Early Years Strategy Lead (Interim)

Fixed-Term Assignment | Flexible Working

Chichester

Competitive Salary

Are you an experienced early years leader with a strong commercial mindset? I’m looking for a strategic consultant to help unlock growth, strengthen workforce capacity, and build a sustainable future across three nursery settings.

The Role

You’ll work closely with senior leadership to tackle one of the biggest challenges in early years provision: staffing and capacity.

Despite strong demand and full registration capacity, current staffing levels are limiting occupancy to around 50–60%. One rural setting faces additional recruitment challenges—creating a unique and impactful brief.

This is a high-impact, short-term assignment where your expertise will directly shape future growth and sustainability.

What You’ll Deliver

• A full diagnostic review of staffing, deployment, and workforce capacity
• A targeted recruitment plan for a hard-to-staff rural nursery
• A costed 3-year workforce and capacity strategy across all settings
• Practical recommendations to improve:
• Staffing models
• Leadership capacity
• Recruitment and retention
• A clear action plan with risks, priorities, and next steps

What You’ll Be Doing

• Reviewing current staffing structures, ratios, and leadership capacity
• Analysing how staffing impacts occupancy and financial performance
• Identifying barriers to recruitment and retention (including rural challenges)
• Designing innovative, realistic recruitment solutions, such as:
• Flexible working models
• Apprenticeships and “grow your own” pathways
• Employer branding and attraction strategies
• Building a phased plan to safely increase occupancy while maintaining quality and compliance

What We’re Looking For

• Significant senior leadership experience in early years education
• Proven success in: Commercial nursery operations and Workforce planning and scaling capacity
• Strong knowledge of: EYFS statutory framework | Ofsted requirements | Staffing ratios and operational delivery
• Experience solving recruitment and retention challenges, ideally in rural or hard-to-fill settings

Desirable Experience

• Multi-site nursery leadership
• Financial or commercial planning expertise
• Developing apprenticeship or workforce pipeline models

Apply now or call Lynsey at Key Recruitment for more information