Salary: Please state your expectations within your application
Contract: Full Time, 42 hours a week
Location: The Nigel Doughty Academy, Nottingham, NG2 7SR
Department: Pitch Performance
Reporting to: Head of Football Operations
Closing Date For Applications: 3rd June 2026
About the Role
Nottingham Forest Football Club is seeking a highly skilled and driven Head of Pitch Performance to lead the delivery of world‑class playing surfaces across all club sites. This role is central to ensuring that all pitches meet elite performance standards, supporting player safety, performance, and the club’s ambition to maintain some of the best surfaces in the world.
The Perks of the Job
- Opportunity to access tickets for events at The City Ground.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Access to high street and gym discounts.
- Discount within our Club shop.
- Free on‑site parking.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
Pitch Performance & Standards
- Take responsibility for developing a culture within the Pitch Performance Team that creates commitment and ownership to produce and maintain best‑in‑class pitches across the Club.
- Lead, motivate and manage the Pitch Performance Team to ensure the highest standards of preparation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of all playing surfaces across the Stadium, Training Ground and Holme Road.
- Embed practices and processes that ensure surfaces consistently meet performance, safety, and regulatory standards.
Strategy & Planning
- Develop and lead the implementation of long‑term pitch performance strategies across all club sites.
- Plan seasonal and cyclical maintenance programmes aligned with fixture schedules, off season periods and training demands that optimise time and budgetary requirements.
- Lead strategic planning and work with key internal stakeholders for infrastructure improvements and surface upgrades across all sites.
- Be the point of contact for the Club when monitoring Pitch Performance of Pre Season Camps.
Data & Performance Integration
- Work closely with the Performance Departments and oversee the integration of pitch performance into player performance and injury prevention strategies.
- Utilise Raw Stadia data insights to inform strategic and operational decision‑making and optimise surface performance.
- Provide weekly reporting, methodology and analysis on pitch conditions and trends to key stakeholders across the First Team, Academy & Women’s Teams.
Innovation & Technology
- Identify research opportunities to propose, identify and evaluate new technologies to advance pitch performance and operational efficiency.
- Evaluate, and implement new technologies to advance pitch performance and operational efficiency.
- Stay at the forefront of industry developments, bringing innovative solutions into the department.
Leadership & Staff Management
- Lead, manage, and develop all Pitch Performance staff across multiple sites.
- Foster a high‑performance culture, ensuring clear objectives, training, and progression opportunities for all Pitch Performance staff.
- Coordinate resource allocation across sites to meet operational demands.
- Manage and build relationships with external stakeholders & potential partners to consistently bring innovation and development to all sites.
Budget & Resource Management
- Produce and manage annual budgets for all pitch‑related operations.
- Ensure cost‑effective use of resources while maintaining elite standards.
- Provide business cases for further investments/ procurement of materials, site management, assets, machinery, and external services.
Health & Safety
- Ensure full compliance with health and safety regulations across all sites.
- Implement and monitor safe systems of work for all staff and contractors.
- Maintain up‑to‑date risk assessments and operational procedures.
What are we looking for
- Proven experience in elite‑level sports turf management, ideally within professional football.
- NVQ level 3 or higher Sports Turf qualification or equivalent
- Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
- Experience in multi‑site operations and strategic planning.
- Knowledge of pitch performance metrics and data‑led decision making.
- Budget management experience.
- Strong understanding of health and safety regulations within a Pitch Performance environment. Interest in and awareness of emerging technologies in sports turf management.
Personal Attributes
- Highly organised and strategic thinker.
- Detail‑oriented with a commitment to excellence.
- Proactive and innovative mindset.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- Passionate about elite sport and performance environments.
Forest For Everyone
We aim to create a culture which embraces and celebrates our differences, enables individuals to feel comfortable, maximise their potential and eliminate discrimination.
Equal Opportunities Employer
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a signatory of the FA’s Football Leadership Diversity Code. We are committed to developing policies to promote equal opportunities and diversity within our workforce. To monitor our progress against these commitments, we require all applicants to provide accurate diversity data during the application process.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital / civil partnership status, pregnancy / maternity leave, race, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Disability Confident Committed Employer
We are a Disability Confident Committed employer. We encourage 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 a “disabled person” according to the Equality Act 2010, you may be eligible to apply for an interview via the Disability Confident Scheme – please indicate this in your application form below. The information you share with us about your health or disability will not be used in recruitment selections.
Commitment to Safeguarding
As part of the Club’s commitment to safeguarding, the successful applicant may be required to undergo a Disclosure Barring Service (“DBS”) check or an enhanced DBS check. The results of a DBS check will be considered on an individual basis, and the Club will act in a proportionate manner when deciding whether or not to proceed with the appointment.
An FA Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for all relevant new appointments to the Club. Individuals will be asked to declare any convictions, cautions or reprimands, warnings or bind‑overs that may have been incurred. The Club reserves the right to carry out risk assessments where content has been disclosed on a DBS disclosure if it feels that it is relevant to the job requirements. Failure to satisfy the Club and the PL’s safeguarding requirements may lead to the job offer being withdrawn or, if they have already started employment, summary termination of the employment.
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