Reports to: Manager-Turf Care
Department: Turf Care
Status: Full-Time, 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 Assistant Manager – Ballfields is responsible for the planning, supervision, and execution of all athletic field and Lawn Sports Court maintenance activities across the park. This position provides direct oversight of a centralized ballfield team and ensures that all assigned playing surfaces are maintained to the highest standards of safety, playability, and appearance.
Working closely with the Turf Care Manager and other Turf Care leadership, the Assistant Manager – Ballfields is responsible for daily operations, staff supervision, scheduling, and quality control for traditional baseball and softball fields, Lawn Sports Courts, and associated high-use turf areas. This role balances hands-on technical expertise with leadership responsibilities and plays a critical role in supporting athletics, leagues, special events, and peak-use periods.
Essential Duties
Operational Leadership & Supervision
• Directly supervise, train, and evaluate a team of six Ballfield Groundskeepers
• Assign daily and seasonal work based on field use, weather conditions, and operational priorities
• Ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with established Turf Care standards
• Provide hands-on leadership in the field, including demonstration of proper techniques and equipment use
• Assist with onboarding and ongoing professional development of staff
Athletic Field & Lawn Sports Management
• Oversee maintenance of baseball and softball fields, including infield surfaces, pitching mounds, home plates, clay ovals and turf areas
• Ensure proper field setup, breakdown, and transitions between baseball and soccer season. Including line painting and goal set up
• Supervise Lawn Sports Court maintenance, including walk-behind mowing, rolling, topdressing, overseeding, and surface grooming
• Coordinate planting and landscape maintenance activities adjacent to Lawn
Sports Courts
• Monitor field conditions during inclement weather and determine playability in coordination with leadership
Planning, Scheduling & Coordination
• Develop and manage daily and weekly work schedules for ballfield staff, including weekend coverage
• Coordinate maintenance activities around athletic schedules, events, and special programs
• Serve as the primary point of contact for ballfield-related operational needs
• Collaborate with other Turf Care teams, including irrigation and general turf operations
Technical & Equipment Oversight
• Operate and oversee the safe use of specialized ballfield and turf equipment
• Ensure preventative maintenance and cleanliness of assigned equipment
• Assist with irrigation oversight, troubleshooting, and coordination with irrigation staff
• Support aeration, fertilization, topdressing, and renovation activities as needed
General Grounds & Support Responsibilities
• Support care of high-use lawn areas, including trash removal, string trimming, and perimeter detailing
• Assist with snow removal and ice mitigation operations as required
• Participate in preparation and support of special events and high-visibility park operations
• Determine lawn openings and closing during or after inclement weather
Collaboration
• Coordinates with other departments within CPC, vendors, concessions, and general Park use
• Coordinate with special event management pertaining to events on turf surfaces
• Collaborate with other Assistant Managers in Landscape Management, Volunteer Department and other departments within Park Operations to achieve set work plan goals.
• Daily reports of malfunctioning infrastructure, furnishings, safety hazards, quality of life issues
• Interact with Park patrons in a professional manner
Related Work
• Initiates the purchase of supplies, tools, and other related equipment to Manager
• Ensure the removal of all trash from landscape, gardens, grounds, hardscape and facilities in a section; collaborate with Park Maintenance on inspections notifications of unsatisfactory conditions.
• Although not part of day to day tasks, the Assistant Manager may be called upon to mow, water, weed, rake, remove snow and perform other related landscape management tasks as needed and/or required
• Assist Turf Care Manager in the collection of detailed records and data related to the turf care program. May be asked to prepare presentations and reports associated with turf care programs and schedules.
• Respond to emergency situations including, but not limited to, storms and snow events
• Perform related work as assigned
• Use computer-based management systems for budget control, scheduling, timekeeping and inspections.
• Assists in the development of annual work plan as it relates to the ballfields, and A lawns in the park.
Schedule & Weekend Requirement
• This is a full-time position scheduled for five (5) days and forty (40) hours per week. In alignment with peak athletic and park usage, the standard work schedule includes Saturday and Sunday as regular workdays within the five-day workweek, with days off assigned during the week.
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree from accredited college in a related field; 6 years of increasingly responsible experience in maintenance work in the field of Landscape/athletic field management including a minimum of 6 years in the management and supervision of others; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to above.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff or leading crews
• Strong working knowledge of baseball and softball field maintenance practices
• Valid driver’s license, maintained throughout employment
Abilities Required
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and extended hours during peak seasons as required
• Ability to perform physical labor, including lifting up to 50 lbs., in all weather conditions
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills
Salary range: $89,000 - $115,400 (based on level of experience)
Note: This is an on-site position.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The Central Park Conservancy’s work is guided by the belief that Central Park, and all public parks, must be managed and actively protected as an inclusive and democratic space for all.
Working closely with our New York City partners, we will always strive towards creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for all visitors and advocating for equitable and accessible public use of the Park.
In service of this belief, we are committed to fostering a workforce and organizational culture that is as diverse as Central Park itself and the dynamic city it serves.
Safety Requirements
Establishment and maintenance of a safe work environment is the shared responsibility of this organization and employees at every level. The Conservancy will make every effort to assure a safe environment and be in compliance with federal, state, and local safety regulations. Employees are expected to obey safety rules and to exercise caution in all their work activities. Accordingly, employees should be aware of any hazards, which could cause an injury or accident (e.g., spills, obstacles in walkways, etc.). If an employee discovers a potential dangerous condition, he/she should alert other employees and notify his/her supervisor immediately.
Disclaimer
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
