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.
Benefits
- 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
- Create a culture within the Pitch Performance team that commits to best‑in‑class pitches.
- Lead, motivate and manage the Pitch Performance Team to maintain high standards across Stadium, Training Ground and Holme Road.
- Embed practices and processes that meet performance, safety and regulatory standards.
Strategy & Planning
- Develop and lead 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.
- Lead strategic planning with internal stakeholders for infrastructure improvements.
- Act as the point of contact for monitoring pitch performance of Pre‑Season Camps.
Data & Performance Integration
- Work closely with Performance Departments to integrate pitch performance into player performance and injury prevention strategies.
- Utilise Raw Stadia data insights for decision‑making and optimisation of surface performance.
- Provide weekly reporting, methodology and analysis on pitch conditions and trends to key stakeholders.
Innovation & Technology
- Identify research opportunities to evaluate new technologies for pitch performance.
- Implement selected technologies to advance pitch performance and operational efficiency.
- Stay at the forefront of industry developments and bring innovative solutions into the department.
Leadership & Staff Management
- Lead, manage and develop all Pitch Performance staff across multiple sites.
- Foster a high‑performance culture with clear objectives, training and progression opportunities.
- Coordinate resource allocation across sites to meet operational demands.
- Maintain relationships with external stakeholders and partners to promote innovation and development.
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 and procurement of materials, site management and external services.
Health & Safety
- Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations across all sites.
- Implement and monitor safe systems of work for staff and contractors.
- Maintain up‑to‑date risk assessments and operational procedures.
Qualifications
- 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 and awareness of emerging technologies.
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.
Equal Opportunities and Diversity
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. The club is a signatory of the FA’s Football Leadership Diversity Code and is committed to developing policies to promote equal opportunities and diversity within its workforce. To monitor progress, applicants are required to provide accurate diversity data during the application process.
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 the 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.
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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