Cricket Grounds and Pitch Operations Manager

Loughborough University; Loughborough; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Loughborough University is renowned for sporting excellence and world-class facilities. We seek an experienced Cricket Grounds & Pitch Operations Manager to lead the delivery of elite cricket surfaces across our facilities, including the ECB National Cricket Performance Centre.

You will plan, prepare and maintain cricket surfaces, oversee fixture scheduling, mentor a grounds team, and shape the future of cricket facilities at Loughborough, supporting national teams and high-performance training.

Qualifications

• Experience operating and maintaining specialist turf machinery.
• Experience producing elite cricket pitches in high-performance environments.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Proven track record in managing grounds teams, planning, scheduling and performance management.
• Experience coordinating fixture preparation and training programmes.
• Experience with IT systems for record-keeping, reporting, and administration.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a dedicated grounds team.
• Plan, prepare and maintain natural and synthetic cricket surfaces.
• Oversee fixture scheduling and winter marquee programme for wickets.
• Deliver international-standard pitches to support ECB teams and talent development.

Skills

Turf machinery operation

Elite cricket pitches

Communication

Grounds management

Fixture preparation

IT systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The University is dedicated to supporting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment - to create better futures, together. The diverse backgrounds, characteristics and opinions within our community are our great strength and are key to our pursuit of delivering educational excellence, enterprise, research and professional services. We welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds and minoritized groups as they are currently under-represented within our community.

We recognise the value of a fulfilling and balanced work and personal life which promotes wellbeing. We seek to support colleagues in achieving this balance and have family-friendly policies, flexible working arrangements and many roles can be suitable for dynamic working arrangement. This includes considering applications to work on a part-time, flexible and job share basis wherever possible.

We are proud to be a Real Living Wage Employer—so much so that we go beyond the standard, providing additional supplementary payments at specific pay points to further support our employees' financial wellbeing. Further information about the Loughborough Real Living Wage Supplement can be found on our HR webpage .

Loughborough University is a UKVI Sponsor. Some individuals may require sponsorship to enable them to apply for a visa to provide them with the right to work in the UK. Please note certain roles are not eligible for sponsorship. For further information and eligibility please visit the UKVI website .

Job details

Job title Cricket Grounds and Pitch Operations Manager Job reference REQ260556 Date posted 06/08/2026 Application closing date 06/09/2026 Location Loughborough Package Operational Services Monthly grade 5 from £29588 to £34610 per annum. Subject to annual pay award. Job description Full Time, Open Ended

Join a World-Leading Sporting Environment

Loughborough University is renowned globally for sporting excellence and world-class performance environments. We are now seeking an experienced and ambitious Cricket Grounds & Pitch Operations Manager to lead the delivery of elite cricket surfaces across our exceptional facilities, including the ECB National Cricket Performance Centre. This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of UK high-performance sport, supporting national teams, driving innovation in turf management, and contributing to one of the world’s most successful sporting ecosystems.

As Cricket Grounds & Pitch Operations Manager, you will take a leading role in planning, preparing, and maintaining outstanding natural and synthetic cricket surfaces. You will oversee fixture scheduling, manage the winter marquee programme for covered grass wickets, and deliver international-standard pitches that support ECB team training, performance, and talent development.

You will lead and mentor a dedicated team, coordinate specialist renovation works, and play a key role in shaping the future of cricket facilities at Loughborough.

For this role, the successful candidate will require:

• Competent in operating and maintaining specialist turf machinery
• Experience producing elite cricket pitches at first-class or high performance environments
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities
• Proven track record in managing grounds teams including planning, scheduling, and performance management.
• Experience coordinating fixture preparation and training programmes
• Experience with IT Systems such as Microsoft Office and Email for record-keeping, reporting, and administrative task

Why Join Us?

• Lead facilities used by national teams, elite athletes, and future stars.
• Be part of a supportive performance-focused team culture.
• Access excellent training, development, and progression opportunities.
• Contribute to the success of one of the UK’s most prestigious sport performance hubs.

Why you should apply

You will be working on beautiful grounds with access to plenty of refreshment outlets, excellent sporting facilities and on-campus nursery. One of the university’s core values focuses on wellbeing, and we are committed to continuing your personal development and training while you are here with us and working with you to maintain a strong work life balance.

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process. If there are any additional adjustments, you’d like to request please contact [e-mail]. We also offer reasonable adjustments on the job.

For more details, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification .