Head of Expansion - South UK in England

Location: Field-based (South of England) with regular travel to central London.

Help shape the future of a rapidly growing childcare/nursery business. With 45+ sites already open across London, the Home Counties and the Midlands, our client is on an ambitious journey to double the size of their business over the next 3–4 years. To make that happen, they’re looking for a driven, commercially minded Expansion Manager to lead growth across the South of England. This is a high-impact, end-to-end role where you’ll take ownership of building the southern pipeline of new sites — from spotting opportunities in the market to getting deals over the line. Reporting directly to the CFO, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future footprint of the real-estate function.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love deal-making, and want to see your work turn into real, physical spaces that matter — this role is for you.

The Role

This is a field-based, highly commercial position with responsibility for sourcing and securing long-lease investment opportunities that meet clear requirements for exceptional nurseries. You’ll own the full lifecycle of each opportunity — market mapping, origination, appraisal, negotiation and completion — while working closely with our Property, Design, Finance and Legal teams.

Sourcing New Sites

• Build and maintain strong relationships with agents, developers and landlords.
• Actively represent at industry events, seminars and networking forums.
• Develop a programmatic origination strategy to support the target of opening 20 new sites per year (10 South / 10 North).

Appraising Opportunities

• Coordinate internal teams to assess commercial, site and financial viability.
• Prepare and manage bid materials, pitch decks, offer letters and heads of terms.
• Present shortlisted opportunities to the CEO, CFO and Executive Leadership Team.

Owning the Deal Process

• Lead commercial negotiations with landlords.
• Manage external lawyers and oversee the process from offer to completion.
• Ensure all activity aligns with our Health & Safety Statement of Intent.

What We’re Looking For

Experience

• Proven experience in UK real estate or commercial property.
• A strong track record of identifying and delivering new sites in a growing business.
• Solid project management skills, with the ability to drive stakeholders, timelines and budgets.

Qualifications

• RICS qualification – desirable but not essential.

Skills & Knowledge

• Excellent commercial acumen with a sharp eye for good (and bad) deals.
• Strong knowledge of the UK property market, particularly London and the South East.

About You

• Relentless, target-driven and results-focused.
• A proactive self-starter who thrives on autonomy.
• A collaborative partner, working closely with the Head of Expansion (North) to achieve shared growth goals.
• A natural relationship-builder who can sell the vision with confidence and credibility.
• A true team player who knows how to draw on the strengths of others to get things done.

This is a rare opportunity to take on a career-defining role in a business with bold ambitions, real momentum, and a clear expansion strategy. You’ll have visibility at the very top of the organisation, autonomy to make things happen, and the chance to leave a lasting mark on our growing portfolio. Ready to help shape what comes next? We’d love to hear from you.