Nursery Manager - Brand New Nursery Coming Autumn 2026

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, inspire, and motivate a large multi-room team to deliver excellence in every area.
• Create a positive, collaborative culture that supports wellbeing and encourages continuous improvement.
• Coach and mentor Deputy Managers, Room Leaders and key staff, helping them grow into confident leaders of their own teams.
• Champion inclusion and diversity within the nursery community.

• Ensure the EYFS curriculum is embedded effectively across all age groups, promoting inspiring learning environments.
• Maintain a consistent focus on safeguarding, health & safety, and children’s wellbeing.

• Maintain regulatory compliance at all times, keeping the nursery inspection-ready for Ofsted and local authority visits.
• Implement and monitor policies, risk assessments, and safeguarding procedures, ensuring they’re understood and followed by the team.
• Lead incident reporting, audits, and action plans to uphold high operational standards.

• Recruit, induct, and retain talented team members, managing staffing levels for a large-scale setting.
• Conduct appraisals, supervisions, and one-to-ones to drive professional growth and team engagement.
• Identify training needs and implement development plans to build a strong pipeline of future leaders.

• Act as the main point of contact for parents, promoting open communication and trust.
• Host parent information sessions, open days, and nursery events to build a strong community presence.
• Work in partnership with external agencies, schools, and local community groups to support children’s learning and transitions.

• Manage the nursery budget effectively, including forecasting occupancy, monitoring income and expenditure, and controlling running costs.
• Analyse occupancy trends to maximise capacity across all rooms, ensuring strong financial performance.
• Collaborate with Head Office on marketing initiatives and business development projects to keep the nursery thriving.
• Ensure the nursery achieves or exceeds its KPIs in occupancy, quality, and parent satisfaction.

• Champion environmental and sustainability initiatives within the nursery.
• Lead continuous improvement projects, drawing on staff feedback, inspection recommendations, and parent surveys.
• Explore new enrichment activities and curriculum enhancements to set the nursery apart in the local market.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Minimum Level 3 Early Years qualification (Level 5+ desirable)
• Designated Safeguarding Lead trained with strong safeguarding knowledge
• Safer Recruitment training and proven experience in managing large teams
• Minimum 2+ years in a Deputy or Manager role in a busy nursery/preschool (experience in settings of 80+ places desirable)
• Strong track record of delivering ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted results
• Financially astute, confident managing budgets and occupancy planning
• Excellent communication, organisation, and IT skills
• A natural leader with a passion for creating a happy, high-performing team culture

Benefits

• YuLife: You will be enrolled into our Group Life Assurance policy and have access to the YuLife app

• Refer a Friend: Bring connections to work with us and earn rewards

• Social Events: We arrange catch ups with the team alongside our Christmas parties

About Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries