Nursery Manager (12 months Maternity Cover)

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust; Southampton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare facility in Southampton is seeking a Nursery Manager for a maternity cover role. You will manage a team to provide outstanding care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years. The ideal candidate will possess a relevant degree or Level 3 Early Years Qualification, have substantial childcare experience, and a good understanding of Ofsted regulations. Salary ranges from £38,682 to £46,580 per annum pro rata.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Discount schemes

Flexible working environment

Qualifications

• Relevant degree or full and relevant Level 3 Early Years Qualification.
• Up to date knowledge of current under 5s curriculum.
• GCSEs in Math and English (C or above).
• Experience in managing a childcare setting.
• Knowledge of Ofsted regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team delivering care and education to children aged 3 months - 5 years.
• Manage the nursery environment and ensure a positive experience for children.
• Ensure compliance with educational regulations and standards.

Skills

Team management

Early Years Curriculum Knowledge

Childcare experience

Communication

Flexibility

Education

Degree in Early Years Childcare or equivalent

Level 3 Early Years Qualification

Job description

Nursery Manager (12 months Maternity Cover)

The closing date is 25 September 2025

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Are you passionate about being part of a team aspiring to deliver outstanding care and education to children aged 3 months - 5 years? Do you want to be part of a high performing, supportive nursery Leadership team who are always looking to improve? Do you want to develop your own skills as well as the skills of practitioners in your team?

Taplins operates two day nurseries supporting our local NHS staff, one at University Hospital Southampton (where you will be based) and one at Western Community Hospital. Being part of the UHS family means you will have access to great benefits such as generous holiday allowance, variety of shifts, and a discount scheme.

We aim to make each child\'s early education experiences positive and meaningful. Our children learn best in our warm, secure and caring environment, where they are able to experiment and have fun indoors or play in our generous outdoor space from 7am to 6.30pm. We have a reputation of meeting the needs of both children and their parents and offer the most solid foundation in those important first years.

About us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England\'s largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we\'re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We\'re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Job responsibilities

You\'ll need to be calm, kind and caring, with a sense of humour — we like our nurseries to be happy places! You\'ll have a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring approach to leading a team and working with children and their families. You\'ll need to be committed and reliable with a flexible approach. You\'ll hold a degree in an Early Years Childcare related subject/ Early Years Practitioner Status, or equivalent sector experience alongside a Level 3 Early years Qualification. You\'ll have experience of managing an Early Years setting, or be an experienced deputy manager with skills and aspirations to work at this level. You\'ll have the ability to manage a large team and drive improvements in performance. You\'ll be able to provide flexibility to work shifts between 0700-1830 Monday to Friday throughout the year.

Please contact us for more details!

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the Job Description and Main Responsibilities section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

• Relevant degree, hold EYP status, or have a Foundation Degree. Or to hold a full and relevant Level 3 (or above) Early Years Qualification and be able to provide a validation certificate from Check an early years qualification - GOV.UK verifying this. To be able to provide all supporting documents as specified on the validation certificate.
• Up to date knowledge of current under 5s curriculum
• Math and English GCSE/GSE (or equivalent) grade C or above
• Recent previous experience of working with 3 months to 5 year olds in a childcare setting
• Management experience within a childcare setting
• Excellence, up to date knowledge of Ofsted regulations and curriculum
• Experience of team managing and motivating a team
• Experience of managing a budget
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Current paediatric first aid certificate at work
• Current food hygiene certificate

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Per Annum (PA) Pro Rata