Overview
Job Title: Early Childhood Specialist
Type: Full Time / 37.50 Hours per week / Field based / Travel to HO and to nurseries. Travel is regional and this role is based in Division London and East – areas incl. Westminster, Paddington, and Central London. Salary: From £43k per annum plus £4k car allowance. Car and Driving Licence are essential for this role. Closing Date: 24th March 2026 or until the right candidate is hired.
Purpose of Role: The Early Childhood Specialist is a leadership role within the Divisional Operations team in Bright Horizons UK, responsible for providing hands-on pedagogical advice and support for nursery teams in a region. This role involves conducting regular nursery visits to ensure high-quality care and education practices that meet the needs of children and families. The role works with the Regional Director, Nursery Managers, the Pedagogical Research and Development team, Health & Safety, Safeguarding, HR and Operations teams to develop best practice in teaching and learning and maintain high-quality nursery environments.
The Early Childhood Specialist is responsible for monitoring practice in nurseries and coaching, mentoring, and training practitioners to deliver service excellence. This includes leading change across nursery settings to ensure policy and practice are applied across departments to deliver pedagogical innovation. The post-holder will work with the Pedagogical Research & Development team and Nursery Managers to implement the Bright Horizons curriculum and drive improvements based on observations, visits, regulatory outcomes, and audits to drive improvements and secure regulatory compliance with Good or Outstanding inspection outcomes. The post-holder will support the implementation and ongoing suitability of the Quality Improvement Framework (QIF) and all elements of the Nurture Approach and Practices including Bright Beginnings Curriculum, SEND/ASN and Thrive.
What We Can Offer You
* Flexible working and holiday entitlements
* Discounted childcare in one of our nurseries
* Fantastic range of discounts on high street retailers, grocery stores, cinema tickets, holidays and more
* Wide range of wellbeing resources
Why Bright Horizons? We’ve been voted Great Place to Work for the last 20 consecutive years and are committed to wellbeing and equality. Our nurseries support over 10,000 children across the UK, with a high proportion rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities:
* Provide pedagogical and organisational leadership advice to nursery managers and teams to drive quality improvement and pedagogical excellence across the region.
* Support the implementation of the Quality Improvement strategy and action plans across all nursery settings in the area.
* Implement the Bright Horizons Nurture Approach pedagogy, including the Nurture Model, SEND/ASN excellence, Thrive and Bright Beginnings Curriculum across settings in the region.
* Drive improvement in EC pedagogy, training, and nursery support to achieve high standards, regulatory compliance and innovative practice.
* Deliver and manage initiatives and regional projects for pedagogical innovations in collaboration with PR&D and Operations teams to secure cohesion and consistency.
* Advocate for children within the area to ensure a Children First approach to wellbeing, Safeguarding, Child Protection, SEND/ASN and regulatory compliance under the direction of the Operations Director and liaising with nursery management teams and external agencies as required.
* Provide high-quality advice, coaching and mentoring to nursery managers and teams around EC pedagogy, safety, and regulatory compliance to drive ongoing improvement.
* Collaborate with Operations and HR to contribute to succession planning for nursery managers.
Responsible for:
* Providing excellent pedagogical and nursery management advice and support for nursery practitioners in the Region, coordinating with ECSs, RDs, PR&D, Operations, Safeguarding, HR, Health & Safety, and external partners to ensure cohesion across the UK.
* Ensure high quality reporting of EC quality measures and use tools to drive improvement and monitor impact, leading to improved inspection ratings.
* Develop regional nursery teams’ capability through professional development, training, and opportunities for growth to promote expertise in EC development and learning.
* Support HR, PD and Operations in high-quality recruitment of nursery managers and effective induction for new talent.
* Provide guidance on EC regulation and inspection in liaison with PR&D to secure positive environments and experiences for children.
* Maintain personal and professional development through training and participation in knowledge communities and research forums.
Essential Experience:
* Highly experienced Early Childhood specialist with proven experience in medium/large education providers or Local Authorities, delivering high-quality EC provision and securing Good or Better regulatory outcomes across multi-site settings.
* Track record of driving quality improvement through monitoring and impact measurements with operations and nursery management teams.
* Confident decision-maker with ability to support change and inspire innovation; understands the business-pedagogy relationship in a large nursery organization.
* Experience developing high-performing nursery practitioners and leading teams with strong regulatory compliance and innovation.
* Minimum 3 years in the Early Childhood arena with knowledge of relevant legislative frameworks, safeguarding and child-protection requirements.
* Ability to write clear reports on pedagogy and use IT to support reporting and data input for quality monitoring.
Experience Desirable:
* Experience as an Ofsted/Care Inspectorate inspector of EC or education settings
* Experience in Local Authority Early Childhood context with quality improvement and training delivery across a wide geography
* Experience of managing a nursery with improving inspection outcomes, coaching others to drive excellence and compliance
* Engagement with practitioner networks to promote a regional community of practice
* Teaching and designing training in Early Childhood subjects for practitioners
* Knowledge of regulatory requirements and inspection processes in the UK
* Understanding of Bright Horizons Nurture Approach and Nurture Model training (internal candidates only)
Qualifications
* Minimum Level 3 qualification in Early Childhood Education (Essential)
* Relevant first degree in Early Childhood-related subject (Desirable)
* Post Graduate qualification – QT or EYT or Early Years
* Professional Status (Desirable)
* Thrive Licensed Practitioner status (Desirable)
* Evidence of CPD and awareness of current pedagogical national initiatives; Leadership/Management qualification (Desirable)
* Teaching certificate in Early Childhood or related subject (Desirable)
* Full, clean driving licence (where regional geography requires)
Personal Attributes
* Excellent influencer, change-maker, and effective communicator
* Highly motivated with a track record of positive impact and meeting deadlines
* Ability to build trust and develop cohesive teams with empathy and clear expectations
* High energy, fast-paced environment adaptability with a calm, can-do attitude
* Encourages colleagues to realise potential and empower high performers
* Data-driven and able to use numerical detail to inform strategy and measure impact
* Willing and able to travel within the UK; flexible to work from home or a regional office with overnight stays as needed
Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practices and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before appointment. We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants. If you share our passion, values, and have most of the skills listed, we encourage you to apply.
We look forward to receiving your application!
If you experience any problems, please email europe.recruitment@brighthorizons.com and we will be happy to help.
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