Projects Coordinator – Sports Turf, Irrigation & Construction

Projects Coordinator – Sports Turf, Irrigation & Construction

$75,000–$90,000 + super + car allowance + performance incentives

Don’t worry too much about the title – I’m not. I’m more interested in finding the right person and shaping the role around their skills, experience and where they can take it.

NQ Turf Specialists is a growing sports turf consultancy, technical and project business working across golf courses, racecourses, sporting fields and other high-performance turf facilities throughout North Queensland. As the business continues to grow, I’m looking for our first full-time team member to come on this journey with us.

You don’t necessarily need sports turf experience. If you come from irrigation, landscaping, horticulture, construction, agriculture, machinery operation, project delivery or another practical background, I’d like to hear from you.

I can teach plenty of the technical turf side. What I’m looking for is attitude, reliability, initiative, practical ability and someone who genuinely wants to learn, develop and take on more responsibility. This isn’t just about filling a position. I’m looking for someone who can grow with NQ Turf Specialists and, in time, become a key part of the business.

What can you expect from NQ Turf Specialists?

The salary for the role will generally be $75,000–$90,000 + super + car allowance + performance incentives , depending on your existing skills and experience. I’m deliberately keeping the range fairly broad because I’m more interested in finding the right person than fitting someone into a predetermined position.

More importantly, I don’t necessarily see the top of that range as your ceiling. If you develop quickly, take on more responsibility and become increasingly valuable to the business, I’m prepared to reward that accordingly.

Right now, a car allowance will form part of the role, with a view to a fully maintained company vehicle as the position develops.

Work hours are generally Monday to Friday, with only occasional weekend work when absolutely necessary. There will also be some flexibility around hours. Some days may be longer and, in turn, others will be shorter. It’s a bit of give and take. If you get your work done and do it well, I’m far less interested in what the clock says.

There will be some travel throughout North Queensland. A lot of this will be day trips, however occasional overnight travel will be required. It won’t be excessive, but you’ll need to be comfortable with it.

What will you actually be doing?





One of the great things about this role is that it won’t be the same job every day. One week you might be working on a golf course, the next a racecourse or sporting field, and at other times you could be involved in a construction or irrigation project.

Depending on your existing skills and how the role develops, the work could include:

- Sports turf renovation and improvement works

- Operating machinery and specialist equipment

- Turf establishment and grow-in works

- Irrigation installation, repairs and troubleshooting

- Soil, water and turf testing

- Field inspections and agronomic assessments

- Fertiliser and turf treatment applications

- Sports field and golf course construction projects

- Project works and coordination of subcontractors

- Working directly with clients, turf managers, contractors and sporting organisations

- General hands-on work required to get projects completed properly

You’ll also spend plenty of time working directly alongside me.

Over time, I want you to understand not only what we are doing, but why we are doing it. That could mean learning to identify turf issues, understand irrigation systems, interpret soil and water results, assess construction work, troubleshoot problems and eventually make recommendations of your own.

There’s a lot to learn, and I’m happy to teach the right person.

Who am I looking for?

While I’d love someone who comes with the full suite of skills, I’m realistic that this is a niche industry. Maybe you already have sports turf experience – that would be fantastic.

But perhaps your background is irrigation, landscaping, horticulture, agriculture, construction, machinery operation, project management or another practical trade. Maybe you come from somewhere completely different but can demonstrate how your skills transfer.

I’m far more interested in finding someone with a great attitude, a bit of get-up-and-go and the willingness to have a crack. You don’t need to know everything. I can teach technical skills. What I can’t teach is attitude, reliability, initiative and work ethic.

You also need to be able to talk to people. You don’t need to be a salesperson or the loudest person in the room, but a lot of our work involves dealing directly with clients, contractors, turf managers, sporting clubs and other stakeholders.



You need to communicate well and represent the business professionally.

For someone without a formal turf qualification, there may also be an opportunity to complete a Sports Turf Management apprenticeship as part of the role if that pathway makes sense.

Where could this lead?

For the right person, potentially a long way. In time, I could see you managing your own small team, taking responsibility for project works and eventually undertaking field inspections and client work with increasing autonomy.

In reality, I’d like this person to eventually become my right-hand person.

I don’t expect you to walk through the door capable of doing all of that. The idea is that your responsibility grows as your knowledge, confidence and capability develop. And as that happens, I expect your remuneration to grow with it.

For someone who becomes genuinely valuable to the business, there is also the opportunity for performance and profitability-based incentives. If you help positively grow NQ Turf Specialists, I want you to personally benefit from what we build.

A bit about working with me

I’ve managed teams for around 20 years. I’ve worked with some great bosses and some absolute crap ones. I’m not perfect, but I do my best to be one of the good ones.

One thing I’m pretty proud of is that throughout those 20 years, I’ve generally had very low staff turnover. I’d like to think that comes from treating people fairly, providing some flexibility, helping people develop and recognising good people when you have them.

I’ll put plenty into helping the right person grow, but of course it works both ways. I need someone who takes ownership of what they do, can think for themselves, solves problems and wants to get better. You’ll make mistakes. I know I do. I don’t expect perfection. What I do expect is honesty, ownership and that you learn from them.

Trust is a big part of this role.

What you must have

You’ll need:

- A current Australian driver’s licence

- The ability and willingness to travel throughout North Queensland

- The ability to undertake occasional overnight travel

- Good communication skills

- The ability to work independently and as part of a very small team

- A solid work ethic and proven reliability

- Initiative and the ability to think for yourself

- A genuine willingness to learn and develop

- The right to work in Australia on a permanent basis

Unfortunately, this opportunity is not suitable for working holiday makers or anyone looking for short-term work. I’m looking for someone who wants to build something here over the long term.

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📌 Projects Coordinator – Sports Turf, Irrigation & Construction (Cairns Regional)
🏢 NQ Turf Specialists
📍 Cairns Regional