Turf Care Groundskeeper I or II - Ballfield

Reports to: Manager - Turf Care
Department: Turf Care
Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

About the Central Park Conservancy:
Central Park is one of the world's most famous and beloved public spaces. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858, the 843-acre Park was the country's first purpose-built public park and is a National Historic Landmark and a New York Scenic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to rescue the Park, which had fallen into serious disrepair. Since then, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of over $1.6 billion in the restoration of the Park, which now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.
 
The Conservancy is one of the largest and most successful public private partnerships in New York City and is considered a major civic institution given its impact on the health and vibrancy of both the Park and the City.  The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from urban life. The City of New York has formally entrusted the care of the Park to the Conservancy which is responsible for every aspect of its care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience. The Conservancy employs roughly 400 people and has an annual operating budget of $120 million.

Job Summary
The Ballfield Groundskeeper in the Turf Care Management Department is responsible for the care and maintenance of multiple athletic and recreational turf facilities throughout the park. Working under the supervision of the Turf Care leadership team, this position supports a centralized ballfield operation that includes traditional baseball and softball fields, Lawn Sports Courts, and associated high-use turf areas.

Primary responsibilities include maintaining safe, playable, and visually consistent turf and soil-based surfaces through specialized field maintenance practices. While some assignments focus on traditional ballfield preparation, others emphasize fine turf management associated with Lawn Sports Courts, including precision mowing, rolling, topdressing, and ornamental planting support. The Ballfield Groundskeeper may also assist with general turf care, trash removal, and string trimming in adjacent high-profile lawns as needed.

Essential Duties 

Athletic Field & Lawn Sports Maintenance
•    Perform specialized maintenance of athletic and recreational turf areas, which may include one or more of the following depending on assignment:

Ballfields
•    Perform daily infield maintenance including dragging, rolling, and leveling playing surfaces
•    Edge, paint, and prepare pitching mounds and home plates
•    Apply infield mix, topdressing, and conditioners to maintain safe and playable surfaces
•    Set up and break down field configurations between baseball/softball and soccer seasons
•    Assist with seasonal renovations including laser grading and sod installation
•    Monitor field conditions during inclement weather and communicate playability concerns

     Lawn Sports Courts
•    Perform walk-behind mowing of fine turf playing surfaces
•    Roll and topdress turf to maintain smoothness and playability
•    Assist with overseeding, fertility applications, and surface grooming
•    Support planting and maintenance of ornamental beds and landscape features adjacent to Lawn Sports Courts

High-Use Lawn Support
•    Assist with general care of large lawn areas, including trash removal, string trimming, and perimeter fence detailing
•    Support turf care efforts during peak use periods and special events

Technical Operation:
•    Assist in mowing and trimming turf areas parkwide.
•    Perform aeration, overseeding, and fertilization in accordance to Turf Care Management Plan.
•    Operate utility vehicles, mowers, tractors, drags, and field-specific grooming equipment.
•    Support irrigation maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs as needed.
•    Assist in chemical applications, including calibration, handling, and application of fertilizers and other treatments per regulations.
•    Perform material additions, grading and leveling of soft surface areas and operation of associated equipment
•    Safely operate heavy machinery such as front-end loaders, skid steer and trucks when required.
•    Advanced knowledge of preventative maintenance on all machinery used in Turf Care parkwide operations 
•    Perform snow removal and ice mitigation on paths, entrances, playgrounds, perimeter and other hard surfaces with machines and physical labor to provide appropriate levels of access as per established organizational standards
•    Maintains all plant beds in assigned section, including weeding, mulching, raking and pruning, according to an established schedule to organizational standard