Area Lead - Ark Les Enfants, Darwen
£13.50 per hour | Full-time | Permanent
Ready to lead? We are ready to back you
At Ark Les Enfants, we believe the earliest years matter the most, and we know that outstanding rooms are built by outstanding leaders. We are looking for a warm, confident and ambitious practitioner to step up as Area Lead, taking ownership of your area, inspiring your team and shaping brilliant outcomes for our children.
This is a role for someone who wants more than a title. You will be trusted to lead, and supported every step of the way.
What makes us different? We develop our leaders properly
Here is what leadership development actually looks like at Ark Les Enfants:
- Our Team Leader Development Programme. A structured programme designed specifically for leaders in our settings, covering everything from coaching your team to managing the day-to-day with confidence.
- A dedicated training day every year. The nursery closes, the whole team comes together, and the day is entirely about professional development. As a leader, you will help shape these days as well as benefit from them.
- Support with funded qualifications. If you have ambitions beyond Level 3, we will actively help you find the right route, whether that is a Level 5 qualification or leadership-focused CPD.
- Real progression across a growing group. Ark Les Enfants is part of The Ark Experience, a family of six settings across the North West and Yorkshire. For the right leaders, there is a genuine path onwards, not a ceiling.
What you will be doing
- Leading the day-to-day running of your area, keeping routines calm, purposeful and centred on the children
- Coaching, mentoring and motivating your team, bringing out the best in every practitioner
- Championing high-quality practice, from planning and observations to record-keeping and safeguarding
- Working closely with the nursery manager to keep standards high and ideas flowing
- Being a visible, hands-on presence, because the best leaders in early years never stop playing, singing and getting stuck in
Who we are looking for
Someone who is:
- Qualified to Level 3 in Childcare with solid experience in an early years setting
- A natural motivator, able to bring a team with them and lead by example
- Nurturing and responsive, tuned in to the needs of each individual child and each member of their team
- Organised and dependable, confident with routines, records and the responsibilities that come with leading an area
- Ambitious, keen to grow as a leader and hungry to learn
Previous leadership experience is welcome, but if you are an experienced practitioner ready for your first leadership step, we would love to hear from you too. Developing new leaders is what we do.
What you will get
- A leadership role with real trust and real support behind it
- Our Team Leader Development Programme and a mentoring programme to back you from day one
- A dedicated training day each year, plus ongoing CPD
- Annual pay review every April
- Childcare benefit and employee discount
- Company pension
- Company events
- Free parking
- A supportive, inclusive team in a lovely setting with excellent facilities
Could this be you?
If you are ready to take the next step in your early years career with a nursery that will invest in you as a leader, we would love to hear from you.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £13.50 per hour
Benefits:
- Childcare
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
- Transport links
Application question(s):
- Do you have a Level 3 in Childcare?
Experience:
- Nursery: 2 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
