Nursery Area Manager

Olympus Recruitment; West of England; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Olympus Recruitment is seeking an experienced Early Years Area Manager to oversee a cluster of 6–10 settings in the Bristol area. You will lead multiple Early Years Managers, ensure EYFS and Ofsted compliance, manage P&L, occupancy and commercial KPIs, and drive continuous improvement.

The role emphasises strong leadership, safeguarding, and effective stakeholder relationships to deliver high-quality childcare and education across the region.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising multiple settings or dispersed teams.
• Strong knowledge of EYFS and Ofsted frameworks.
• Experience managing budgets, P&L and occupancy KPIs.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to multiple Early Years Managers.
• Ensure compliance with EYFS, Ofsted, safeguarding and safer recruitment.
• Conduct regular quality audits and drive continuous improvement.
• Support settings through Ofsted inspections and improvement plans.
• Take responsibility for P&L, budgets, occupancy, fee income and cost management.
• Analyse KPIs and implement action plans to improve performance.
• Lead workforce planning, succession and development of managers.
• Manage performance and employee relations.
• Support local marketing to increase registrations.
• Maintain health, safety and compliance across all sites.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

P&L management

Team management

Regulatory compliance

KPIs analysis

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder communication

Education

Level 3 EY qualification

Job description

Early Years Area Manager

Location: Bristol area

Salary: £50,000-£55,000 + £5,000 car allowance

Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time

We are seeking an experienced Early Years Area Manager to oversee a cluster of approximately 6-10 settings, providing strong operational, commercial and quality leadership.

This is a key leadership role, responsible for ensuring high standards of childcare and education while driving regulatory compliance, team performance and commercial success across the area.

The Role

You will work closely with Early Years Managers, supporting them to deliver excellent outcomes across their settings. Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing leadership and support to multiple Early Years Managers.
• Ensuring compliance with EYFS, Ofsted, safeguarding and safer recruitment requirements.
• Conducting regular quality audits and driving continuous improvement.
• Supporting settings through Ofsted inspections and improvement plans.
• Taking responsibility for P&L, budgets, occupancy, fee income and cost management.
• Analysing KPIs and implementing action plans to improve operational performance.
• Leading workforce planning, succession and management development.
• Managing performance and employee relations matters effectively.
• Supporting local marketing initiatives to increase registrations.
• Ensuring strong health, safety and compliance standards across all sites.

About You

You will be an experienced Early Years leader with a strong understanding of EYFS, Ofsted and safeguarding, combined with commercial and operational management experience.

You will have:

• Experience managing multiple Early Years settings or geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong knowledge of Ofsted inspection frameworks and regulatory requirements.
• A Level 3 or above full and relevant Early Years qualification.
• Experience managing budgets, P&L and commercial KPIs such as occupancy.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor and develop managers.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A proactive, commercially aware and solutions-focused approach.
• A clean UK driving licence.

What's on Offer

• £50,000-£55,000 salary
• £5,000 car allowance
• Permanent, full-time position
• Opportunity to influence performance across multiple settings
• A key leadership role within a growing Early Years organisation