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: 15th August 2026 or until right candidate is offered - please attach an up to date and relevant CV to be considered

We are seeking an experienced and values‑led Regional Director with knowledge of the early years sector, to provide strong, visible leadership across a large portfolio of nursery settings. This role is key to driving performance, quality, safety, and sustainable growth while embedding a positive culture that delivers outstanding outcomes for children, families, and colleagues.

Why Bright Horizons?

We’ve been voted Great Place to Work every year since 2006, as well as being awarded the newly created Great Place for Wellbeing and Great Place for Women 2025.

Our support functions enable our nurseries to deliver the best possible care and education to over 10,000 children across the UK. Through this support, our nurseries can deliver excellence – with 98% of our 300+ portfolio being rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

We’re on a mission to change the future for children, families, and the people we work with, and are committed to progressive working values like flexibility, work-life balance, and wellbeing

What We Can Offer You

• Our benefits include but are not limited to

• Flexible working and holiday entitlements

• Discounted childcare in one of our nurseries

• Quarterly Employee Appreciation Weeks

• Annual gala award evening

• Fantastic range of discounts on high street retailers, grocery stores, cinema tickets, holidays and more

• Wide range of wellbeing resources, supporting our teams for the ups and downs of daily life

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire Nursery Management Teams, embedding our HEART culture to drive engagement, retention, performance, and customer satisfaction across the region.

• Deliver People and Growth strategies, ensuring alignment with business objectives across all nursery settings.

• Champion Bright Horizons UK pedagogy, working closely with the Early Childhood Specialist to ensure consistent quality.

• Lead Keeping Everyone Safe initiatives, modelling and reinforcing a strong safety and compliance culture.

• Deliver People and Growth projects in partnership with HR, Finance, and Marketing, ensuring consistent and secure implementation of policies and practices across all sites.

Key Skills & Experience

• Leadership & People Management – Inspire and lead large multi‑site teams; build high‑performing managers through coaching and strong performance management, while championing company culture and values.

• Strategic & Commercial Acumen – Translate strategy into action, delivering people and growth plans while balancing commercial performance with service excellence.

• Operational & Project Delivery – Plan, manage, and deliver projects and agreed proposals efficiently across complex, fast‑paced environments.

• Regulatory & Compliance Expertise – Strong knowledge of Ofsted, Local Authority, and legislative requirements within highly regulated sectors.

• Data‑Driven Decision Making – Confident decision‑maker who uses data, analytics, and digital tools to solve problems and drive performance.

• Stakeholder & Communication Skills – Collaborative influencer, building strong relationships across HR, Finance, Marketing, and wider stakeholders.

• Change & Innovation – Lead and embed change, championing new ideas and continuous improvement.

• Digital Capability – Comfortable using systems and technology to support reporting, insight, and operational efficiency.

Key Competencies

• Strategy & Commercial Focus – Strategic execution, budget management, cost control, and confident decision‑making.

• Leadership & Change – Inspiring multi‑site teams, driving engagement, developing leaders, and delivering change.

• Operations & Compliance – Strong regulatory and safety leadership, data‑driven performance management, and cross‑functional project delivery.

• Digital & Risk – Da