point in the club’s history as it returned to its
spiritual home at Plough Lane and provides the club with the ability to deliver top level facilities for both matchday and non-matchday events.

The stadium hosts excellent facilities for playing professional football matches, non-professional football matches and rugby matches. As such AFC Wimbledon is looking to recruit a Groundsperson. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in ensuring the highest standards of safety and grounds maintenance within a prestigious club.

Key Responsibilities:
• Support with the upkeep and presentation of the clubs playing surfaces and maintaining to the highest standard including verges, artificial surfaces, hedges, car parks, paths and road side grass areas.
• Support with delivering the safe implementation of pest control, weed control, seeding, fungicide, fertilization and nutrition programme for the playing surfaces
• Ensure that the initial marking out and setting up of playing surfaces is to a high standard
• Match day preparation to include set-up goals, flags etc. for scheduled matches at all venues and at all levels
• Regular brushing/grooming 3G artificial surfaces using specialized equipment.
• Fully endorse, demonstrate and carry out AFC Wimbledon’s health and safety policy at all times compliant with all group policies and statutory regulations.
• Identify and report maintenance requirements or hazards within the workplace.
• Maintaining and upkeep of equipment and machinery on a regular basis, including storage areas.
• Minimum of 2 working days at the training ground to maintain and prepare for training sessions, working around stadium and training ground uses.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The role will report direct into the Head Groundsperson and will need to assist the Head Groundsperson in the everyday running of the pitch and surrounding areas. The applicant must be hard working with the willingness to work as part of a team. The individual needs to be able to carry out medium to heavy manual work tasks in all weather conditions.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
• Excellent communication skills.
• DBS checked or if not be prepared to complete an enhanced DBS check
• Either EU Citizen, permanent UK resident or a foreign national with legal authorization to work in the UK.
• Able to work under pressure.
• Interest in groundsman ship and turf grass maintenance. Desirable
• Previous Stadium or Professional Sports experience
• 2 years minimum experience within sports turf or horticulture background
• Level 2 Diploma or other recognised equivalent qualification in Horticulture and/or Turf

The role will be offered on a permanent basis working 40 hours per week including match days, evening matches and weekends when required.

Salary range: Competitive subject to qualifications and experience bonus incentive
Closing date : 29th May 2023.

If you believe you have the right skills for this position, please apply by sending an up to date CV with covering letter including salary expectations to Luke.Bowden@afcwimbledon.ltd.uk

Please also include your current notice period where relevant within your cover letter.

Due to the high number of applications we receive, if you do not hear from us within 2 weeks after the closing date, you can assume your application has been unsuccessful.

AFC Wimbledon is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its employment policies for recruitment are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

AFC Wimbledon is committed to safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk involved in its activities and events. The group recognizes its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable groups by a commitment to procedures to protect them. The group additionally expects all staff and volunteers to fully support and promote these commitments.