Nursery Manager

Hop Skip & Jump Nursery | Forres

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Nursery Manager to lead our team and oversee the day-to-day operation and continued development of our nursery in Forres. This is an opportunity for an experienced Early Years professional who is confident in leadership, quality improvement and operational management, and who wants to make a genuine difference to the experience of children, families and staff.

About the role
The Nursery Manager will take overall responsibility for the effective running of the nursery, ensuring that children receive high-quality care and learning experiences within a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment.

A key focus of the role will be building a strong, empowered and effective team. We want a manager who can develop positive working relationships, recognise individual strengths, support professional development and create a culture where practitioners feel trusted, valued and confident to contribute to the ongoing development of the service.The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Providing strong, visible and supportive leadership to the nursery team.
• Developing an empowered team culture where staff are encouraged to take ownership of their roles, share ideas and contribute to improvement.
• Supporting staff through supervision, development conversations, coaching and reflective practice.
• Ensuring appropriate staffing, deployment and rotas to meet the needs of children and the operational requirements of the service.
• Leading quality assurance and self-evaluation processes, ensuring these are meaningful and result in measurable improvements to practice.
• Monitoring the quality of care, learning and interactions across the nursery and identifying opportunities for development.
• Ensuring the nursery meets relevant legislation, regulatory requirements, policies and best practice guidance.
• Working collaboratively with the team to develop and maintain high standards of planning, observation, assessment and children's learning.
• Supporting the development of strong relationships with parents and carers and ensuring effective communication with families.
• Working collaboratively with external agencies and professionals to ensure children and families receive appropriate, coordinated and high-quality support.
• Developing effective relationships with partner organisations and agencies involved in supporting the delivery of the service.
• Monitoring and improving utilisation and occupancy, identifying opportunities to maximise available places and sessions while maintaining quality provision.
• Supporting the effective management of resources, budgets and operational costs.
• Contributing to recruitment, induction and retention of high-quality staff.
• Managing day-to-day issues confidently and appropriately, including staffing, safeguarding, complaints and other operational matters.
• Maintaining accurate records and ensuring required documentation and processes are consistently completed.
• Preparing for and responding appropriately to Care Inspectorate activity, inspections and ongoing regulatory requirements.
• Leading continuous improvement across the nursery and ensuring that the service remains responsive to the needs of children, families and the wider community.

The successful candidate
We are looking for someone who is:

• Has obtained, or is working towards their BA Childhood Practice
• Experience of leading teams successfully
• Experience in management of nursery processes and improvements
• Confident in leading and developing a team.
• Organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities.
• Passionate about high-quality Early Years practice and children's outcomes.
• Confident with quality assurance, self-evaluation and continuous improvement.
• Able to build positive professional relationships with staff, families, agencies and other professionals.
• Comfortable making decisions and taking responsibility for the effective running of a service.
• Able to identify opportunities to improve both the quality and sustainability of nursery provision.
• A strong communicator who can provide clear direction while remaining approachable and supportive.
• Committed to creating a positive working environment where staff are encouraged to develop, take responsibility and reach their potential.

This is a role for someone who wants to do more than manage the day-to-day running of a nursery. We are looking for a leader who can develop people, drive quality and help shape the continued growth and success of the service.

If you are an experienced Early Years professional looking for a leadership opportunity where you can have a meaningful influence on both practice and people, we would be pleased to hear from you.

Location: Forres, Moray
Position: Nursery Manager
Hourly: £18-20 per hour, dependant on experience
Hours: 30-34hrs per week
Contract: Term time, permenant

Pay: £18.00-£20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30.0 – 34.0 per week

Work Location: In person