Nursery Manager | Cardiff Bay | £39,998.40 + Bonus

Family Adventures Group; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-related bonus scheme

33 days' holiday (including bank ifull

Birthday day off

Staff childcare support

Training and leadership development

Career progression

Wellbeing support

Gym and lifestyle discounts

Cycle to Work scheme

Recognition and rewards

Team events

Job summary

Green Giraffe Nursery Cardiff Bay in Cardiff is seeking an experienced Nursery Manager or deputy to lead daily operations and inspire an Early Years team. You will ensure high standards of care, learning and safeguarding while building strong relationships with families and staff.

The role offers a permanent, full-time schedule with a 40-hour week, Monday to Friday, and a performance bonus scheme to recognise success. 33 days holiday and birthday leave are among the benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience leading and developing an Early Years team.
• Strong safeguarding and child protection knowledge.
• Excellent communication and people management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the nursery.
• Inspire, motivate and develop your Early Years team.
• Maintain high standards of care, learning and development.
• Ensure safeguarding and child protection are central to practice.
• Coach and develop leadership and wider nursery colleagues.
• Build strong relationships with families and carers.
• Oversee staffing, deployment and daily operations.

Skills

Leadership experience

People management

Staff development

Safeguarding knowledge

Child development knowledge

Staff rostering

Education

Level 3 Early Years / Childcare qualification

Job description

Green Giraffe Nursery Cardiff Bay

Location: Cardiff Bay, Cardiff

Salary: £39,998.40 per annum + performance-related bonus scheme

Hours: 40 hours per week

Contract: Permanent, Full-time

Schedule: Monday to Friday

Closing date: Sunday 29 November 2026

Ready to lead your next nursery?

Are you an experienced Nursery Manager, Deputy Nursery Manager or Early Years leader looking for your next opportunity in Cardiff?

We're looking for an inspiring and experienced Nursery Manager to lead Green Giraffe Nursery Cardiff Bay.

You'll be responsible for creating a nursery where children thrive, families feel confident and colleagues feel supported to do their best work, while maintaining excellent standards across safeguarding, quality, people and day-to-day nursery operations.

Why join Green Giraffe?

We want you to have more than a job. We want you to build a leadership career you enjoy.

You'll benefit from:

• £39,998.40 annual salary
• Performance-related bonus scheme
• 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• 33 days' holiday for full-time colleagues, including bank holidays
• An additional paid day off for your birthday
• Excellent staff childcare support from day one, subject to availability and scheme conditions
• Training and leadership development, including mentoring and learning resources
• Career progression within our growing nursery group
• Wellbeing support, with services that may include 24/7 emotional support, virtual GP/nurse access, online physiotherapy and medical, financial and legal helplines
• Stream financial wellbeing tools
• Gym and lifestyle discounts
• Cycle to Work scheme for eligible colleagues
• Recognition and rewards, including Adventurous Applause, colleague awards, referral rewards and long-service recognition
• Team events and celebrations

We're proud to be a Great Place to Work certified organisation and recognised by The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, reflecting the supportive, inclusive culture we're building for our people.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the nursery
• Inspire, motivate and develop your Early Years team
• Create a positive culture where colleagues feel supported, valued and accountable
• Maintain consistently high standards of care, learning and development
• Ensure children's individual needs remain at the heart of nursery practice
• Lead on safeguarding and child protection, creating a strong safeguarding culture
• Ensure appropriate staffing, deployment and ratios are maintained
• Coach and develop your leadership team and wider nursery colleagues
• Lead effective supervisions, performance conversations and colleague development
• Build strong, trusted relationships with parents, carers and families
• Maintain high standards of health, safety and welfare
• Ensure policies, procedures and regulatory requirements are consistently followed
• Support the commercial and operational success of the nursery
• Lead by example and bring our values to life every day

What We're Looking For

• A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years / Childcare qualification or equivalent
• Strong Early Years leadership or management experience
• Experience leading and developing a nursery or Early Years team
• Excellent knowledge of safeguarding and child protection
• Strong understanding of child development and high-quality Early Years practice
• Confidence managing staffing, deployment and day-to-day nursery operations
• Strong communication, organisation and people-management skills
• Confidence building positive relationships with families and colleagues
• A positive, caring and accountable leadership style
• A strong commitment to safeguarding and promoting children's wellbeing
• An Enhanced DBS or willingness to undertake the required checks

Previous experience as a Nursery Manager, Deputy Nursery Manager, Assistant Nursery Manager or senior Early Years leader would be an advantage.

Grow your Early Years leadership career

Already working as a Deputy Nursery Manager and ready to take the step into your first Nursery Manager position?

Or are you an experienced Nursery Manager looking for a new challenge within a growing nursery group?

This is an opportunity to lead your own nursery, build a fantastic team and be rewarded for the difference you make through our performance-related bonus scheme.

Our culture is built around our ARCH values: Accountability, Reliability, Caring and Honesty, with learning, recognition