Turf Consultant

Green by Nature; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Annual $300 wellness benefit

Career growth & professional dev.

Supportive team culture across Trans‑T

Tools of the trade: work phone for use

Job summary

Green by Nature, Christchurch, NZ, seeks an experienced Agronomist and Senior Designer to lead turf construction projects across sports fields and golf environments. The role emphasizes underground infrastructure, drainage, irrigation, subgrade prep, and surface profile construction that blends natural and artificial surfaces.

You will collaborate with clients, consultants, and contractors to deliver technically sound, sustainable sport surface solutions from concept to completion.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of proven experience in sports turf and/or golf course construction and development.
• Strong practical knowledge of underground turf systems, drainage, irrigation, and construction methodologies.
• Experience managing complex sports field construction or redevelopment projects.
• Relevant tertiary or industry qualifications in Turf Management, Landscape Construction, Civil Construction, Horticulture, Sports Turf Management, or related discipline.
• Strong internal and external stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution.
• A passion for delivering high-performance turf environments.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD or similar CAD software.
• Experience in artificial sport surface design or construction.
• Understanding of the 3910 contract, claims, and variations.
• Understanding of the Resource Management Act (RMA) and planning processes.
• Good physical fitness for site investigations

Responsibilities

• Design and develop sports field and golf construction projects.
• Provide technical expertise on underground turf construction systems including drainage, irrigation, rootzone profiles, and sub-surface infrastructure.
• Develop project plans, specifications, and construction methodologies (Develop design drawings, specifications and supporting documentation using AutoCAD).
• Manage project delivery, timelines, budgets, and stakeholder relationships.
• Conduct site assessments and provide practical, buildable design solutions.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, health & safety, and environmental requirements.
• Mentor and support team capability within sports field construction and design.
• Support operations for tender, pricing and additional information as required.

Skills

Turf design

Site construction experience

Stakeholder management

Project delivery

Mentoring

Team leadership

Education

Turf Management qualification

Landscape Construction

Civil Construction

Horticulture

Sports Turf Management

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Green by Nature – Christchurch, South Island

At Green by Nature, we are passionate about creating and maintaining exceptional green spaces that communities, athletes, and golfers enjoy every day. We are now seeking an experienced Agronomist and Senior Designer to design and deliver specialised turf construction projects predominantly across sports fields and golf environments.

This is a unique opportunity for a hands‑on industry professional who understands that great turf performance starts below the surface.

About the Role:

As a Turf Consultant, you will design and develop sports field and golf construction projects, with a strong focus on underground infrastructure, drainage systems, irrigation, subgrade preparation, and sport surfaces profile construction that are both natural and artificial.

You will work closely with operational teams, clients, consultants, and contractors to deliver high-quality, technically sound, and sustainable sport surface solutions from concept through to completion.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop sports fieldsand golf construction projects
• Provide technical expertise on underground turf construction systems including drainage, irrigation, rootzone profiles, and sub-surface infrastructure
• Develop project plans, specifications, and construction methodologies (Develop design drawings, specifications and supporting documentation using AutoCAD)
• Manage project delivery, timelines, budgets, and stakeholder relationships
• Conduct site assessments and provide practical, buildable design solutions
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, health & safety, and environmental requirements
• Mentor and support team capability within sports field construction and design
• Support operations for tender, pricing and additional information as required

About You:

To be successful in this role, you will bring a combination of technical design capability and practical, on-the-ground construction experience within the sports turf industry.

You will ideally have:

• 10+ years of proven experience in sports turf and/or golf course construction and development
• Strong practical knowledge of underground turf systems, drainage, irrigation, and construction methodologies
• Experience managing complex sports field construction or redevelopment projects
• Relevant tertiary or industry qualifications in Turf Management, Landscape Construction, Civil Construction, Horticulture, Sports Turf Management, or a related discipline
• Strong internal and external stakeholder management skills
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution
• A passion for delivering high-performance turf environments
• Proficiency with AutoCAD or similar CAD Software
• Experience in artificial sport surface design or construction
• Understanding of the 3910 contract, claims, and variations.
• An understanding of the Resource Management Act (RMA) and planning processes.
• Good physically fitness for a site investigation

Why Join Green by Nature?

At Green by Nature, you’ll be part of a team that values innovation, sustainability, collaboration, and excellence. We offer the opportunity to work on exciting, large-scale projects that positively impact communities and sporting environments across the motu.

In return, we offer:

• Competitive salary package, annual salary review and an annual $300 wellness benefit (after qualifying period)
• Career growth and professional development opportunities with internal and external providers
• A supportive and collaborative team culture across our Trans‑Tasman business
• Your tools of the trade along with a work phone that is permitted for personal use!

About Us:

Green by Nature is a business which specialises in Sports Turf Management and have diversified into a professional full facility parks maintenance company, operating across New Zealand and Australia. We have over 2000+ employees and are committed to a culture of health and safety, excellence and continuous improvement, whilst caring for our people, clients, and communities.

In accordance with our Drug & Alcohol policy, the successful applicant will be required to complete and pass a pre‑employment drug test.