Deputy Manager - (4 day rota) & supernumerary

Job summary

One lucky person has the opportunity to join us in our beautiful rural Nursery but we require a special kind of person to ensure we have the perfect fit for our children, families, and team. Professionally, we are looking for someone knowledgeable, passionate, organised and hardworking to support us in delivering our shared ethos and help provide a secure and stimulating environment for the little ones. As an extended family, we are looking for someone who is completely reliable, honest and kind with a positive, supportive attitude. Could you be a grown-up friend and role model to our little ones, an advisor to our families and a trusted support to colleagues? We need someone who will support our Senior Team and support our manager as she directs our team with clarity, kindness, empathy and complete professionalism.

The vacancy is for a qualified Early Years Educator as a ‘Deputy Manager’ in March 2026. You would liaise with prospective parents from the enquiry process, during their starting sessions and onwards throughout their time with us. You would be the consistent link for communication to all families and be an integral part of the Management & Leadership team; and a trusted role model for our Senior Team.

If applying for this role as named deputy, you must be able to prove that you are capable and qualified to take charge in the manager’s absence. This includes having necessary skills and knowledge to cover for the manager.

• Qualifications:

You MUST hold at least a Level 3 full and relevant childcare qualification or its equivalent. This qualification ensures that you have the necessary knowledge and skills to work effectively with young children.

• Experience:

You MUST have previous experience managing a team in a nursery setting, ideally as third in charge or deputy.

It is essential that you are familiar with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum as this framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure children learn and develop well.

Responsibilities overview:
- To support the manager and senior team with the drive and implementation of our age-appropriate curriculum and experiences for children in the nursery
- Support and manage nursery staff, providing guidance and professional advice as needed
- Ensure compliance with all licensing regulations, policies and procedures and maintain a safe and clean environment at all times
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with parents, addressing any concerns or questions in a kind and professional manner
- Manage key administrative tasks such as enquiries, scheduling, record keeping, parental tours and daily emails/correspondence

Skills:
- Experience working with children in a nursery or childcare setting and leadership responsibilities
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire a team using excellent communication skills, both verbal and written in English
- Knowledge of early childhood education principles and practices
- Ability to seek and drive positive outcomes through effective problem-solving and decision-making

We offer:

- pension contributions

- staff discount for childcare needs if required.

- several sets of uniform

- additional travel support (for qualified staff travelling from outside a certain radius)

This is a full-time position of 37 hrs per week (8-6pm, 4 days on flexible rota *currently having Tuesdays off subject to change for the needs of the business)

*As supernumerary you will be based in our reception area for completion of the Deputy admin tasks while being available to support the Manager. You may occasionally be required to support in rooms to help the team should there be staff sickness etc.

If you are passionate about providing quality care for children and have the necessary skills and experience, we encourage you to apply for the position of Nursery Deputy Manager.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Preferred candidates will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and will be required to complete safeguarding training. We may offer a position which is subject to at least two positive references - employment cannot begin without these in place.

Our commitment to inclusion across race, religion, age, gender and identity is supported by our four core values. These apply to all adults and children in our setting and help to encourage equality and the celebration of our similarities and differences.

Job Type: Full-time (4 days each week)

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Childcare
• Flexitime
• Free parking
• On-site parking