Group Manager
The Group is looking for a highly skilled and motivated person to help run our successful family business, alongside the Directors.
This is a senior operational and leadership role responsible for operational effectiveness, financial performance, compliance, and strategic growth of the Group, which includes three children's nurseries and a food manufacturing company.
The Group Manager will act as the business lead across all our sites, ensuring strong and consistent operational standards, financial control, effective people management, and a quality service delivery. Experience in early years or education is desirable, however the role is first and foremost a business leadership position.
The successful candidate will bring strong commercial acumen, financial literacy, and operational discipline, with the ability to translate objectives and strategy into execution across multiple sites.
Responsibilities of the Group Manager include:
* Assisting the Directors with both the creation and implementation of the overall business strategy.
* Financial - responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance across all the Group. Monitor and improve profitability, occupancy rates, fee structures, and cost control. Produce and deliver monthly management accounts, KPIs, and performance reports for Directors. Lead on pricing strategy, funding optimisation. Identify and implement cost efficiencies without compromising quality or compliance.
* Leadership - Provide consistent leadership and operational oversight across the whole Group. Ensure each site operates to agreed standards, processes, and performance expectations. Deliver excellence in: Staffing, Ratios and rota efficiency, Attendance and occupancy, Health & safety, Premises and facilities management. Act as the escalation point for operational issues, resolving them conclusively and pragmatically. Lead and support, Nursery Managers / Site Leads. Oversee workforce planning for a 70+ staff organisation, including recruitment strategy, retention, absence management, and performance management. Embed a high-performance ethos with clear expectations, accountability, and support.
* HR - Ensure robust HR practices and compliance with employment law and protection, including: Appraisals and objectives, Capability and disciplinary processes Training and CPD planning. Promote a positive working environment and staff happiness and wellbeing, stabilise teams, and develop internal talent pipelines.
* Compliance & Risk Management - Ensure full compliance with, Ofsted, EYFS framework, Health & Safety legislation, Employment law and safeguarding standards. Lead on inspection readiness, audits, and action planning. Implement regulatory requirements into practical, workable systems for managers and staff. Proactively manage operational and commercial risk across the group. Responsible for the maintenance of the group's buildings and vehicles, insurance, including the preparation of maintenance schedules and keeping of such records. Deal with customer complaints when escalated.
Development & Growth
* Work with Directors to deliver the short-, medium- and long-term business plan.
* Identify opportunities for Growth, capacity optimisation, new service offerings and future site expansion. Improve systems and processes and Act as an advisor to the Directors—not just an executor, but a thinker offering solutions. Attending relevant industry and networking events. Completing internal reports to present to the board and management team.
The successful candidate will have:
* Degree educated or equivalent.
* 3+ years' minimum experience in in a senior business, operations, or general management role.
* Strong evidence of commercial acumen, business competence with experience managing multi-site operations or complex service environments. Strong financial and commercial capability (budgeting, forecasting, cost control, KPIs).
* Confident people leader with experience managing managers.
* Comfortable making decisions, handling challenges, and driving change.
* The ability to offer and implement solutions to business problems, not simply point them out.
* Highly organised, data-driven, and outcomes-focused.
* Advanced IT Skills – Sound working knowledge of all Microsoft Office products
* A current UK driving licence.
* Pass an Enhanced DBS check.
Desirable:
* Experience in early years, education or childcare
* Background in roles such as: Business Manager, Operations Manager, Area Manager or Regional Manager.
* Knowledge of Ofsted or similar regulatory frameworks.
Personal attributes.
* Commercially astute, operationally grounded.
* Calm under pressure; decisive when needed.
* Comfortable with challenging poor performance and fixing issues.
* Professional, credible, and able to operate at Board level.
* A team worker, with the ability to develop and maintain strong and positive working relationships with Directors, staff and customers.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £40,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
Application question(s):
* Demonstrate strong commerical accumen
Education:
* Bachelor's (preferred)
Experience:
* Senior Management: 3 years (required)
Work Location: In person