Job Title: Turf Operations Intern, TQL Stadium + MHTC

Reports to: Director of Turf Operations

Department: Turf Operations

Position Summary:

FC Cincinnati is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as Seasonal Groundskeeping Intern for part the 2024 Major League Soccer Season. The role will aid the Turf Operations Department in providing safe, consistent, and aesthetically pleasing fields at TQL stadium in the West End & at the Training Center in Milford. This is a seasonal position averaging 40 hours per week. This is an hourly paid position and college credit is also available if needed.

What You’ll Do:

Assist TQL Stadium Grounds crew in the day-to-day operations
Conduct testing procedures for performance control to meet MLS standards
Aid in preparing TQL Stadium’s pitch for all FC Cincinnati matches and special events as necessary
Maintain effective daily operations and make suggestions for process improvements when necessary
Assist in implementing sports turf management best practices, such as aerification, fertilizing, integrated pest management, field lining, as well as chemical applications

What You’ll Bring:

Positive upbeat attitude
Strong attention to detail
Excellent follow through and judgment
Able to work independently, with minimal supervision
Ability to work on a team to accomplish common goals
Desire for growing knowledge of all turfgrass related topics
Strong ability to multitask in a fast-paced working environment
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to thrive in a team environment
Exceptional time management skills and ability to accomplish goals in a timely manner
Ability to demonstrate accuracy and precision in quality of work as well as excellent follow through
Ability to consistently be at work on time, follow instructions, and respond to management directions

Physical Requirements:

Ability to work in various weather conditions including heat, cold, and rain
Ability to push pull and lift 50 pounds of weight frequently throughout the workday
Ability to work in various positions, including but not limited to, stooping, standing, bending over, sitting, kneeling and squatting for extended periods of time

What You’ll Need :

Pursuing a degree in turf management, horticulture, or related field or recent graduate with related experience
Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide verification of vaccination prior to start date
Ability to work outside of regular business hours including but not limited to weekends and holidays as required by the FCC game schedule and major stadium events

Why You'll Love FCC:

FCC welcome gifts
Resume and profile reviews
Tour of TQL Stadium and MHTC
Community volunteer opportunities
Discount off team store merchandise
Job shadow opportunities
Paid hourly and/or college credit opportunities

About FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC started play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph.

FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

FC Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield – the annual award given to the team with the most points in the regular season – and clinched a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs for the second straight year. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads.

About TQL Stadium

TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, is one of the most ambitious soccer-specific stadiums in not only North America, but the world. Critically-acclaimed firm Populous designed an innovative and forward-thinking stadium that is one of the largest soccer-specific facilities in Major League Soccer. TQL Stadium has been named Best Venue at the 2022 World Football Summit in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

The stadium has five team locker rooms, including a comprehensive team suite for FC Cincinnati that features a dressing room, coach’s office, lounge, equipment storage and the Mercy Health Center of Excellence for the team’s medical and game day fitness needs. Within the 18 months of the stadium’s completion, TQL Stadium has featured both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, including the USMNT’s FIFA World Cup Qualification match vs. Mexico, and a concert by legendary rock band, The Who.

The closest seats are within 15 feet of the pitch at the $250 million, privately funded stadium. The design includes 53 traditional suites and 4,500 premium seats throughout four premium club spaces. FC Cincinnati’s supporters’ section, The Bailey, has grown to be more than 3,100 strong and loom over opponents at a 34-degree angle at the stadium’s north end. A 360-degree canopy roof covers every seat in TQL Stadium, but still allows sufficient sun in to grow a natural grass field.

About Mercy Health Training Center
In 2019, the club opened the state-of-the-art Mercy Health Training Center (MHTC) in Milford, Ohio. Designed by MSA Sport, the $30 million, 24-acre facility includes three full-size, lighted soccer fields – including two stabilized natural grass surfaces and one synthetic turf surface – as well as a goalkeeper-specific training area. The MLS team is housed in a 30,000 sq. ft., multilevel building abutting the fields, including a separate, 4,000 sq. ft. wing of the building for the FC Cincinnati Academy.

Additionally, there is a 3,000 sq. ft. maintenance facility on the property. In the design process, the MSA Sport design team benchmarked training grounds across the world, including the best in Europe, South America, and Asia. The goal of the design meets the original goal to develop one of the premier and most progressive team facilities in Major League Soccer and North America.

FC Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.