Head of Operations

Job Summary

Location:Hopscotch Head Office, Brighton

Hours:37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Salary:£55,000

Holiday:34 days

Sick Pay:10 days

Reporting to: Managing Director

Deadline:Applications closed

Benefits

• Highly Competitive Salary
• 20% Childcare Discount
• Bupa Healthcare
• Generous Sickness Entitlement – 10 days paid sickness per year
• Employee Assistance Programme for Staff Mental Health Wellbeing and Support
• Company mobile phone and tablet / laptop

Exciting new early years leadership role –  Sussex’s leading childcare provider is evolving is looking for a dynamic, driven and adaptable Head of Operations to join our senior management team.

Reporting directly to the company Managing Director, the Head of Operations is a senior executive role that will have accountability for the successful delivery of Hopscotch’s nursery operations. The Head of Operations will deliver efficiency, consistency and quality in all aspects of the nurseries. The role will be responsible for leading and inspiring staff and nursery managers across all of Hopscotch’s childcare nurseries to achieve the highest standards of nursery performance and childcare provision, to ensure children, parents, families and regulators such as Ofsted hold Hopscotch in the highest possible esteem. They will also be responsible for maintaining quality control and ensuring that Hopscotch nurseries are compliant across the board in all required areas, for example Health and Safety and Food Safety Management.

We are looking for an experienced professional with an in-depth knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, preferably educated to degree level, who is comfortable working across a number of different sites, managing a range of different team members of different seniority levels, taking responsibility and accountability for critical business areas whilst also being a self-starting, enthusiastic and reliable senior member of our small but high-performing Head Office team. The role requires a business mindset, combined with a passion for childcare. The Managing Director (MD) will provide guidance and support along the way, particularly on the business aspects of the role.

The Operations Manager will ensure preparedness and professionalism at all times, and will be required to line manage and support six individual nursery managers and their teams in response to all manner of challenges.

The Head of Operations role will need to be mobile and having your own car is a must – you will be visiting all our sites as frequently as is appropriate and speak to Nursery Managers on a daily basis.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities include:

• Protecting the safety and well-being of all children at all Hopscotch settings at all times – specifically from Health and Safety and safeguarding perspectives
• Responsible for embedding and implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework across nursery settings
• Always aspiring for ‘Outstanding’ judgements at Ofsted inspections and always achieving at least ‘Good’ judgements at Ofsted inspections
• Maintaining and enhancing Hopscotch’s excellent reputation amongst customers for delivering first-class childcare provision at all settings
• Act as an ambassador for Hopscotch and maintain and enhance Hopscotch’s reputation amongst and develop positive relations with other stakeholders i.e. local authorities, government departments, regulators, local communities, trade bodies
• Ensuring all nursery premises are clean and well-presented inside and outside at all times
• Maintain awareness of the external business, operational and regulatory environments and promote ideas and strategies to respond promptly and comprehensively to any such changes
• Ensuring the nursery management teams are adequately supported in order to succeed
• Teams are effectively resourced (in conjunction with Hopscotch HR Manager)
• Staff are appropriately trained for the roles they undertake
• Staff are engaged, motivated and happy in their work
• Full HSE compliance for all sites (including Head Office) is achieved and maintained
• Maintenance and building compliance is maintained at all sites at all times i.e. PAT testing, EICR, Gas Safety Certificates, Water Risk Assessments, Fire Risk Assessments and so on
• Ensuring legal standards are adhered to in all areas where the business operates
• Safeguarding protocols and procedures are always adhered to
• Acting as the ‘de facto’ deputy for the business whilst the Managing Director is away on business or leave and as a role model across the business
• Having a strong desire to bring about positive change within the business in order to improve business practices, increase efficiency and drive the business forward

Hopscotch is an independent, privately owned and family run business which has been providing childcare to the families of Brighton & Hove and East Sussex for over 30 years. We own and operate six childcare settings across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex. The company is planning on future growth and this role will be integral to helping lay solid foundations for this. The role has the scope to expand and grow in line with the business.

As part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment, the role will be subject to a Disclosure Barring Service check (Enhanced) and two recent and relevant references must be provided.

We encourage anyone interested in this role to look at the full Job Description for further information

You can also contact our Managing Director Philip Ford via office@hopscotch.uk.com to discuss the role in more detail.