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

Department Information

The University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley, Colorado, population over 100,000, an hour's drive north of Denver, and within driving distance of the Rocky Mountains. UNC has an enrollment of over 12,000 students who attend classes on the 250-acre campus, and is large enough to provide true University opportunities, and small enough to treat students and employees as individuals. State classified employee benefits include medical, dental, life, flexible spending, PERA retirement, and tuition waiver for employees.

Description Of Job

• * * THIS POSITION IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT COLORADO RESIDENTS. * * *

ALL RELATED JOB EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION MUST BE INCLUDED IN YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS.

NO INFERENCES WILL BE MADE. PLEASE BE DETAILED WITH YOUR APPLICATION.

Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis during this posting and the eligible list may be periodically refreshed to maintain a current pool of interested candidates.

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.

Why Join UNC?

• Competitive State of Colorado benefits package.
• PERA retirement program.
• Employee tuition waiver and educational opportunities.
• Paid leave and holiday benefits.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Meaningful work supporting student-athletes, campus recreation, and university events.
• Collaborative team environment where your expertise is valued.
• Opportunity to work on a diverse portfolio of natural grass and synthetic athletic facilities.
• Direct involvement in NCAA Division I athletic competition and special events.

What Makes This Opportunity Unique?

Few grounds positions offer the opportunity to have a direct impact on NCAA athletics. In this role, you will help prepare facilities for collegiate competitions, collaborate with coaches and university partners, apply professional sports turf management practices, and contribute to the appearance, safety, and performance of UNC athletic venues.

Whether preparing a soccer pitch for match day, maintaining a synthetic turf field, supporting a track and field event, or coordinating operations for a busy athletic weekend, your work will be seen and appreciated by student-athletes, coaches, fans, and the entire university community.

Position Summary

The Lead Athletic Field Specialist plans, coordinates, and performs athletic field and grounds maintenance activities within a designated work zone. This position serves as the lead athletic grounds professional responsible for maintaining UNC's outdoor athletic facilities, including synthetic turf fields, track and field venues, baseball and softball complexes, soccer facilities, practice fields, stadium environments, and associated landscaping.

Working under the direction of the Grounds Manager, this position coordinates athletic field preparation, turf management, irrigation operations, event support, and resource allocation while providing work leadership to assigned staff. The successful candidate combines technical expertise in sports turf management with strong communication, leadership, and customer-service skills to ensure athletic facilities consistently meet the highest standards for safety, appearance, and performance.

Job Duties

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

Must possess a valid driver’s license.

Must also comply with Federal/CDOT Motor Carrier Regulations.

Residency Requirement

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Class Code & Classification Description

D8E2XX Grounds & Nursery II

Minimum Qualifications

Experience Only

Two (2) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

Preferred Qualifications

Turf management or sports field management or related qualification/education.

Informal requirements include a passion for continuous learning and producing high-quality work, the ability to communicate clearly and professionally with university staff and athletic personnel, and an inclination to value team success over personal recognition.

Appeal Rights

As an applicant who has been removed from consideration during the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board and/or request a review by the State Personnel Director. A standard appeal form is available on the State Personnel Board website, . If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within ten (10) days of your receipt of this notice: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: View phone number on workus.org. Phone: View phone number on workus.org. Email address: ***email_hidden***. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination. Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures are available at spb.colorado.gov .

Supplemental Information

Important note: Applications are part of the selection process and will be reviewed by a Human Resource professional to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications as listed on the job announcement. Clearly document in the "Work Experience" and "Education" sections on your application any and all specialized work experience, skills, education, and accomplishments that relate to the position duties and minimum qualifications. No inferences will be made regarding your education or experience, only what is stated and provided in your application materials will be used to evaluate your qualifications. We will offer a salary that is commensurate with the experience of the selected candidate.

Conditions for Employment: All potential University of Northern Colorado employees may be subject to successful completion of a background check, motor vehicle record review, physical, and/or a drug test.

Required Notice: In compliance with the Clery Act, the most recent University of Northern Colorado Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online and a paper copy can be requested at the UNC Police Department. This report contains crime statistics and policy statements related to safety, conduct processes and Title IX investigations.

DPA/DHR Notice: The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. The University of Northern Colorado is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our Human Resources Office, Cindy Tomlinson, at View email address on workus.org or call View phone number on workus.org.