Regional Area Lead – Childcare

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Cork; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Financial perks

Job summary

Sherpa Kids, Ireland’s largest provider of school-age childcare, seeks a Regional Performance Lead to join our Head Office team. This senior role blends operational leadership with regional growth and development, empowering high-performing teams and shaping processes to support ongoing expansion and success.

You will lead Area Managers, drive growth initiatives, and ensure operational excellence with a strong commercial mindset.

Qualifications

• Must have strong business performance and growth awareness.
• Experience leading multi-site teams in a service-based environment.
• Commercial acumen with the ability to interpret performance data.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Area Managers across multiple sites.
• Drive regional growth initiatives and ensure operational excellence.
• Shape processes and actively contribute to expansion.
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders.
• Provide leadership development and coaching for leaders.
• Ensure safeguarding and high-quality care standards.

Skills

Commercial mindset

Leadership & people development

Strategic growth

Operations leadership

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Education

Level 8 qualification in Business/Childcare/Education/Leadership/HR/Marketing

Job description

Sherpa Kids is a global organization dedicated to providing quality care for primary school children in their local communities. With a presence in approximately 265 schools worldwide, including 60 local services in Ireland now - and growing since 2014, we strive to make a difference in the lives of over 9,000 children daily.

Job Description

Sherpa Kids, Ireland’s largest provider of school-age childcare, is looking for a Regional Performance Lead to join our Head Office team. This senior role blends operational leadership with regional growth and development, giving you the opportunity to grow and empower high-performing teams, shape processes, and actively contribute to the ongoing expansion and success of a thriving business.

You will lead and develop a team of Area Managers, ensuring operational excellence while driving growth initiatives across your region. This is a role for someone with positivity, initiative, and a genuine passion for growing a business where there is high demand for our services — someone who can identify opportunities, take action regionally, and support the organisation in achieving its goals.

We are looking for a candidate who:

• Brings a strong commercial mindset and genuine interest in driving business growth
• Can lead, grow, inspire, and empower teams while maintaining operational excellence and quality
• Has excellent knowledge of the school-age childcare sector, safeguarding, and high-quality care standards
• Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability and passion to make things happen
• This is a strategic and hands-on role with significant impact. The successful candidate will receive a competitive, incremental salary and additional financial perks, alongside the chance to play a key role in growing a dynamic, high-performing organisation.

Remuneration will be attractive and commensurate with the candidate’s ability to deliver growth, operational excellence, and effective team leadership.

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 8 qualification in Business, Childcare, Education, Leadership, HR, Marketing or a related field.
• Significant experience leading multi-site teams within a service-based environment.
• Strong understanding of business performance, growth and operational sustainability.
• Experience building and maintaining stakeholder relationships.
• Experience managing and developing leaders.
• Strong communication, presentation and influencing skills.
• Commercial awareness and ability to interpret performance data.
• Full clean driving licence and Own vehical
• Experience within childcare, education or a regulated environment.
• Experience supporting organisational growth and change.

Additional Information

Monday to Friday =9:00-17:30pm