Area Manager, Management

Location: Northern Ireland (multi-site) – please note that areas and nursery portfolios are subject to change

Reporting to: Operations Director

At Little Rays, we create a home‑away‑from‑home environment where children from 2 months to 12 years feel safe, nurtured, and loved. The Area Manager is responsible for operational leadership, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, financial performance, and people management of a group of childcare nurseries across Northern Ireland. The postholder supports Nursery Managers in delivering high‑quality childcare and early years education while ensuring all settings meet regulatory, safeguarding, health and safety, and business objectives.

The Area Manager manages a team of Nursery Managers and reports to the Operations Director to drive continuous improvement, maintain excellent standards of care, and support the growth and sustainability of the area of nurseries.

• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning and Development (CCLD), or an equivalent Early Years qualification.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Minimum of three years management experience within the childcare or early years sector in Northern Ireland, obtained within the last five years.
• Strong understanding of Health and Social Care Trust regulations (Minimum Standards) and childcare legislation in Northern Ireland.
• Experience leading inspections and quality improvement programmes.
• Experience managing budgets, occupancy, staffing ratios and financial performance.
• Proven people management and leadership experience.

• Experience managing multiple sites or services.
• Management qualification (ILM, CMI, or equivalent).
• Experience with in a multi‑site nursery organisation.
• Experience leading organisational growth projects.
• Degree‑level qualification in Early Years, Childcare, Education, Management, or related field.
• Experience using nursery management software.

If you would be interested in applying for the Area Manager position, please forward your CV directly to Sharon at