Lead Athletic Fields Groundsworker

San Diego State University Facilities Services is seeking an experienced and dependable Lead Athletic Fields Groundsworker to provide lead direction to grounds staff while coordinating and performing the maintenance, preparation, improvement, and repair of athletic fields and surrounding grounds for SDSU Athletics and Aztec Recreation. This position helps ensure safe, attractive, and high-quality playing surfaces for practices, competitions, and special events while supporting turf management, field operations, equipment maintenance, and staff training,

• →Daily Work Assignments & Oversight 
• →Provide lead direction to Athletic Fields Groundsworkers, including assigning work, monitoring progress, and inspecting completed work for quality and compliance with departmental standards.
• →Train employees in athletic field maintenance techniques, equipment operation, and workplace safety practices.
• →Conduct quality control inspections and ensure work is completed efficiently and professionally.
• →Maintain accurate records of labor, project costs, and work activities using the university’s facilities management systems.
• →Promote a safe work environment by identifying hazards, documenting concerns, and ensuring compliance with university safety requirements.
• →Athletic Field and Grounds Maintenance
• →Perform and oversee groundskeeping activities including mowing, edging, pruning, weeding, litter removal, irrigation monitoring, and landscape maintenance.
• →Maintain natural and synthetic athletic fields to ensure safe and high-quality playing conditions.
• →Evaluate field conditions and determine appropriate grooming, irrigation, fertilization, pesticide application, and maintenance requirements.
• →Apply fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides in accordance with applicable regulations and best practices.
• →Operate and monitor irrigation systems to support athletic turf health and performance.

• Full-time, benefits-eligible, permanent/probationary position.
• Position is designated non-exempt under FLSA and is eligible for overtime compensation.
• Standard SDSU work hours are Thursday – Monday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but may vary based on operational needs.
• The individual hired into this role will work on campus at SDSU in San Diego.

Facilities Services is a customer-service-based organization responsible for the operation, maintenance, repair, renovation, and improvement of campus buildings, infrastructure, grounds, and athletic fields. Facilities Services employs approximately 250 employees and supports approximately eight million square feet of buildings and 280 acres of improved and unimproved land. The Athletic Field Operations Program is responsible for maintaining approximately 11 acres of natural and synthetic athletic fields that support NCAA Division I competition and practice, recreational and instructional activities, and campus and external events.

For more information regarding the Facilities Services department, click here.

• Equivalent to two years of experience in planting, cultivating, and maintaining flowers and shrubs, or in general grounds maintenance work.

• Ability to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime and respond to emergencies based on athletic, event, and weather-related operational needs.
• Athletic field, facilities, grounds, event, or comparable operations program in NCAA Division I Athletics, higher education, municipal government, professional sports, or a similarly complex environment.
• Thorough knowledge of methods, materials, tools, and equipment used in turf management, soil management, and plant and tree care.
• General knowledge of plant diseases, pests, weeds, and accepted control and eradication methods.
• Ability to organize, coordinate, train, and oversee the work of others.
• Ability to inspect and evaluate work quality and provide effective instruction and guidance.
• Knowledge of athletic field maintenance practices, including turf management, irrigation, and field preparation.
• Ability to work collaboratively with coaches, administrators, and internal and external stakeholders.

• Prior lead or supervisory experience in grounds or athletic field maintenance operations.
• Experience maintaining athletic fields at the NCAA Division I, collegiate, professional, or comparable level.
• Knowledge of NCAA and conference field requirements, athletic event operations, and field preparation requirements applicable to competition, practice, recreational use, and special events.
• Experience maintaining warm-season turfgrass varieties, including hybrid Bermuda grass and overseeding programs.
• Associate degree or coursework in Sports Turf Management, Turfgrass Science, Horticulture, Agronomy, or a related field.
• Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) certification or equivalent professional certification.
• Qualified Applicator License (QAL) or Qualified Applicator Certificate (QAC).

At SDSU, our diversity gives us power and benefits every single member of our community.  Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU provides equal opportunity for all in education and employment.  We encourage all members of our community to purposefully learn from one another through open and respectful dialogue and responsible engagement. We strongly preserve the right to free expression and encourage difficult conversations that help lead to improved individual and community learning and cohesion.

Principles of Community

At San Diego State University, we are a community of diverse individuals who have and represent many perspectives, beliefs, and identities. This diversity lends our community strength, and we commit to creating and sustaining an inclusive and intellectually vibrant environment that benefits all members of our university. 

SDSU’s Principles of Community is an aspirational statement that is intended to evolve over time. The statement reflects the ideals we are encouraged to uphold in our interactions with one another. 

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Valid California Driver’s License or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire.

All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, San Diego State University (SDSU) provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. SDSU complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices. 

SDSU is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At SDSU, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.