Team Leader - Operations and Development in Yate

How you'll make a difference

As a Team Leader, you will help to ensure that all children are supported within a safe, high-quality provision. Contributing to the early identification of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), you will ensure children receive the right support as quickly as possible, while also helping communities to access sufficient, affordable and sustainable outcomes.

The Early Years team sits within the Education, Learning and Skills Division of the Department for People. The team is responsible for ensuring there is sufficient childcare across South Gloucestershire and for driving excellence in early years practice.

What you will be doing

• It will be your responsibility to lead systems and processes with early years, including financial systems, ensuring they are efficient, robust and fit for purpose. You will provide both strategic and operational leadership to a small team, with accountability for day-to-day management and performance.
• Working in line with statutory expectations and council frameworks, you will design, implement and maintain compliant and reliable systems that support the effective delivery and quality assurance of early years contracts and programmes, such as Best Start in Life.
• You will ensure that systems generate accurate and timely information to support service delivery in line with contractual obligations and Department for Education (DfE) requirement. This will involve effective planning, organisation and regular reporting to support monitoring and decision-making.
• Building strong working relationships will be key as you will be working closely with a wide range of partners and stakeholders. You will actively contribute to internal and external meetings, including leading and managing stakeholder consultations.
• Acting as the primary link between finance and the early years service, you will ensure accurate and timely payments to providers, oversee funding claims and returns, monitor performance against key accountability measures and develop financial opportunities, including funding bids.
• You will lead on the promotion and marketing of the service, ensuring strong visibility within target communities. This will include developing and managing digital platforms and communications channels, such as the website, secure provider site and social media presence.

What we need from you

• It is essential that you hold a level 5 qualification or above in a relevant or transferable degree such as early years, or can demonstrate equivalent experience in a similar role, such as early years, project management, systems development or finance.
• We require you to have proven experience in management and project delivery, with the ability to lead, supervise and allocate work effectively, monitor performance and support staff to achieve objectives.
• You must either have, or be able to quickly develop, a strong understanding of current legislation and policy relating to early years, along with the ability to operate within established national and local frameworks.
• You will have strong interpersonal skills, with experience of building and maintaining effective relationships and providing advice and expertise relating to early years.
• Given the nature of the role, you will demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and appropriately to a variety of audiences, including reporting, presentations, dealing with contentious issues such as complaints and briefings.

What you need to know

• This role is hybrid, with a mixture of working at our office in Badminton Road, Yate and from home.
• Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have an alternative means of travel.
• Business insurance will need to be added to your insurance policy.
• You can claim back mileage expenses.

Interviews will be held on 31 July 2026.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
• We trust our team to work in the way which allows them to make the biggest difference, and we continue to invest in technology to help staff do their jobs to the best of their ability and celebrate innovation.
• We invest in the careers of our people, and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long‑term difference in their work.
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.