How to hire an athletic turf manager

How to hire an athletic turf manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step athletic turf manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an athletic turf manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new athletic turf manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your athletic turf manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an athletic turf manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect athletic turf manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of athletic turf managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Athletic Turf Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Athletic Turf Manager	Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment.	$12-47
   Ground Crew	Ground crews, also known as ground staff, are personnel that work at the airport. These crews are either avionics technicians, customer service and ramp agents, or flight dispatchers... Show more	$12-19
   Grounds Keeper	A groundskeeper's job responsibility is to maintain and modify outdoor areas such as college campuses, parks, gardens, etc. Your major duty is to carry out routine maintenance, planting, and gardening of a business or park's landscape... Show more	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Athletic Fields

   Responsibilities:

   • Collaborate with faculty members in filing NCAA eligibility forms.
   • Coach and participate in the Olympics as a member of the Russian national athletic team.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your athletic turf manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An athletic turf manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, athletic turf managers' average salary in arkansas is 48% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level athletic turf managers earn 74% less than senior-level athletic turf managers.
   • Certifications. An athletic turf manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an athletic turf manager's salary.

   Average athletic turf manager salary

   $49,958yearly

   $24.02 hourly rate

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   Entry-level athletic turf manager salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

4. Writing an athletic turf manager job description

   A good athletic turf manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an athletic turf manager job description:

   Athletic turf manager job description example

   Looking for an opportunity where success comes naturally? Then you may have found your crew. We're looking for a Landscape Laborer to join our team.
   You'd be responsible for:
   Using hand and/or power tools or equipment to perform a wide range of landscape and irrigation duties Laying sod Planting Watering Fertilizing Digging Raking Installing sprinklers Installing mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units
   Additionally, employees are expected to abide by all internal control & compliance practices to:
   Safeguard assets from theft and misuse Ensure segregation of duties to minimize fraud Comply with business ethics, applicable laws and regulation Maintain confidentiality of proprietary information Periodically reconcile physical assets to accounting records
   You might be a good fit if you have:
   6 months commercial landscape experience preferred but not required
   And while not mandatory, it would be great if you also have:
   The ability to use hand equipment with mechanized moving blades such as gas powered shears Experience using manual hand tools such as shovels The ability to work from elevated heights such as an 8' A-frame ladder Ability to use a hand shovel for extended period Ability to move soil, equipment, and materials, digs holes, and plant trees, shrubs and flowers. Able to work in/or about situations near direct automotive traffic Able to work near or about natural bodies of water Able to work 8+ hours per day with applicable breaks x 5 days/week (some overtime/weekend work required) Ability to work in extreme conditions - temperatures may exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit Ability to work in direct sunlight for extended periods of time Ability to lift and carry 40 lbs. (mulch, fertilizer, etc.) Ability to load/unload burlaps with plant cuttings onto trailer (up to 50 lbs.) Ability to bend, stoop and twist continuously throughout the day
   Here's what to know about working here:
   
   At BrightView, we're a tight-knit crew who are as passionate about caring for our clients as we are about each other. Though we're the nation's leading landscape company, we maintain a small company feel and supportive environment that makes our team members feel at home.
   
   If you're looking to join a crew of talented go-getters who tackle big vision projects other companies could only dream of, you might just have found your match. With our range of services, including landscape design, development, maintenance and enhancements, there's no limit to what we can do, and what you can achieve.
   
   In addition to industry-leading development opportunities, you'll also have benefits and perks like:
   Competitive salary Paid time off Medical, dental, and vision insurance
   Think you've found your crew?
   
   BrightView is an Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find athletic turf managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your athletic turf manager job on Zippia to find and recruit athletic turf manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting athletic turf managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new athletic turf manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the athletic turf manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new athletic turf manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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