Lead Early Years Adviser

We are seeking an individual with a passion for leading change and driving improvements to secure high quality Early Years provision across more settings. Holding successful experience in Early Years and school leadership across the sector for children aged 0-5, making operational and budgetary decisions and an interest in genuinely helping others make a difference for young children.

In this role you will work closely with colleagues, head teachers and EYFS leaders across the sector, including acting as the Hertfordshire Nursery School Improvement partner lead, to provide support, challenge and enhance outcomes. You will undertake line management responsibilities and work collaboratively with other senior leaders in the team, and the role will involve travel to sites across our operating network.

Our ‘working from anywhere’ approach provides colleagues the opportunity to work flexibly in line with their role requirements. This consists of on-site across various schools and settings, remote working and, if desired, up to 2 days per week in our Head Office in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The ability to reach different locations by car will be essential for this role.

Would you like to know more information about this opportunity? If so, further information can be found in the job outline. You can also contact Anne Peck for an informal discussion regarding the role on or email anne.peck

How to apply

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week (will consider part-time 30 hours per week/0.8 FTE)

Salary: Starting from £57,000 (FTE)

Location: Hybrid working consisting of remote working, flexibility required to work across educational settings in Hertfordshire and neighbouring counties, along with occasional visits to Bank House in Stevenage.

Closing date: This job advert may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. To make sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity, please submit your application as soon as you can.

Interview date: Monday 26th January 2026 and Thursday 29th January 2026

We are a committed Disability Confident employer and a signatory of the BITC Race at Work Charter reflecting our continuing commitment to be unbiased across our recruitment and workplace practices.

We actively encourage suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply and to join us. We use an anonymous application process to ensure we always select candidates based on their skills and competencies. When two or more candidates have equal merit, the candidate with protected characteristics will have an advantage over others. This tie-breaker approach is described as positive action in the Equality Act 2010 and we believe strongly in the power of overcoming disadvantage.

If you are invited to interview, please be prepared to discuss the subject of unconscious bias with us. These conversations are extremely useful in giving us an idea of what working together will be like.

HFL is an equal opportunities employer, committed to building and celebrating an environment that is inclusive and equitable, in which everyone can flourish, regardless of race, age, sexuality, gender, disability, or status.