Regional Director - Early Years

Location: Telford / Stafford through Derby / Nottingham, Lincolnshire and into Peterborough / Cambridgeshire

We are partnering with a growing and ambitious early years group to appoint an experienced Regional Director to take responsibility for a significant portfolio of nurseries across the Midlands and East of England.

This is a senior operational leadership position, responsible for leading through Area Managers and driving quality, people, commercial performance and operational delivery across the region.

The successful candidate will be an experienced multi-site early years operator with a strong understanding of the complexities of nursery operations at scale. You will have a proven track record across Ofsted, safeguarding, occupancy, people leadership, financial performance and operational improvement.

The Role

You will:

• Lead, coach and hold Area Managers accountable for performance across their portfolios
• Drive occupancy, revenue, staffing efficiency and overall nursery performance
• Maintain consistently high standards of quality, safeguarding and regulatory compliance
• Provide strong leadership around Ofsted preparation, inspections and sustained quality improvement
• Identify underperformance quickly and lead effective improvement and turnaround plans
• Build leadership capability, succession and high-performing teams across the region
• Support the integration of newly acquired nurseries and lead teams through periods of growth and change
• Use data, KPIs and commercial insight to understand performance, identify risk and determine priorities
• Balance strategic leadership with being sufficiently visible and close to the nurseries to understand operational reality
• Work collaboratively with the wider senior leadership team and contribute to the broader growth strategy

About You

We are particularly interested in individuals currently operating at:

• Regional Director
• Regional Operations Director
• Head of Operations
• Senior Regional / Area leadership level

within a nursery or early years group.

Exceptional senior Area Managers who are already operating across a substantial portfolio and are ready to step into a Regional Director position will also be considered.

Significant early years sector experience is essential for this appointment.

You'll be a visible and credible leader with strong commercial judgement, high standards and the ability to bring people with you. You will be comfortable challenging underperformance, making difficult decisions and creating accountability, while maintaining strong relationships with your teams.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to join a growing organisation where acquisitions, expansion and change are part of the journey, and where there is genuine scope to influence the wider operational strategy.

If you're an experienced early years leader looking for a broader regional remit within a growing and acquisitive organisation, we'd be keen to hear from you.