Nursery Manager / Nursery General Manager

£50,000 to £60,000 + electric company car + performance bonus

South Manchester | Full time, Monday to Friday

The chance to run a nursery as your own: your decisions, your team, your standard
This is a rare opportunity for a highly motivated, experienced nursery leader who wants genuine authority, not another layer of management above them. Love Childcare Recruitment is partnering exclusively with a premium independent nursery in South Manchester to find a Nursery Manager / Nursery General Manager who is excited by the prospect of truly running a setting.

Why this role is different

• You lead, you decide: the owners are stepping back and handing the running of the nursery to you. You’ll have monthly check-ins in place of daily oversight, with owner sign-off kept only for major financial and structural decisions

• Room to grow: a clear path to becoming the Nominated Individual

• A strong platform: 90 registered places, a team of around 25, annual turnover of around £1.25 million, and rated Good by Ofsted in every area. Well resourced, in an attractive, sought-after location

• A culture worth leading: staff welfare, no blame, continuous development, and a real commitment to inclusion and to growing its own people

• Time where it counts: admin support is already in place, so you can be present in the rooms

What you’ll own

• The day-to-day running of the nursery, with full operational responsibility

• A leadership team including the deputy manager, room leaders, deputy room leaders, SENCO, apprenticeship lead and chef

• Quality, compliance and safeguarding to a consistently high standard

• The direction of the setting, and the culture that makes it special

What success looks like in your first year

• Your leadership stamp on a strong, settled team

• A nursery that is inspection-ready, every day

• Your deputy and room leaders developing and growing under you

• Working with the owners toward the Nominated Individual role

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has managed a substantial nursery, or is an area or regional manager ready to own one setting

• Thrives on autonomy and takes full ownership of decisions and results

• Is driven, self-motivated and ready for a genuinely senior role

• Has Nominated Individual experience, or the ambition to get there

• Is confident with Ofsted, the EYFS and safeguarding

• Leads people with respect, energy and support

The package

• £50,000 to £60,000 basic salary

• Electric company car

• Performance-related bonus

• Full time, Monday to Friday, with flexibility within opening hours (7:30am to 6:30pm)

The process
An initial confidential chat with Love Childcare Recruitment, followed by two stages with the owners. You’ll have feedback within 24 hours of every stage.

Ready to run your own nursery? Apply through this advert, or email Steve Brennan at steve@lovechildcarerecruitment.com for a confidential, no-obligation chat.