County Pitch Advisor

Lincolnshire Cricket is looking to recruit a second County Pitch Advisor (CPA) to support & develop volunteer ground staff within the recreational game, providing relevant technical advice to drive up playing facility standards across the county.

County Pitch Advisors work with County Cricket Boards (CCBs) and the Grounds Management Association (GMA) in developing and delivering advice and support to ground staff locally & raising the profile of ground staff within the sport.

Roles & Responsibilities

• To undertake Performance Quality Standards (PQS) assessments and/or detailed pitch assessments for squares and outfields, along with the production of a detailed report using the PitchPower assessment tool.
• To undertake basic advisory assessments including visual inspections and the production of short reports & notes thereafter.
• To monitor the developments of any facilities on which recommendations are being implemented.
• To respond to urgent issues that need advice – for example when a club must deal with an act of vandalism, flooding or a request from the league where a pitch has been reported as poor.
• To promote and work within the CCB’s facilities strategy and to send reports to the CCB for internal review and approval.
• To support initiatives from the CCB and/or the ECB to promote ground staff and improve the quality of playing surfaces, including working with leagues to develop knowledge and expertise and presenting at workshops.

Attributes & Requirements

• Be able to demonstrate that the relevant level of experience and expertise has been acquired over a three-year period within cricket and preferably attained a Level 3 standard or relevant industry qualification.
• Have a confident but open-minded personality and have good communication and listening skills.
• The ability to use IT is essential, together with the ability to produce detailed PQS related reports, capturing on site images, including them in reports and sending reports via email.
• Able to commit to the CCB and show flexibility as and when required, with agreement from your employer. A long-term commitment to the role is expected.
• Happy to take up the appointment in the pursuance of supporting and advising grassroots ground staff and operating within the CCB structures and policies.
• Capable and willing to giving practical demonstrations and presentations to ground staff on basic skills such as pitch preparation and end of season renovation.

Fees

The fees payable to a County Pitch Advisor are managed locally by Lincolnshire Cricket and are subject to specific circumstances and travel costs. Please note the position is not a salaried role and there is no guarantee of regular hours or income.

A guide price for reports is as follows:

1. Detailed PQS assessment (Square, Outfield, Equipment) – £150 (plus mileage at 45p per mile)
2. Grassroots assessments:

1. Written report (Square only or Outfield only assessment) – £100 (plus mileage at 35p per mile)
2. Verbal assessment on site – £50
3. Verbal advice on phone – Free of charge

Training

All CPA’s must be able to assess playing facilities using a nationally accepted standard & set of criteria (GMA Performance Quality Standards).

CPA’s will get training to do this, as well as ongoing mentoring from their relevant Regional Pitch Advisor (RPA).

There will also be opportunities to attend training courses to fill gaps in knowledge on an annual basis.

Extra things to note

• We are ideally looking for a candidate based in the centre or south of the county to complement our CPA offering in the north.
• Some industry qualification is desirable, but not always essential. A good ground staff pedigree will be essential, along with effective personal, communication & IT skills.
• CPA’s must be able to provide impartial advice when recommending goods and services from various suppliers or contractors.
• The successful candidate will need to be available on 29^th & 30^th January 2025 for face-to-face training.