Job Description

About the role

North Northamptonshire Council is seeking a visionary and dynamic Early Years Strategic Lead to drive excellence across our Early Years services. This is a unique opportunity to lead a growing team focused on improving outcomes for children aged 0-5, ensuring high-quality provision, and delivering on statutory responsibilities.


What will you be doing?

You will champion strategic development across Early Years, focusing on quality improvement, compliance, sufficiency, and SEND support, ensuring access to high-quality early learning and childcare places for all eligible children. Key responsibilities will include collaboration with internal and external partners including Ofsted, health services, and education providers.


About you

You will:

Have proven leadership experience in early years education, you will oversee training, workforce development, and quality assurance aligned with EYFS and DfE guidance. Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification e.g. NVQ 4, HNC with in depth expert knowledge of statutory legislation and national policy related to EY (e.g. Ofsted inspection of early years settings, DfE Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage). Have the

Ability to foster and develop robust relationships with key stakeholders, including Councillors, Directors and representatives from the DfE, Multi Academy Trusts, Trade Unions, Headteachers, Governors, Parents, Early Years sector.

Shortlisting w/c 8th December 2025.


Interviews w/c 5th & 12th January 2026.


Should you have any queries, please contact us via email at recruitment@northnorthants.gov.uk.

We kindly ask that you include a brief description of your enquiry to enable us to respond promptly and appropriately.


About us

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:


Customer-focused

Respectful

Efficient

Supportive

Trustworthy


Our Key Commitments


Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.


We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.


North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council's pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.


Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)


Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we're transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.



You'll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!


Why choose us?


We offer a vibrant working environment with:

A competitive salary A pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection. Lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council Generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.


We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.