Regional Director (Early Years)
Salary: £DOE plus car allowance
Hours: Full Time / 40 hours per week
Location: Field based with travel to our nurseries in North London and head offices in London and Northampton
We are seeking an experienced and values‑led Regional Director with knowledge of the early years sector, to provide strong, visible leadership across a large portfolio of nursery settings. This role is key to driving performance, quality, safety, and sustainable growth while embedding a positive culture that delivers outstanding outcomes for children, families, and colleagues.
Why Bright Horizons?
We’ve been voted Great Place to Work every year since 2006, as well as being awarded the newly created Great Place for Wellbeing and Great Place for Women 2025.
Our support functions enable our nurseries to deliver the best possible care and education to over 10,000 children across the UK. Through this support, our nurseries can deliver excellence – with 98% of our 300+ portfolio being rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
We’re on a mission to change the future for children, families, and the people we work with, and are committed to progressive working values like flexibility, work-life balance, and wellbeing
What We Can Offer You
- Our benefits include but are not limited to
- Flexible working and holiday entitlements
- Discounted childcare in one of our nurseries
- Quarterly Employee Appreciation Weeks
- Annual gala award evening
- Fantastic range of discounts on high street retailers, grocery stores, cinema tickets, holidays and more
- Wide range of wellbeing resources, supporting our teams for the ups and downs of daily life
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and inspire Nursery Management Teams, embedding our HEART culture to drive engagement, retention, performance, and customer satisfaction across the region.
- Deliver People and Growth strategies, ensuring alignment with business objectives across all nursery settings.
- Champion Bright Horizons UK pedagogy, working closely with the Early Childhood Specialist to ensure consistent quality.
- Lead Keeping Everyone Safe initiatives, modelling and reinforcing a strong safety and compliance culture.
- Deliver People and Growth projects in partnership with HR, Finance, and Marketing, ensuring consistent and secure implementation of policies and practices across all sites.
Key Skills & Experience
- Leadership & People Management – Inspire and lead large multi‑site teams; build high‑performing managers through coaching and strong performance management, while championing company culture and values.
- Strategic & Commercial Acumen – Translate strategy into action, delivering people and growth plans while balancing commercial performance with service excellence.
- Operational & Project Delivery – Plan, manage, and deliver projects and agreed proposals efficiently across complex, fast‑paced environments.
- Regulatory & Compliance Expertise – Strong knowledge of Ofsted, Local Authority, and legislative requirements within highly regulated sectors.
- Data‑Driven Decision Making – Confident decision‑maker who uses data, analytics, and digital tools to solve problems and drive performance.
- Stakeholder & Communication Skills – Collaborative influencer, building strong relationships across HR, Finance, Marketing, and wider stakeholders.
- Change & Innovation – Lead and embed change, championing new ideas and continuous improvement.
- Digital Capability – Comfortable using systems and technology to support reporting, insight, and operational efficiency.
Key Competencies
- Strategy & Commercial Focus – Strategic execution, budget management, cost control, and confident decision‑making.
- Leadership & Change – Inspiring multi‑site teams, driving engagement, developing leaders, and delivering change.
- Operations & Compliance – Strong regulatory and safety leadership, data‑driven performance management, and cross‑functional project delivery.
- Digital & Risk – Data‑literate with strong risk management and compliance oversight.
Essential Experience
- Senior multi‑site leadership experience (15+ nursery/service sites) within a highly regulated, medium to large organisation.
- Experience and knowledge of the early years sector
- Proven success delivering high‑quality customer, client, and employee outcomes, with sustained YOY growth.
- Strong track record of leadership development, performance management, and impact measurement in partnership with HR.
- Confident decision‑maker with experience leading change, innovation, and turnaround initiatives.
- Demonstrable success building high‑performing teams, driving regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and service excellence.
- Ability to translate strategy into action using data, systems, and digital tools to improve performance and commercial outcomes.
Essential Qualifications
- Relevant degree in Early Childhood Education or Leadership / Business Management.
- Recognised Leadership & Management qualification.
- Full UK driving licence (regular travel between sites required).
- Evidence of ongoing CPD and commitment to professional development.
Bright Horizons are committed to creating inclusive environments where everyone has a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to contribute and thrive in meaningful and impactful ways.
Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.
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 – as you may be just what we are looking for! Please note, due to our sector all roles are subject to a criminal record check. Some of our roles require specific qualifications by law, this will be highlighted as essential within the advert.