Job Description

Nursery Manager

Are you an experienced and inspiring Nursery Manager ready to lead a high-performing large-scale setting?

At Monkey Puzzle Woodford, our 120-place nursery is flourishing and we're looking for a

hands-on, strategic leader

to ensure that every child, parent, and team member continues to thrive.

Why Us?

We put our people at the heart of everything we do. As part of our team, you'll enjoy:

Competitive salary reflective of managing a large, thriving nursery

Generous childcare discount

1,000 refer-a-friend scheme

Flexible hours and wellbeing-focused leadership that understands work needs to work for you

Free parking, free meals, and access to confidential counselling services

Ongoing training and bespoke career pathways through our engaging online learning platform

Company-wide social events and strong peer support across the Monkey Puzzle network

The role requires:

You'll lead the nursery both operationally and strategically, ensuring that the setting continues to deliver exceptional standards of childcare, education, and customer experience.

Your responsibilities will include:

Leadership & Culture

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.

Quality & Curriculum

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.

Compliance & Standards

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.

People Management

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.

Parent & Community Partnerships

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.

Business & Financial Management

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.

Innovation & Growth

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.

Essentials

What We're Looking For

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

Safeguarding Statement

Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries are committed to Keeping children safe; therefore, it is necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record Disclosure and Barred check to be undertaken.?All posts involving direct contact with children and vulnerable adults are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.?However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account.??All?candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions, you may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process.? If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your employment commences.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 50,000.00-60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company events Company pension Employee discount Health & wellbeing programme Referral programme
Ability to commute/relocate:

Woodford Green IG8 0BS: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:

Deputy Manager : 2 years (required)
Licence/Certification:

Level 3 or High in Childcare (required)
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (preferred)
Work Location: In person