Manager, Grounds Full Time Vero Beach, FL Posted on Oct 15, 2026

Genesis Distribution; Vero Beach (FL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, FL, is hiring a Manager, Grounds to lead daily grounds operations for multiple fields and facilities. You will direct staff, schedule workloads, and ensure safe, event-ready surfaces year-round.

The role demands strong leadership and hands-on turf management expertise. Responsibilities include supervising the Field Mechanic and coordinating with Operations, Athletics, and Event Planning to deliver top-quality practice and game surfaces, turf

Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in turfgrass management, agronomy, horticulture, or related discipline preferred.
• Minimum five years of progressive grounds management experience, with leadership roles.
• CSFM or equivalent certification strongly preferred.
• Experience maintaining baseball/softball surfaces; irrigation, drainage, and turf care knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily grounds operations and develop annual, seasonal, and daily work plans.
• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise, and evaluate grounds staff and contractors.
• Supervise maintenance of golf-cart fleet and field equipment; ensure safety compliance.
• Coordinate with departments to prepare facilities for events and programs.

Skills

Team leadership

Supervisory experience

Grounds maintenance

Safety compliance

Budget management

Communication

Scheduling

Education

Associate or bachelor’s degree in turfgrass management

CSFM certification or equivalent

Tools

Work-order systems

Spreadsheet software

Scheduling tools

Email proficiency

Job description

Manager, Grounds Full Time Vero Beach, FL Posted on Oct 15, 2026

ORGANIZATION:
The Jackie Robinson Training Complex (JRTC) serves as a year-round hub of Major League Baseball (MLB) amateur development initiatives and events designed to diversify and strengthen the talent pipelines of baseball and softball. After assuming operation of the facility in January 2019, MLB designated the complex as the permanent home to several of its signature youth-focused events and programs, such as the Nike RBI World Series and the Hank Aaron Invitational, which teach players how to succeed on the field, in the classroom, and in their communities. The historic facility, formerly known as Dodgertown, served as the Spring Training home of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers for 60 years. Dodgertown opened in 1948 as the first racially integrated MLB Spring Training site in the South. On April 2, 2019, MLB renamed the facility the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in honor of its trailblazing namesake. The JRTC is a designated Florida Heritage Landmark and the only sports property on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

MAJOR PURPOSE:
The Jackie Robinson Training Complex is an 80-acre campus consisting of 5.5 baseball fields, including two synthetic turf fields; four softball/youth baseball fields; one multipurpose field used for lacrosse, soccer, football, rugby, and other sports; numerous outdoor batting cages and bullpens; and a variety of landscaped areas. The campus also includes the Building 42 Indoor Training Complex, which features a fully synthetic, half-sized training field and four indoor batting cages. The Manager, Grounds oversees and participates in the maintenance of all sports fields, practice areas, indoor and outdoor training surfaces, landscaped areas, and other common areas. This hands-on manager directs the day-to-day sports turf and landscape maintenance activities and personnel and ensures safe, playable, event-ready facilities for year-round programs and events.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead daily grounds operations and establish annual, seasonal, and daily work plans based on field use, event schedules, agronomic needs, weather, and facility priorities.
• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise, coach, and evaluate full-time and part-time grounds employees; establish clear assignments, performance standards, safety expectations, and accountability.
• Directly supervise the Facility Mechanic and ensure timely preventive maintenance, inspection, repair, and service documentation for the facility’s golf-cart fleet and grounds and facility equipment.
• Coordinate with Operations, Athletics, Event Planning, Engineering, and event leadership stakeholders; ensuring execution of facility preparation for groups.

Athletic Field & Event Operations

• Direct the preparation, setup, conversion, and recovery of baseball, softball and multipurpose surfaces for practices, games, camps, tournaments, MLB programs, and special events, including natural turf, infield skins, base paths, mounds, home plates, bullpens, warning tracks, practice areas, and batting cages, consistent with MLB standards.
• Inspect fields and grounds; determine playability and field-protection needs; coordinate configurations and timelines; and verify corrective work before use.
• Monitor the condition and safe operation of pitching machines, batting-cage equipment, netting structures, and safety netting; coordinate inspections, repairs, replacements, and removal from service when necessary.

Turf, Landscape, Irrigation & Weather

• Oversee the inspection, cleaning, grooming, decompaction, and infill management of outdoor and indoor synthetic turf surfaces to maintain consistent appearance, performance, and safety.
• Develop and execute warm-season turf programs, including mowing, aerification, verticutting, topdressing, fertilization, overseeding, sodding, moisture management, and weed, pest, and disease control.
• Manage landscape plans for trees, palms, bamboo, shrubs, plant beds, lawns, and common outdoor spaces, including routine bamboo maintenance and annual palm trimming, and oversee irrigation and drainage programming, inspections, maintenance, repair coordination, and water management.
• Lead adverse-weather and field-protection response, including tarp deployment, water removal, storm preparation, surface recovery, and post-weather inspections.

Equipment, Materials, Safety & Compliance

• Manage the safe operation, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement planning of the golf-cart fleet and grounds and facility equipment, and maintain appropriate inventories of field materials, chemicals, fuel, parts, tools, and supplies.
• Ensure fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other regulated materials are purchased, stored, handled, applied, and documented in accordance with product labels, organizational procedures, and applicable law.
• Establish and enforce safety practices covering training, personal protective equipment, equipment operation, chemical handling, hazard communication, and applicable OSHA requirements.

Budget, Vendors & Continuous Improvement

• Develop annual operating and capital budget recommendations; monitor expenses, review invoices, obtain quotes, manage purchases, and oversee contractor and vendor performance within approved parameters.
• Identify long-range field, landscape, irrigation, drainage, and equipment needs; maintain accurate department records; and provide timely reports, forecasts, and recommendations to the Director, Operations.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Director, Operations.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in turfgrass management, agronomy, horticulture, plant and soil science, sports field management, or a related discipline strongly preferred.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in athletic field, sports turf, golf course, or comparable high-quality turf and grounds management, including at least three years in a supervisory or leadership role. An equivalent combination of relevant education, certification, and experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining baseball or softball playing surfaces and working knowledge of warm-season turf, infield clay, soil and plant health, irrigation, drainage, cultural practices, fertilization, pest management, and landscaping.
• Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) or another recognized certification or equivalent experience at a professional, collegiate, tournament, training complex, or comparable high-use facility.

Leadership & Technical Skills

• Proven ability to lead and hold teams accountable, communicate effectively, establish priorities, and manage multiple fields and events in a fast-paced, year-round operation.
• Experience managing equipment, inventory, vendors, purchasing, and operating expenses, with working proficiency in email, spreadsheets, scheduling tools, work-order or asset-management systems, and electronic records.

Licenses & Certifications

• Valid driver’s license and ability to safely operate organizational vehicles, utility vehicles, and groundskeeping equipment.
• Must possess or have the ability to obtain and maintain the Florida pesticide and fertilizer applicator certifications required for assigned duties within six months of employment.

Schedule & Physical Requirements

• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on operational needs, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, extended shifts, and occasional emergency or weather response.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods; bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, climb, push, and pull; lift or carry up to 50 pounds; safely operate commercial grounds equipment; and work outdoors in Florida weather and on wet or uneven surfaces.