Career Center

I.  Purpose of Job
Assists supervisor by being responsible for repairing and maintaining safe playing surfaces and its surrounding components for baseball, softball, football, lacrosse and multipurpose fields by performing daily turf, clay and water management; timely fertility and cultural practices; game preparation techniques and short and long-term maintenance planning. Responsibilities also include 10 – hole disc golf course, basketball courts and tennis courts.

Must be able to work holidays, weekends and nights during sporting events.

II. Essential Job Duties

A.  Turf maintenance

• Properly manages and maintains turf on all athletic fields within the Parks and Recreation Department grounds.
• Mows, trims, edges, fertilizes, sods, aerates and performs other cultural practices using commercial grade equipment.
• Maintains, repairs and installs irrigation systems on athletic fields. Assist in controlling the entire irrigation system that includes, but is not limited to, proper water management of the playing surface and outside landscape, periodic maintenance checks, repairs leaks in lines or valves, and winterization.
• Properly lay out athletic fields to regulation field dimension requirements (baseball, softball, football, lacrosse).
• Paints foul lines, yard lines, numbers, and logos on athletic fields.
• Performs general maintenance as necessary to keep machinery, equipment and tools in operable condition.
• Performs topdressing of fields including aerating, verticutting, and vacuuming fields.
• Performs special projects on turf as needed during off-season.

B.  Infield maintenance

• Properly maintains infields on all athletic fields within the Parks and Recreation Department grounds.
• Drags, rakes, and replenishes materials as needed to maintain infields.
• Prepares fields for games by grooming fields, chalking base paths and painting foul lines.
• Builds and maintains mounds, plates and other field necessities.
• Responsible for coordination and execution of mound and plate tarps on daily basis and during tournaments.
• Responsible for upkeep of all warning track material on the infields.
• Performs general maintenance as necessary to keep machinery, equipment and tools in operable condition.
• Performs special projects on infields as needed during off-season.

III. Other Job Duties
Performs other job duties as assigned, including:

• Responsible for working athletic tournaments and events to assist in field maintenance during weekends.
• Inspects and repairs athletic fields during tournament play.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities to assist other employees in the department as required.
• Assists Facilities and Maintenance Division with responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, HVAC, painting, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, preventative maintenance and other projects during the off-season.
• Assists Supervisor at equestrian arena when needed.
• Communicates regularly with Supervisor to discuss goals, plans and projects.
• Assist Supervisor with sports lighting contractors and troubleshooting electrical issues within any athletic complex, court or arena.
• Keeps accurate records of inventory, weather data, and maintenance procedures.
• Maintains vehicle inspections within the division.
• Attends in state professional trainings relevant to the sports field industry and OSHA compliance.
• Responsible for maintaining all batting cages to include turf, netting, soft toss screens, L screens and bull pen mound areas.
• Maintains basketball court and tennis courts.
• Responsible for overall maintenance of disc golf course.

IV. Primary Job Challenges
Knowledge of agronomy and environmental turfgrass management practices including pest/disease/weed management; an understanding of soil chemistry; a working knowledge of sports field construction principles, practices and methods; and a thorough understanding of the sport’s governing bodies’ requirements for field layout and marking; Excellent oral and written communication skills

V.  Equipment Operated
Commercial mowers (rotary, reel and zero-turn), infield groomers, tractors, weed eaters, edgers, top dresser, verti-cutter, aerator, slicer, bobcat, forklift, utility vehicles, tow-behind blowers, leaf blowers, trucks, trailers and other equipment used in completion of assigned tasks.

VI. Key Competencies Required

Job Content Knowledge
Has general knowledge of policies, procedures, and activities of the City, sports turf management and construction practices as they pertain to the performance of duties related to this position. Is able to determine and decide upon procedures to be implemented in maintaining safety codes and standards. Knows how to determine and ensure the safety of work sites. Is skilled in the operation of a variety of equipment utilized in the performance of assigned duties. Is knowledgeable of the language and terminology used within the department.

Language Skills: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out multi-step instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems by choosing from several known choices with frequent reliance on how problems were dealt with before.
Teamwork: Develops constructive and cooperative working relationships with others. Encourages others to express their ideas and opinions. Provides input into identifying and solving problems. Anticipates need of others for information about job tasks and work environment and provides it to them in a timely manner. Willingly assists others with job tasks when appropriate.

VII. Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Demands: Performance of the essential duties of this job requires the incumbent to:

• Regularly stand.
• Regularly walk.
• Occasionally sit.
• Regularly use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• Regularly reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Regularly talk or hear.
• Regularly lift up to 50 pounds.
• Occasionally lift more than 50 pounds.

Work Environment: Performance of the essential duties of this job requires:

• Frequent Work near moving mechanical parts
• Regular exposure to fumes or airborne particles
• Occasional exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals
• Regular exposure to outdoor weather conditions
• Frequent exposure to vibration.
• The work environment is loud (examples: outside mowing equipment and tractors).

Minimum Requirements:

VIII. Qualifications

Education and Experience: The required knowledge, skill, and abilities to satisfactorily perform job duties normally acquired through obtaining a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree or equivalent from a technical school; one to two year related experience preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in turfgrass management.

Required Certifications/Licenses:

• TN Driver’s License
• High school diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.)