Childcare Officer (Maternity Cover) [FS2739] in Chichester

Are you a happy, supportive and fun loving individual who dreams of a job where no two days are the same? An exciting opportunity has arisen to work as a Childcare Officer at our First Steps Nursery based at Chichester College.

Working with young babies through to children ready to start school, you will share your love for learning and make a real difference in children's development and learning journeys. Together with our dedicated team, you will be a part of ensuring the children are learning, socialising, exploring and having fun.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary
• Above statutory annual leave entitlement
• Closure days over the Christmas period (which are not deducted from leave entitlement)
• Significant discount on First Steps Nursery fees

As a part of our amazing group of nurseries spread across West Sussex, First Steps Chichester is a truly enjoyable, welcoming and supportive place to work.

We have a recognised Level 3 qualification in Early Childhood Studies (or equivalent), you will be enthusiastic, organised and flexible with previous experience of working in a childcare setting. Though not essential, a First Aid certificate would be desirable.

This role is for a fixed term period of maternity cover for a maximum of one year, or until the return, resignation or replacement of the current post holder, whichever is sooner.

For further information or a discussion about this exciting opportunity, please contact Emma Merriott, Director Of First Steps Childcare Group (emma.merriott@chichester.ac.uk)

Closing date: 6 April 2026

Interview date: TBC

You will be asked to upload a CV before starting an application form for this role. The system will take information such as education and employment history from your CV and auto-populate the relevant parts of the application form to save you time. For the best results, we recommend your CV is formatted without columns or tables. Please check the auto-populated information for accuracy. Please note that your CV will not be seen by Recruiting Managers so please ensure your application form is fully completed.

Suitable candidates may be invited to interview prior to the closing date and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

For further information about applying for a role at First Steps Childcare Group, please visit Information For Applicants | Chichester College Group.

The Chichester College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, which may include a check of the barred lists and any relevant overseas checks and a self-declaration relating to the disqualification regulations. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. We vigorously pursue all references and safeguarding checks to ensure applicants are suitable to work with young people.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. We are an equal opportunities employer.