£90000.00 Per Annum
Permanent
South
Head Office
Nursery Support Centre
National / Field-Based | 37.5 hours | Permanent
Salary up to £90,000 per annum plus £6,000 car allowance
At Partou, early years is more than a job — it’s a shared journey where every child leads us somewhere new. As one of the UK’s largest childcare groups, we are continually investing in people, quality and performance to ensure every child receives the very best start in life.
We are now looking for a Regional Childcare Director to take on a pivotal leadership role across the South, with responsibility for a large and diverse portfolio of nurseries. This is a rare opportunity to operate at scale, influence strategy, and make a tangible difference to thousands of children, families and colleagues every day.
The Role
Reporting to the Childcare & Operations Director and sitting within the Extended Leadership Team, you will provide senior operational leadership across approximately 50–60 nurseries. Working through a team of Area Managers, your focus will be on creating clarity, driving consistency and delivering strong outcomes across quality, people and commercial performance.
As Regional Childcare Director you will be expected to maintain a visible presence across your region, setting the tone for leadership and creating a culture of accountability, support and continuous improvement. Balancing strategic thinking with hands-on operational oversight, you will ensure that standards are not only met, but consistently exceeded.
What You’ll Deliver
At the heart of the role is the responsibility to ensure outstanding childcare and safeguarding standards across every setting. You will champion high-quality early years education, ensuring full compliance with EYFS and Ofsted expectations while continuously raising the bar on practice and outcomes.
Alongside this, you will take full ownership of regional performance. Using data and insight to inform decisions, you will drive improvements in occupancy, revenue and profitability, always balancing commercial priorities with quality and colleague experience. You will work closely with commercial and finance teams to strengthen performance, optimise efficiency and unlock growth opportunities.
This role also plays a key part in Partou’s ongoing expansion. You will support the integration of new acquisitions, lead operational improvement initiatives and contribute to regional and national strategic planning. Your ability to navigate complexity and deliver results at pace will be critical.
Leading People & Culture
An essential part of your success will come from the strength of your leadership. You will invest in developing Area Managers and senior leaders, building capability, confidence and succession across the region. Through your leadership style, you will foster an inclusive, high-performance culture where colleagues feel engaged, supported and accountable.
You will also play a key role in shaping the experience of parents and external stakeholders, ensuring relationships are managed with professionalism, care and a strong service mindset.
About You
You’re an experienced and commercially astute childcare leader who is comfortable operating at scale and navigating complexity. You bring a strong track record of leading multi-site operations, alongside a deep understanding of early years regulations, safeguarding and quality standards.
You combine strategic thinking with operational action, and you know how to translate insight into measurable performance. Just as importantly, you are a visible and inspiring leader—someone who can challenge, support and energise teams to deliver their very best.
A recognised Early Years qualification (minimum Level 3) is essential, and you’ll need the flexibility to travel regularly across your region.
Why Partou?
This is an opportunity to join a business with real momentum — one that is growing, evolving and investing in the future of childcare. You’ll be part of a collaborative leadership team, working in an environment where your impact will be seen, valued and celebrated.
Most importantly, you’ll play a central role in shaping the experiences of children at a crucial stage in their development — helping little minds to grow big.
What you’ll get in return:
Why Partou?
Become a Partou team member and join a supportive, caring community where you can enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career. With access to world-class childcare research, resources, and expertise, we help you develop skills, and empower you to create a positive impact on the development of the next generation, as they lead us into a better future.
Learn more about working at Partou: www.partou.co.uk/careers
Safer Recruitment: All applicants will undergo Enhanced DBS checks and thorough vetting. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Partou is proud be a part of the National Partnership in Early Learning and Childcare (NPELC) - a group of 10 of the largest childcare providers across England. Together, we operate over 1,300 childcare settings, employ more than 38,000 people, and take care of over 160,000 children.