We are looking for a Head Grounds Person to join our team and take responsibility for the day to day maintenance and general upkeep of our Boreham Wood playing surface and the management of contracting staff on site.

Who we are

We are one of the most famous clubs in world football, with a rich heritage and history of success.

Beyond that, we are passionate about our local community and, behind the scenes, we have a wide variety of opportunities and career paths for all. We have a very defined purpose: to act for a winning team, culture and community. We achieve this by ensuring we are courageous in the pursuit of progress, we champion our community and each other, and that we do the right thing (even when no one is looking).

Your day-to-day

Cost effective management of all grounds activities, ensuring recognised standards and availability required by the club and its end users are consistently achieved. Including but not limited to - playing surface preparation, chemical applications, management of soft/hard landscaping, irrigation systems, pitch renovations, equipment management and plant room management.

Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate all grounds related work, including natural, hybrid grass, artificial and soft/hard landscape areas.

Prepare, implement and monitor weekly, monthly, and annual maintenance schedules to ensure all fixtures are delivered to the required standard.

Promote safe working practices at all times by utilising available software (including the clubs COSHH management system), conducting weekly checks on grounds facilities, plant, buildings and equipment to ensure safe working practices and Health and Safety legislation compliance, developing contingency plans, producing and reviewing risk assessments, and ensuring documentation is kept up to date.

Provide effective materials and machinery management, ensuring all equipment is correctly stored, maintained and serviced in conjunction with the machinery maintenance contractor, and continually monitoring stock levels to ensure sufficient materials are available for day-to-day activities.

Manage and deliver end of season pitch renovations, ensuring the playing surface is delivered back within the expected schedule and to the required standards.

Manage contractors working under the instruction of the grounds department, and lead, motivate and develop contracting staff to ensure they deliver on quality expectations set out in their contract.

Seek to improve and innovate more efficient ways of working and optimise the use of the playing surface by analysing past usage and gathering and recording information to develop trend data.

Please note, this role requires individuals to work flexibly. Evening and weekend work will be required within the summer and weekend rotas for Boreham Wood, Arsenal Women’s, and Arsenal Academy fixture schedules.

What we are looking for

A minimum NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) in green keeping or groundsmanship, or a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the grounds keeping industry.
A clean UK driving licence to allow travel to different work locations.
Experience in all aspects of grounds maintenance including hybrid and artificial surfaces, and a working knowledge of horticulture and gardens.
Extensive knowledge of turf maintenance and the sports turf industry, including experience using of a wide range of turf care and renovation equipment such as cylinder mowers, ride on mowers, scarification equipment and all equipment associated with amenity landscapes.
Experience managing teams of operatives, planning and organising workloads, allocating duties and monitoring performance, displaying a team focused approach with an emphasis on personal and team development.
A meticulous approach to work in a role where attention to detail is essential, working to the highest standard in looking after sports turf and amenity landscapes.
Extensive knowledge and experience of Health & Safety procedures and a thorough understanding of legislation relating to chemicals and dangerous substances.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Why choose us

At Arsenal, we want everyone to feel a sense of trust and belonging, so we are proud of both our club values and also what we offer to our employees. As one of our Gunners, you will receive:

An exciting reward and recognition scheme
Generous holiday allowance which increases with your length of service
Great internal learning and development programmes
A flexible hybrid working model
Discounted Arsenal season tickets
A competitive health and wellbeing benefits package
A leading Employee Assistance Programme
Great discounts with some of our Partners

Arsenal for Everyone

Arsenal for Everyone is our commitment to promoting and embracing equality, diversity and inclusion, so that everyone connected to the club feels like they belong to the same Arsenal family. We believe that diversity of background, skills and experience drives our success on and off the pitch. 

Disability Confident Leader

We are a Disability Confident Leader. We actively welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you need disability-related adjustments to the recruitment process, please indicate this in your application.

If you are likely to meet the definition of being a ‘disabled person’ according to the Equality Act 2010, we will offer you an interview if you meet the minimum criteria for a role. Please choose the option of a guaranteed interview on your application form. The information you share with us about your health or disability will not be used in recruitment decisions.