Bright Horizons
Nursery Manager
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Nursery Manager
Nursery Manager – Bright Horizons Brentwood Day Nursery & Pre-School
Salary: £47,000 per annum (dependent on qualifications and experience)
Location: Coptfold Road, Brentwood, CM14 4BN
We are looking for an experienced Nursery Manager to lead our brand-new 88-place nursery opening in November 2026 in central Brentwood, just a short distance from the Baytree Shopping Centre. Currently undergoing extensive renovations, the setting will create a warm, welcoming environment where children can thrive. Features will include a wraparound garden for outdoor access throughout the day, with onsite parking available and Brentwood station nearby. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead a new nursery in a fantastic location.
Our Benefits
✅ £47,000 per annum ✅ 100% childcare discount for the first child ✅ Enhanced parental leave ✅ 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and paid Christmas closure) ✅ Ability to purchase additional leave* (subject to terms and conditions) ✅ Pension and wellbeing benefits, including:
- 24/7 virtual GP appointments
- Early access to wages
- Additional support for overall health and wellness ✅ Professional development programme, including access to a careers coach and training at every career stage
The Role
As Nursery Manager, you will lead a team to deliver outstanding care and education to all children while driving employee engagement, retention, and performance through inspirational leadership. Key responsibilities include:
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- Operational leadership: Overseeing the daily running of the nursery with accountability for safeguarding policies (including as Designated Safeguarding Lead).
- People leadership: Collaborating with support teams to recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce.
- Strategic growth: Identifying and implementing commercial plans to achieve FTE growth in alignment with regulatory requirements.
- Performance optimisation: Maximising nursery performance, revenue generation, and cost efficiency while maintaining staff ratio compliance.
Requirements
We’re looking for candidates who can:
- Hold a relevant Level 3 or higher early years qualification
- Have leadership experience in early years (e.g., Nursery Manager, Deputy Manager, or Assistant Manager-level roles)
- Demonstrate experience in regulatory inspections, with outcomes of at least a ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ rating
- Show proficiency in developing high-performance teams, adhering to regulatory compliance, and delivering quality education with innovation and service excellence
- Be a confident, decisive leader with strong commercial awareness in regulated childcare settings
- Possess an in-depth knowledge of safeguarding, child protection laws, and broader legislative requirements
- Build trust and effective partnerships with colleagues, parents, and carers
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**About Bright Horizons’
Culture & Values
Bright Horizons is recognised as a Great Place to Work for over 20 years. Our culture is built on the HEART values:
- Help
- Embrace
- Appreciate
- Respect
- Trust
These principles drive our commitment to Keeping Everyone Safe and delivering exceptional care and education. Bright Horizons invests in people’s growth with:
- World-class training (including Leadership HEART development for every career stage)
- Onboarding programme (‘World-Class Welcome’)
- A focus on employee appreciation (e.g., “Employee Appreciation Month,” annual ‘Awards of Excellence’ events, and peer-to-peer recognition)
We believe “thank you” is central to our culture—both formal (awards ceremonies) and informal (team lunches, rewards).
Important Notes
- Full safeguarding commitments: Our roles adhere to safer recruitment practices, including required enhanced DBS checks.
- Diversity and inclusion: Bright Horizons is an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and restructured accommodations upon request.
- Legal assurances: Consult Bright Horizons’ Employee Privacy Notice for full details on data handling.
Ready to make a difference? Apply today! We look forward to receiving your application.
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