Senior Nursery Manager - St Ives

Kindred Nurseries; St Leonards; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Kindred Nurseries is seeking a Senior Nursery Manager in the UK to provide inspirational leadership across the nursery and support the wider cluster. You will foster a positive culture where children flourish, colleagues develop and families receive outstanding experiences.

You will lead the Nursery Leadership Team, coach managers, partner with the Area Manager, and ensure EYFS/Ofsted compliance while driving continuous improvement and strong commercial performance.

Qualifications

• A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification (or above).
• A minimum of two years' experience leading and managing an Early Years team.
• Strong knowledge of the EYFS and Ofsted requirements.
• Excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• Experience developing, coaching and motivating teams.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to manage budgets and performance.
• A passion for delivering exceptional childcare and education.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Nursery Leadership Team, creating a high-performing and engaged culture.
• Inspire, coach and mentor Nursery Managers, Deputy Managers and Room Leaders to achieve their full potential.
• Work closely with the Area Manager to deliver Kindred's vision and strategic objectives.
• Ensure exceptional standards of Early Years education in line with the EYFS and Ofsted requirements.
• Drive quality improvement, compliance and continuous development across the nursery.
• Manage occupancy, budgets, KPIs and commercial performance while maintaining outstanding standards of care.
• Support recruitment, induction, succession planning and talent development.
• Build strong relationships with children, families, colleagues and the wider community.
• Lead safeguarding, health and safety and quality assurance across the nursery.
• Support projects, acquisitions and wider business initiatives where required.
• Act as a role model for Kindred's values and leadership behaviours.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Team development

Budget management

EYFS knowledge

Ofsted compliance

Communication

Organisational skills

Commercial awareness

Childcare excellence

Education

Level 3 Early Years qualification

Leadership or management qualification

Paediatric First Aid Certificate

Job description

As a Senior Nursery Manager, you'll provide inspirational leadership across your nursery while supporting the wider nursery cluster. You'll create a positive culture where children flourish, colleagues develop and families receive exceptional experiences, while working closely with senior leaders to drive continuous improvement.

You will:

• Lead and develop the Nursery Leadership Team, creating a high-performing and engaged culture.
• Inspire, coach and mentor Nursery Managers, Deputy Managers and Room Leaders to achieve their full potential.
• Work closely with the Area Manager to deliver Kindred's vision and strategic objectives.
• Ensure exceptional standards of Early Years education in line with the EYFS and Ofsted requirements.
• Drive quality improvement, compliance and continuous development across the nursery.
• Manage occupancy, budgets, KPIs and commercial performance while maintaining outstanding standards of care.
• Support recruitment, induction, succession planning and talent development.
• Build strong relationships with children, families, colleagues and the wider community.
• Lead safeguarding, health and safety and quality assurance across the nursery.
• Support projects, acquisitions and wider business initiatives where required.
• Act as a role model for Kindred's values and leadership behaviours.

What You'll Need

Essential

• A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification (or above).
• A minimum of two years' experience leading and managing an Early Years team.
• Strong knowledge of the EYFS and Ofsted requirements.
• Excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• Experience developing, coaching and motivating teams.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to manage budgets and performance.
• A passion for delivering exceptional childcare and education.

Desirable

• Previous experience as a Nursery Manager or Senior Nursery Manager.
• Leadership or management qualification.
• Current Paediatric First Aid Certificate.

Senior Nursery Manager - St Ives
Join the Kindred Family - A Place to Grow, Thrive and Make a Difference

At Kindred, we're passionate about giving children the very best start in life while creating a workplace where our people feel valued, supported and inspired.

Are you an exceptional early years leader ready to make an even bigger impact? Join Kindred as a Senior Nursery Manager and lead a high-performing nursery, develop future leaders and help shape outstanding experiences for children, families and colleagues.

Want to know what it's really like to work at Kindred? Visit our Why Work With Us page to explore our benefits, career development opportunities and discover why so many of our colleagues choose to grow their careers with us.

Experience supporting multiple teams or wider business projects.

Why You'll Love Working at Kindred

• Supportive Culture: Built on strong relationships, collaboration and a genuine sense of belonging.
• Career Development: Leadership development, mentoring and opportunities to progress into senior operational roles.
• Work-Life Balance: Structured working hours and a supportive leadership environment.
• Competitive Pay & Benefits: Competitive salary, quarterly and annual bonus opportunities, alongside a generous benefits package.
• Award-Winning Family: Join a company that values recognition, personal growth and team success.
• More than 9 out of 10 of our colleagues would recommend Kindred as a great place to work.

What Happens Next?

• Initial video interview.
• Face-to-face interview, including a stay-and-play session (where applicable).
• Safer recruitment checks, including references, an enhanced DBS check and qualification verification.

We review applications as they're received and aim to respond within 2-5 working days.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

Kindred is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All successful applicants will be subject to safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, references and qualification verification, in line with our safeguarding policy.