Grounds Nursery II - Lead Athletic Field Specialist @ UNC 8/2026

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

7d•Onsite

About The Position

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. 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.

Requirements

Must possess a valid driver’s license.
Must also comply with Federal/CDOT Motor Carrier Regulations.
Two (2) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

Nice To Haves

Turf management or sports field management or related qualification/education.
A passion for continuous learning and producing high-quality work
The ability to communicate clearly and professionally with university staff and athletic personnel
An inclination to value team success over personal recognition.

Responsibilities

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