Grounds Manager

Knight Education Ltd; Buckhurst Hill; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Accommodation provided

Job summary

Knight Education Ltd seeks a Grounds Manager for a leading North East London/Essex border school. The role is full-time and permanent, starting November 2026, with a salary of £40,000–£45,000 and accommodation.

You will oversee sports pitches, gardens, and outdoor facilities, ensuring high standards of presentation. Strong practical grounds maintenance experience and a Level 3 sports turf qualification are preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience in grounds maintenance and sports turf management.
• Ability to manage a grounds budget and supervise contractors.
• Formal qualification in grounds/civil horticulture or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the School’s extensive external grounds including pitches, lawns, gardens and facilities.
• Take ownership of day-to-day grounds management and presentation across main site and playing fields.
• Lead, organise and prioritise the Grounds Team to meet Sports Department needs.
• Manage the grounds budget and supervise contractors to ensure high standards.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Grounds maintenance

Team management

Education

Sports Turf Operative Level 3

Job description

Location: North East London/Essex borders

Contract Term: Permanent

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 (with accommodation)

A leading and thriving independent school in North East London, close to Essex is seeking a Grounds Manager from November 2026. This is a full time and permanent position.

The Grounds Manager will lead and manage the School’s extensive external grounds, including sports pitches, lawns, gardens and associated outdoor facilities. The successful candidate will take ownership of the day-to-day management and presentation of the School’s grounds, ensuring that consistently high standards are achieved across both the main school site and the playing fields. A proactive approach to grounds maintenance, sports turf management and facility improvement will be essential.

A key responsibility of the role will be to lead, organise and prioritise the Grounds Team and its workload, ensuring that resources are effectively deployed to meet the requirements of the Sports Department. The ability to manage and control the grounds budget, and supervise contractors is essential.

The role requires an experienced individual with a strong practical knowledge of grounds maintenance and, in particular, the preparation and maintenance of high-quality sports pitches.

The successful candidate will be flexible, well organised and able to work effectively both independently and as part of a wider team. A relevant professional qualification is expected, such as Sports Turf Operative Level 3 or equivalent.

Knight Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants for the post must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including reference checks with previous employers and an enhanced DBS check.