Sports Turf Technician Location: Uppingham School Contract hours: 39 Basis: Full time Salary: Up to £27k depending on experience. Closing date: 13th May 2025 Uppingham School, founded in 1584, is a leading co-educational independent boarding school which runs 24/7 in term-time. It has a strong academic profile and excellent pastoral care with an international reputation, and state-of-the-art science, sports and music facilities. Its 830 pupils, aged 13-18, are accommodated in 15 boarding houses, taught by over 20 academic departments, and participate in numerous extra-curricular activities such as sports, music, and drama. The academic programme is supported by business units responsible for marketing, estates, finance, HR, IT, operations (catering, cleaning, and procurement), health and safety, and the School’s trading subsidiary. The School employs c. 550 staff. The estate covers 125 non-contiguous acres, almost one mile apart at its extremities and interspersed by town housing and retail properties. It includes 59 acres of playing fields, 14 acres of gardens, and a built estate of 80 buildings with an insurance replacement value of £200 million, whose combined external footprint is 775,000 sq ft, and of which 23 are listed (Grades I – II). Buildings include teaching blocks, assembly buildings, boarding houses, staff housing, administrative and technical accommodation, and sports facilities. A programme of new buildings followed full co-education in 2001, including boarding houses, a Music School, sports pavilions, a dual-use Sports Centre and an RIBA national-award winning Science Centre completed in 2014. The Estates team of about 40 people is responsible to the Estates Director and work in Maintenance, Grounds, Gardens, Estates compliance, Porterage and Security departments. The School is undertaking an ambitious Infrastructure Strategy to improve and renew elements of the Estate, including its core boarding provision, and has refinanced its long-term borrowings to fund the strategy. Uppingham is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and welcomes applications from anyone who feels they could fulfil the role. Job purpose Games and a full sporting curriculum form an integral part of school life at Uppingham. The playing fields and sports facilities, covering approximately 56 acres over three sites, cater for multiple sporting activities throughout the year. We are looking for a committed, experienced, and passionate grounds operative with strong knowledge of machinery and sports pitch maintenance. This role will play a key part in ensuring that the grounds and school pitches are maintained to an excellent standard. Your accountabilities To ensure the maintenance and upkeep of sports fields, ensuring they are safe, functional, and visually appealing for use in sporting activities. This role involves a variety of tasks such as mowing, fertilising, aerating, irrigating, repairing turf surfaces, and maintaining artificial pitches/courts. The goal is to provide high-quality playing surfaces that meets the needs of the school while adhering to safety standards and regulations. Additionally, be responsible for managing equipment, completing scheduled maintenance activities, and liaising with other staff or stakeholders to support field usage. Qualifications, skills and experience, personal qualities required • PA1, PA2 and PA6 spraying certificates (desirable). • NVQ Level 2 Sports Turf qualification or similar (desirable) • Experience of sports grounds maintenance and associated work. • Experience in mowing, aeration, fertilising and weed control. • Ability to use a range of machinery and equipment. • Experience in initial setting out and marking pitches. A full clean driving licence is essential. This position involves driving vehicles around the School’s estate. Any offer of employment will therefore be conditional upon the successful candidate being accepted for insurance cover by the School’s insurance provider. Whilst every application will be considered on its own merits, successful applicants should note that if they have six or more penalty points on their driving licence, or a previous drink-driving conviction, they may not be accepted for cover by the School’s insurers, in which case any offer of employment would be withdrawn. Benefits: • 50% contribution to premiums for the School’s private health scheme • Free Westfield Healthcare • Free membership of dual-use Sports Centre (£25 annual joining fee) • Free staff lunches in term-time • School fee discount • 25% Holiday Club discount for children of Uppingham or Maidwell Hall staff • Retail, gym, supermarket, cinema and restaurant discounts • Cycle to work scheme • Employee Assistance Programme • Contributory pension scheme • Occupational Health Services • Free annual flu jabs • Recognised as a “Disability Confident” employer • Recognised as a “Mindful” employer • Recognised as “Investors in Diversity” Safeguarding The post-holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact, will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post-holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School s/he must report any concerns to the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Headmaster. You may also have experience in the following: Caretaker, Maintenance Operative, Handyman, Repairs, Health and Safety, DIY, Estates Management Gardener, Landscaping, Gardening, Grounds Person, Horticulture, Trainee, Landscaper, Maintenance Gardener, Groundworker, etc. REF-(Apply online only)