Early Education and Childcare Funding and Data Team Leader in London

Are you ready to take the lead in supporting early education and childcare providers from behind the scenes in a way that really makes a difference? Ready to bring your funding, finance and data expertise to support Tower Hamlets in meeting its statutory duties and ambitions for young children and families? If so, Tower Hamlets has an exciting opportunity for you.

Our dynamic and caring Early Education and Childcare Service is looking for an exceptional individual to lead our Funding and Data Team. This role is essential to helping our providers deliver sufficient, high quality, flexible and accessible early education and childcare for all families across the borough.

About the role: Join our Early Education and Childcare Service as the Funding and Data Team Leader and play a key role in shaping a service that puts providers, families and children first. We are seeking a motivated and thoughtful leader to guide our Funding and Data Team, ensuring the funding and data systems that underpin early education and childcare are robust, fair and supportive.

While your role will carry responsibility for data, sufficiency, finance, funding and compliance, it is also about partnership, trust and working together across the service. As our Funding and Data Team Leader, you will lead a small team of committed colleagues who work closely with early education and childcare providers every day. You will oversee the administration of early years funding and grants, manage budgets and payment systems and ensure data is accurate, timely and meaningful.

Just as importantly, you will help turn complex national funding requirements into clear, practical guidance that providers can understand and feel confident using. You will work in close partnership with colleagues across the Early Education and Childcare Service and internal and external stakeholders. We recognise that every role within the service is important and that strong collaboration is what enables us to do our best work. Our clear priority is to support our Early Education and Childcare providers. You will play a central role in ensuring providers feel informed, listened to and supported, offering clear information, training and problem solving, alongside appropriate challenge, so they can focus on delivering high quality care and education for children.

What we are looking for: We are looking for a collaborative leader who understands that strong funding and data systems are there to support people, not create barriers. You will be someone who:

• Has proven experience working with early years funding, education or finance
• Brings strong financial and data analytical skills with careful attention to detail
• Understands the importance of accurate, timely funding for provider sustainability
• Enjoys working in partnership across teams and with providers
• Leads others in a supportive, nurturing and inclusive way

You will be confident working with complex information, but approachable and clear in how you communicate. You will value teamwork, shared problem solving and continuous improvement, and be motivated by making a positive difference through your work. Your role will involve not just leading systems and processes, but also helping create a culture where providers feel supported, colleagues feel valued and children benefit from strong, stable early education and childcare provision.

Why join us? By joining Tower Hamlets, you are becoming part of a community that values inclusion, collaboration and excellence. We are committed to promoting equality, eliminating discrimination and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life. Our vision for the borough is that people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunity. We are proud of our diverse communities and want colleagues who live our TOWER values of Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and Respect in their everyday work.