Head of Pitch PerformanceNottingham Forest

Salary: Please state your expectations within your application

Contract: Full Time, 42 hours a week

Location: The Nigel Doughty Academy, Nottingham, NG2 7SR

Department: Pitch Performance

Reporting to: Head of Football Operations

Closing Date For Applications: 3rd June 2026

About the Role:

Nottingham Forest Football Club is seeking a highly skilled and driven Head of Pitch Performance to lead the delivery of world-class playing surfaces across all club sites. This role is central to ensuring that all pitches meet elite performance standards, supporting player safety, performance, and the club’s ambition to maintain some of the best surfaces in the world.

The Perks of the Job:

• Opportunity to access tickets for events at The City Ground.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to high street and gym discounts.
• Discount within our Club shop.
• Free on-site parking.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

Pitch Performance & Standards

• Take responsibility for developing a culture within the Pitch Performance
• Team that creates commitment and ownership to produce and maintain best-in-class pitches across the Club.
• Lead, motivate and manage the Pitch Performance Team to ensure the highest standards of preparation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of all playing surfaces across the Stadium, Training Ground and Holme Road.
• Embed practices and processes that ensure surfaces consistently meet performance, safety, and regulatory standards.

Strategy & Planning

• Develop and lead the implementation of long-term pitch performance strategies across all club sites.
• Plan seasonal and cyclical maintenance programmes aligned with fixture schedules, off season periods and training demands that optimise time and budgetary requirements.
• Lead strategic planning and work with key internal stakeholders for infrastructure improvements and surface upgrades across all sites.
• Be the point of contact for the Club when monitoring Pitch Performance of Pre Season Camps.

Data & Performance Integration

• Work closely with the Performance Departments and oversee the integration of pitch performance into player performance and injury prevention strategies.
• Utilise Raw Stadia data insights to inform strategic and operational decision-making and optimise surface performance.
• Provide weekly reporting, methodology and analysis on pitch conditions and trends to key stakeholders across the First Team, Academy & Women’s Teams.

Innovation & Technology

• Identify research opportunities to propose, identify and evaluate new technologies to advance pitch performance and operational efficiency.
• Evaluate, and implement new technologies to advance pitch performance and operational efficiency.
• Stay at the forefront of industry developments, bringing innovative solutions into the department.

Leadership & Staff Management

• Lead, manage, and develop all Pitch Performance staff across multiple sites.
• Foster a high-performance culture, ensuring clear objectives, training, and progression opportunities for all Pitch Performance staff.
• Coordinate resource allocation across sites to meet operational demands.
• Manage and build relationships with external stakeholders & potential partners to consistently bring innovation and development to all sites.

Budget & Resource Management

• Produce and manage annual budgets for all pitch-related operations.
• Ensure cost-effective use of resources while maintaining elite standards.
• Provide business cases for further investments/ procurement of materials, site management, assets, machinery, and external services.

Health & Safety

• Ensure full compliance with health and safety regulations across all sites.
• Implement and monitor safe systems of work for all staff and contractors.
• Maintain up-to-date risk assessments and operational procedures.

What are we looking for:

• Proven experience in elite-level sports turf management, ideally within professional football.
• NVQ level 3 or higher Sports Turf qualification or equivalent
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Experience in multi-site operations and strategic planning.
• Knowledge of pitch performance metrics and data-led decision making.
• Budget management experience.
• Strong understanding of health and safety regulations within a Pitch Performance environment. Interest in and awareness of emerging technologies in sports turf management.

Personal Attributes

• Highly organised and strategic thinker.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to excellence.
• Proactive and innovative mindset.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Passionate about elite sport and performance environments.