Nursery Area Manager

Nursery Area Manager in Lancashire and Greater Manchester - Independent Nursery Group

£45-55k (experience dependent)

Location: Lancashire and Greater Manchester, overseeing three nursery settings across the North West

Our client is a small, independently owned nursery group with three well-established settings across Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and early years quality sits at the heart of everything they do. They’re looking for a Nursery Area Manager to oversee all three settings, supporting each Nursery Manager and their team so that every nursery is safe, compliant and a brilliant place for children to learn and grow.

This is a quality-led, people-first role, not a desk job. The successful Area Manager will be in the nurseries regularly, spending real time in the rooms, getting to know the children and practitioners, and seeing what’s working and what could be even better. With admin support in place, their time goes where it matters most. As the group develops, there’s also the opportunity to become the group’s Nominated Individual in the future.

On offer is a salary of £45-55k depending on experience, a close-knit independent group where your voice reaches the owners directly, and a clear future pathway to Nominated Individual.

Working pattern: Full-time, Monday to Friday, with time spent regularly across all three nursery settings.

Key responsibilities:

• Quality and compliance: Provide strategic oversight of all three settings, making sure they meet the requirements of Ofsted, the HSE, Environmental Health, the local authority and any other regulatory body.

• Weekly inspections: Bring a fresh pair of eyes to each nursery, reviewing health and safety, the environment, EYFS practice, the kitchen, and the general upkeep of the site.

• Audits: Carry out paperwork audits against a well-established checklist, covering safeguarding and child protection, safer recruitment, DBS clearances, accident reports, mandatory training and the display of mandatory documents.

• Supporting managers: Act as a sounding board for each Nursery Manager, meeting regularly to review quality and agree clear next steps.

• People: Lead supervisions and wellbeing meetings, offer disciplinary support and support staffing when needed.

• Parents and practice: Champion strong partnerships with parents and spend meaningful time in the rooms modelling great practice.

• Finance and operations: Review monthly and annual accounts, prepare fee and payroll proposals, manage costs and debt, complete the EEF headcount and provide monthly information to the accountant.

• Reporting: Give the owners clear, honest summary feedback and provide calm, practical support during any critical event.

• Systems: Help each team get the most out of Famly.

About you:

• Qualified: Level 3 in Early Years as a minimum, with Level 5 or 6 preferred.

• Experienced leader: An Area Manager or multi-site leader, or an exceptional Nursery Manager ready to take the next step.

• Quality-driven: Strong knowledge of the EYFS, the Ofsted framework and safeguarding, with a sharp eye for detail.

• People-focused: A supportive coach who builds trust with managers and practitioners and genuinely enjoys being in the rooms.

• Commercially aware: Comfortable working with budgets, accounts, fees and payroll.

• Mobile: Able to travel regularly between settings across Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

What’s in it for you:

• A salary of £45-55k depending on experience.

• A Monday to Friday working pattern.

• Dedicated admin support, so the focus stays on quality and people.

• A hands-on role with real time in the rooms.

• Direct access to the owners in a small, independent group where your ideas make a visible difference.

• A future pathway to becoming the group’s Nominated Individual.

• 28 days holiday including bank holidays, with eight of these used when the nurseries close over Easter and Christmas.

Your recruiter for this role is Steve Brennan, Recruitment Director at Love Childcare Recruitment, and can be contacted simply by applying for the role below