Nursery Manager/Head of Pre-School in Highland, Thurso

We are seeking to recruit an experienced, dedicated, enthusiastic and highly motivated Nursery Manager to work within North West Community Campus Nursery from August 2026. You will be responsible for leading and managing the day-to-day operation of the nursery, ensuring that all children are provided with the highest quality early learning and childcare.

Candidates should have a passion for working in early years and have experience, knowledge and understanding of learning through play. Knowledge and understanding of current documentation, in particular Realising the Ambition, Curriculum for Excellence – Early Level, My World Outdoors and Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare providers, would be advantageous.

You will be supported to inspire the learning of the children in our setting. You will be required to lead self-evaluation in the nursery and develop and lead improvement and curricular planning. As part of the extended management of the school you will also contribute to overall improvements.

You will lead and manage staff and liaise with parents and multi-agency teams to plan for children’s learning and development. We are looking for individuals who enjoy working collegiately with colleagues, and who have a firm commitment to improving the outcomes for children. You will be a values-led, highly-skilled and committed professional who is passionate about improving outcomes for all young people through equity and excellence.

North West Community Campus is a state of the art school, serving a community committed to the highest standards in all that we do. This is a rare opportunity to become a key part of a fantastic staff team in an improving school. The school is situated close to the centre of Dumfries, making it accessible to all the local facilities. Being at a point where the A75 and A76 meet, travel to the new campus is straightforward.

Candidates are required to hold a BA in Childhood Practice, or other relevant childcare qualification equivalent to SCQF level 9. For example, candidates who have gained a BA in Childhood Studies before the end of Dec 2010 and hold a relevant practice qualification such as HNC Childhood Practice or SCQF Level 7 Social Services, Children and Young People may also apply. The qualification/s will enable candidates to register with Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC) as a Manager of a Day-Care of Children’s Service without conditions. A list of qualifications can be found on the SSSC Website.

This post is considered as Regulated Work with Vulnerable Children, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

With an exciting benefits package, working for Dumfries and Galloway Council supports you to invest in your own health and wellbeing. Employees have access to our bespoke Vivup platform with over 800 discounts on everyday essentials from top UK retailers, restaurants, utility providers and more. Employees also get access to membership of The Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland), exclusive discounts from local businesses, a Cycle-to-Work scheme, financial support from My Money Matters, and guidance from our trained Wellbeing Champions.

Here at Dumfries and Galloway Council we are committed to equality, diversity and equal opportunity with our values, which include treating everyone with dignity, fairness and respect, driving us to tackle inequality.