Area Manager

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools; Portsmouth, Gloucester; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

People's Pension

Life assurance

Mental health support

Job summary

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools is seeking an experienced Area Manager to lead a cluster of 4–6 nurseries across several locations. You will balance outstanding Early Years provision with strong commercial performance, coaching Early Years Managers and driving occupancy and revenue.

The role requires travel between sites, a Level 3 Early Years qualification, and a full UK driving licence. The opportunity includes a competitive salary with a bonus potential and a car allowance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading managers and multiple locations or dispersed teams.
• Strong commercial acumen including P&L, occupancy, budgeting and cost control.
• Track record of coaching and developing managers to improve quality and performance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee quality, people, operational and commercial performance of up to six nurseries.
• Provide coaching, challenge and support to build confident leadership teams.
• Drive occupancy and revenue while managing costs and agency spend.
• Monitor KPIs and translate insights into action plans for continuous improvement.
• Ensure Ofsted readiness and safeguarding across settings.
• Build strong relationships with local communities and support workforce planning and recruitment.

Skills

Leadership capabilities

Commercial acumen

Coaching and development

Communication

Decision making

Independence

Education

Level 3 Early Years qualification or above

Clean UK driving licence

Job description

Location:

Recruiting in Multiple Geographical Areas (Portsmouth, Wiltshire or Gloucester, Surrey)

Salary:

c£55,000 + performance related bonus + £6k Car Allowance

Contract:

Full-time, Permanent

About Happy Days

Happy Days is growing, and we're recruiting a number of experienced Area Managers to lead a cluster of around 4-6 Happy Days Nurseries, bringing together outstanding Early Years practice, strong leadership and commercial performance.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an inspiring multi-site leader who knows that quality and commercial success go hand in hand. You’ll empower our Early Years Managers, champion exceptional standards and create the conditions for children, colleagues and nurseries to thrive.

What You'll Be Doing

You’ll have responsibility for the quality, people, operational and commercial performance of your nurseries, including:

• Championing Early Years excellence, ensuring consistently high standards across EYFS, safeguarding, Ofsted and safer recruitment.
• Leading and developing our Early Years Managers, providing coaching, challenge and support to build confident, accountable leadership teams.
• Driving commercial performance, with P&L responsibility and a focus on occupancy, income, staffing costs, agency spend and sustainable growth.
• Using insight to improve performance, monitoring KPIs, identifying opportunities and turning them into clear, practical action plans.
• Creating Ofsted-ready settings, supporting teams before, during and after inspections and embedding continuous improvement.
• Building great teams, supporting workforce planning, succession, recruitment, development and effective performance management.
• Growing our nurseries, helping Managers build strong relationships within their local communities and convert enquiries into registrations.

Leading and Supporting Others

You'll lead and support managers in up to six nurseries.

You will:

• Set clear expectations and support your team to do their best work.
• Manage workloads and make sure deadlines are met.
• Coach and develop team members.
• Hold regular one-to-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Build a positive, supportive and collaborative team culture.

What we’re looking for

You’ll be an experienced leader who can balance high-quality Early Years provision with strong commercial thinking.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience leading managers and multiple locations or geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong commercial acumen, including P&L management, occupancy growth, budgeting and cost control.
• A successful track record of coaching and developing managers to improve quality and performance.
• Confidence managing performance, employee relations and difficult conversations.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and decision-making skills.
• A proactive, accountable approach and the confidence to work independently.

Skills & Experience

We’re looking for experienced, commercially minded Early Years leaders who bring:

• A Full & Relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification or above.
• Strong knowledge of EYFS, Ofsted, safeguarding and regulatory compliance.
• A full, clean UK driving licence and flexibility to travel between settings.

What We Offer

At Happy Days Nurseries, you’ll have the opportunity to genuinely influence how our nurseries perform and grow.

Working alongside a supportive operational team, you’ll have the autonomy to make decisions, develop exceptional leaders and drive continuous improvement, while never losing sight of what matters most: creating fantastic experiences and outcomes for children and families.

Learning and Development

• Support with accounting CPD requirements.
• Opportunities to grow your career.

Health and Wellbeing

• Mental health and wellbeing support.
• Generous annual leave from day one.
• People's Pension.
• Life assurance.

If you’re an Early Years leader who loves developing people, raising standards and delivering results, we’d love to hear from you.

Closing Date:

12pm on Monday 5th October 2026

Interview Dates:

Informal discussions w/c 5th October 2026 and face-to-face assessment w/c 12th October 2026

If you’d like to join a growing organisation where you can make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Inclusion and Safeguarding

Happy Days is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Happy Days Nurseries is committed to safeguarding children. All offers of employment are subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including verification of your right to work in the UK.