Regional Director (Early Years) in London

Regional Director (Early Years) Salary: From £55k plus car allowance Hours: Full Time / 40 hours per week Location: Field based with travel to our nurseries in South West and West London areas Closing Date: 30th September 2026 or until right candidate is offered - please attach an up to date and relevant CV to be considered

Purpose of the Role

As a Regional Director, you will provide inspirational leadership across a portfolio of nursery settings, driving outstanding quality, safety, people performance, and sustainable growth. Working closely with nursery leaders and support functions, you will champion the Bright Horizons HEART values, develop high-performing teams, and ensure exceptional outcomes for children, families, colleagues, and the business. Through a strong focus on operational excellence, compliance, and continuous improvement, you will play a key role in delivering our mission and shaping the future of early years education across your region.

What We Can Offer You

• Flexible working
• Discounted childcare
• Wellbeing support
• Employee discounts
• Recognition & reward programmes
• Career development opportunities

Why Bright Horizons?

Join a Great Place to Work® for 20 years, where people, wellbeing, and development come first.

We're proud to support over 10,000 children across the UK, with 98% of our nurseries rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and develop high-performing Nursery Management Teams.
• Drive quality, occupancy, and commercial performance across the region.
• Champion Bright Horizons' culture, values, and educational standards.
• Ensure excellence in safeguarding, compliance, and health & safety.
• Use data and insights to improve performance and decision‑making.
• Deliver people, growth, and change initiatives in partnership with key stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with families, clients, and colleagues.
• Support continuous improvement and outstanding outcomes for children

Essential / Desired Experience

• Multi‑site leadership experience within a regulated environment (Essential)
• Knowledge of the early years sector (Essential)
• Proven track record of driving growth and operational performance (Essential)
• Experience developing high‑performing teams and leaders (Essential)
• Strong change management and continuous improvement experience (Essential)
• Experience driving quality, compliance, and customer excellence (Essential)
• Data‑driven approach with strong commercial awareness (Essential)
• Experience leading large portfolios (15+ sites) (Desirable)
• Relevant experience in childcare, education, or a similar people‑focused sector (Desirable)

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

Relevant degree in Early Childhood Education or Leadership / Business Management. Recognised Leadership & Management qualification. Evidence of ongoing CPD and commitment to professional development.

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 ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants. Proud to be a GreatPlace to Work for 20 years.

Our Culture

At Bright Horizons, our culture is built on our commitment to Keeping Everyone Safe and providing world‑class care and education, delivered by a world‑class workforce.

We believe our people’s potential is endless and with this in mind, we aspire to create an environment where our colleagues can thrive and accomplish the things they thought impossible.

Bright Horizons has been recognised as a Great Place to Work by our employees and the Great Place to Work Institute for the last 13 years.

We care passionately about what we do, and our HEART values and principles help us support one another in the work that we do each day. These are quite literally at the HEART of our organisation’s ethos and culture as it helps us to provide a working environment that supports professionalism, growth and diversity.

We are passionate about our people’s ongoing learning and development. Our learning and leading with HEART framework supports each Bright Horizons colleague on the first steps of their leadership journey, whether that includes our 'World‑Class Welcome' induction or our extensive ongoing training programme. Either way we want you to feel valued and invested in!

Celebrating in the accomplishments of our people is an essential part of our culture. We believe in the power of “thank you” and throughout the year, in ways big and small, formal and informal, we show our appreciation for employees at all levels. We have many ways to acknowledge and celebrate our people, including our very popular “employee appreciation month”. This is a chance for everyone to share their gratitude to one another, across the whole company.

Each year, we have our annual 'Awards of Excellence' events; whether you are an award winner or cheering on a fellow team member, these formal award occasions are opportunities to come together and celebrate one another.

By creating this account you acknowledge that Bright Horizons will collect, store and process any of your personal data provided in respect of your application and employment in accordance with our Employee Privacy Notice.

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