Early Years Manager

Early Years Alliance; Erith; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Childcare discount

Training & career progression

Pension scheme

25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays

Birthday leave

Sickness & bereavement pay

Employee Referral Bonus up to £300

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Early Years Alliance in Erith is seeking an experienced Early Years Manager to lead a busy nursery. You will oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring EYFS compliance, while driving high standards of care and education within a supportive team. The role offers extensive training, career progression and generous benefits.

Join a community-focused setting with a strong Ofsted profile and access to HR/Finance support, aiming to sustain excellent outcomes for children and families.

Qualifications

• A minimum Level 3 Early Years Education and Childcare Qualification or equivalent and EYFS standards.
• A Level 2 Maths qualification or to achieve within 2 years of starting.
• Ability to use reflective practice, observations, audits and performance data to identify development areas.
• Proven experience leading large teams and sustaining high performance and staff development.
• Experience building partnerships with families, schools, health professionals and local authorities.

Responsibilities

• Inspire and lead your team to deliver high quality early years education and care.
• Manage day-to-day operation of the setting ensuring regulatory compliance and procedures.
• Build relationships with parents and the wider community.
• Manage the financial sustainability of the setting.

Skills

Team leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Quality improvement

IT literacy

Observations & data use

Education

Level 3 EYFS qualification

Maths qualification (Level 2)

Tools

Nursery management software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Is early years your passion? We are looking for a skilled and creative Early Years Manager who can inspire and lead their team to deliver outstanding early years education and care.

Yarnton Way Nursery based in Erith is a popular setting at the heart of the community. It is an 84 place nursery with 82 children on roll. Our Yarnton Way Nursery is rated Good by Ofsted and 9.7 on Day Nurseries. The Early Years Manager will be supported by the Children's Services Manager and wider Alliance support services including HR and Finance.

What We Offer

• 100% discount on childcare and early education places (applicable to staff working in our early years settings)
• Extensive training and career progression planning, including access to our Learning Management System (LMS)
• The Alliance has invested in FAMLY reducing paperwork and giving you more time to focus on the children.
• A generous workplace pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, with additional annual leave for long service.
• Birthday leave so you can have a day off for your birthday dedicated to you and your well being
• Enhanced sickness pay and paid bereavement leave
• A Recruitment Referral Payment Scheme, giving you an introductory payment of up to £300 if someone you have referred to the Alliance takes up a role in the charity.
• Access to our Employee Assistant Programme (EAP), which includes 24/7 helpline access, dedicated managers helpline, confidential counselling sessions delivered by accredited specialists, legal, debt and life management advice, discounts, and wellbeing content plus resources.
• A dedicated mental health First aider to support your mental well being

Job Purpose

• inspire and lead your team to deliver high quality early years education and care
• manage the day-to-day operation of the setting, ensuring all regulatory requirements and policies and procedures are adhered to.
• build relationships with parents and the wider community
• manage the financial sustainability of the setting

Requirements

• A minimum Level 3 Early Years Education and Childcare Qualification or equivalent and ability to meet all standards set out in EYFS.
• A level 2 Math’s qualification or must achieve one within 2 years of starting in the position.
• Able to use reflective practice, observations, audits and performance data to identify areas for development and implement sustainable improvements across the nursery.
• Proven experience of leading and motivating large teams, creating a positive culture that supports high performance, staff development and retention.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including families, schools, health professionals, local authorities and other agencies, to achieve positive outcomes for children.
• Experience of leading practice, and driving continuous improvement to ensure high standards of care, education, and EYFS compliance.
• Strong record of embedding quality within everyday practice, coaching and supporting teams to deliver high-quality early years provision that promotes children's learning, development and wellbeing.
• Sound IT skills and ability to use Microsoft Office programmes, nursery management software, social media platforms and online portals effectively.

Also, you will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check, if your current certificate is not subscribed to the update service.

For the full of duties and the requirements, please download the job description and person specification which accompanies this advert.

Hours per week: 40

Weeks per year: 52

Closing date: Thursday 12th November 2026

Interview date: Friday 20th November 2026

About The Service

The Alliance is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and equal opportunities in employment. It is a requirement of all staff that they share this commitment and follow the prescribed policy and procedures to continuously promote a culture of safeguarding and equal opportunities across the whole organisation.

If you would like to find our more information about our setting, please go to our website