Sportsfield & Mowing Team Leader

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Rotorua Lakes Council is seeking a Sports Field and Mowing Services Team Leader to guide a small crew in maintaining sports fields, parks and open spaces with 80 percent field time, delivering safe, well presented surfaces for community training and events. You’ll run turf care programs, mowing, line marking, irrigation, asset care, and lead a safety first, collaborative team while engaging with clubs and contractors. Ideal candidates bring turf management or horticulture background, several years’ supervisory experience, a full driver licence and machinery endorsements; growsafe preferred. Tailor your application to show leadership outcomes, safety culture, seasonal planning, and community engagement, including te reo or tikanga where relevant, with evidence of equipment stewardship and problem solving.

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Community-centric careers await you in Rotorua!
Are you ready to be part of a team that's dedicated to making a positive impact in our community? At Te Kaunihera o ngā Roto o Rotorua | Rotorua Lakes Council, we're more than just an organisation; we're a force for good. With over 500 staff, our council is at the forefront of culture, people, and connections. From lakeside relaxation to world-class mountain biking trails, geothermal wonders, and vibrant night markets, Rotorua has it all. Embrace our commitment to biculturalism as we work hand in hand with Te Arawa, our local iwi. If you're ready to embark on a fulfilling journey, apply now and be part of a truly extraordinary team.

Nei ngā ringa e toro atu nei ki a koe! Haeremai! Our arms are extended to you in welcome!


If you’re someone who takes pride in creating high quality outdoor environments and enjoys leading others to achieve great results, this is an exciting opportunity to step into a hands on leadership role that directly supports the wellbeing of our community. Rotorua Lakes Council is looking for a Sports Field and Mowing Services Team Leader to guide a small, capable team in maintaining our sports fields, parks, and open spaces.

This role is perfect for someone who loves being outdoors and isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves. Around 80% of your time will be spent in the field, working alongside your team, sharing your technical knowledge, and setting the standard through your own work. You’ll oversee the delivery of sports field maintenance, ensuring surfaces are safe, well presented, and ready for everything from community training sessions to high profile sporting events held at Rotorua International Stadium. You’ll plan and support turf care programmes, seasonal renovations, mowing schedules, line marking, aeration, and everything needed to keep our green spaces in excellent condition.

You will take a leading role in organising and delivering mowing services across parks and reserves, adapting work programmes to seasonal growth patterns and ensuring that our open spaces are consistently maintained to a high standard. Effective resource use, equipment care, and operational efficiency are key parts of the role, and you’ll be trusted to keep things running smoothly and safely.
Irrigation and water management will also be an important part of your responsibilities. You’ll monitor systems, respond to faults, and adjust irrigation schedules based on weather and soil conditions to support sustainable and healthy turf growth.

As a team leader, you’ll allocate daily tasks, provide coaching and guidance, and help build capability within your team. You’ll foster a positive, supportive, safety first culture where everyone feels valued and motivated. Strong leadership is essential, especially when it comes to promoting safe work practices, managing risks, and ensuring all activities meet both legislative and council requirements.
You’ll also play a key role in interacting with the community and stakeholders. Whether it’s responding to service requests, working with local sports clubs, or coordinating with contractors and internal teams, you’ll represent the Council with professionalism, clarity, and a commitment to great service.

To succeed in this role, you’ll ideally bring a background in turf management, horticulture, or a related field, supported by several years of experience in sports field, golf course or grounds maintenance. You’ll have proven supervisory or leadership experience, a strong understanding of turf management requirements of various sports codes, and confidence operating and caring for mowing and turf equipment. A full driver’s licence is required, growsafe and machinery endorsements are a welcome advantage.

At Rotorua Lakes Council, we work as one community and one team. We believe in empowering our people, supporting your growth, and giving you the tools you need to make a meaningful impact. If you’re someone who leads with integrity, thrives in an outdoor environment, and is motivated to make a difference in the spaces our community uses and enjoys, we’d love to hear from you.

Join us in creating well maintained, welcoming parks and sports fields that help Rotorua thrive.

Click this link to view the position description for this role


Te Kaunihera o nga Roto o Rotorua (Rotorua Lakes Council) is committed to working in partnership with Te Arawa, our local iwi. We aspire to being a bicultural organisation and we value staff who speak te reo Maori, have an appreciation of Maori values, and a working knowledge of tikanga Maori.


Sound like you? Click the Apply button now.