Skilled Operative - Sports
Please apply online via the link provided.
Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.
Job Title: Skilled Operative (Sports)
Location of work: Earlswood Depot / Various sites throughout the borough
Salary: £24,186 - £25,782
Basis: Permanent, Full Time
Hours: Annualised Hours (40hrs summer, 36 weeks / 27hrs winter, 16 weeks)
About the Role
Do you love working in the outdoors? Then this is the job is for you. We are currently looking for a Skilled Operative to deliver the maintenance of outdoor sports facilities across the Borough’s parks and open spaces. This includes the full range of seasonal and year-round duties required for football, rugby, and pitches, utilising tractors and a variety of grounds maintenance machinery and attachments to ensure playing surfaces are safe, presentable, and in a good condition.
Some of the duties include:
- Carry out pre-season, in-season and end-of-season works for football, cricket and rugby pitches, including grass cutting, Verti-draining, top dressing, seeding, turfing, and goal post installation/removal.
- Mark out football and rugby pitches of varying sizes using appropriate line marking equipment.
- Undertake renovation and repair works as required, ensuring pitches remain playable and meet safety requirements throughout the sporting seasons.
- Maintain cricket squares and outfields, including mowing, scarifying, rolling, end-of-season renovation, and setting up wickets.
- Operate tractors and associated attachments (e.g., aerators, slitters, scarifiers, trailers, gang mowers, and line markers) in the preparation and upkeep of sports surfaces.
About the Person
- Ability to mark out pitches accurately to required dimensions and standards.
- Experience in sports turf maintenance, particularly in football, rugby, and cricket environments.
- Understanding of seasonal sports turf requirements and renovation techniques.
- Have relevant qualifications and experience in Sports Turf Maintenance, including the use of tractors and various grounds maintenance machinery.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Have a strong awareness of health and safety and safe working practices.
- Be physically fit and able to work in all weather conditions.
- Full UK driving licence.
Staff Benefits
In exchange for your expertise, experience and enthusiasm, we will offer support in continuing your personal and career development, in addition to providing a wide range of employment linked benefits.
We provide you with competitive annual leave, and contribute 15% towards the LGPS pension scheme. You will also have access to a range of discounts including local and high street stores, and salary sacrifice schemes including a cycle lease scheme, and ‘Better’ leisure centre membership.
Additional Information
For an informal discussion about the role, please call Russell Potts, Greenspaces Operations Team Leader on 07974325147
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, supporting the guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ex-armed forces candidates, who meet the essential criteria for the role.
Closing date: Wednesday 8th April 2026 at 23:59
Interview date: Thursday 16th and Friday 17th April 2026
Values and Behaviours
Our great working environment and the values and behaviours of every individual and team in the Council, help to evolve the culture of our organisation to become more commercial, innovative and embracing of change. Successful applicants to our career opportunities will be able to demonstrate they share the values and behaviours we seek in our organisation.
Local Government Reorganisation
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is part of the government’s plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) scheduled to take place in April 2027. This means the current two-tier system, where services are split between Surrey County Council and district and borough councils like Reigate, will be replaced with two unitary councils made up of East and West Surrey, which will handle all local services. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council will form part of the new East Surrey unitary authority.
Although this may lead to some uncertainty for anyone considering a role with us, this process will take some time and during that time we still need to provide services. When local government is reorganised, most staff will transfer to the new council(s) which may offer additional opportunities for career development and variety as part of a larger organisation.
Further information on LGR can be found here: Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and Devolution | Reigate and Banstead
See 'Who we are' as a council, to find out more about us: Who we are | Working here | Reigate and Banstead
Salary range
- £24,186 - £25,782 per year