Duty Manager | Early Years / Nursery | Taunton, Somerset

Location: Taunton, Somerset
Salary: £34,881.60 per annum
Hours: 40 hours per week
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Schedule: Monday to Friday
Closing date: 22 November 2026

Ready for your next step in Early Years leadership?

Are you an experienced Room Manager, Deputy Nursery Manager, Early Years Team Leader or senior Early Years professionallooking for your next nursery job in Taunton?

We’re looking for a confident and caring Duty Manager to join our team in Taunton, Somerset, helping to lead the nursery day to day and ensuring children receive safe, inspiring and high-quality care and education.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone ready to take on greater leadership responsibility while continuing to play an active role within the nursery.

Why join us?

We want you to have more than a job. We want you to build a career you enjoy.

You'll benefit from:

• £34,881.60 annual salary

• 33 days' holiday for full-time colleagues, including bank holidays

• An additional paid day off for your birthday

• Excellent staff childcare support from day one. For eligible colleagues in England, where funded childcare applies, a 100% discount applies to remaining childcare fees after available funding has been used, subject to availability and scheme conditions

• Training and career development, including apprenticeships, mentoring and learning resources

• Clear career progression, including opportunities to develop towards Deputy Manager and Nursery Manager roles

• Wellbeing support, with services that may include 24/7 emotional support, virtual GP/nurse access, online physiotherapy and medical, financial and legal helplines

• Stream financial wellbeing tools

• Gym and lifestyle discounts

• Cycle to Work scheme for eligible colleagues

• Recognition and rewards, including Adventurous Applause, colleague awards, referral rewards and long-service recognition

• Team events and celebrations

We’re proud to be a Great Place to Work® certified organisation and recognised by The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, reflecting the supportive, inclusive culture we’re building for our people.

What you'll be doing

As Duty Manager, you'll:

• Support the effective day-to-day leadership and operation of the nursery

• Take responsibility for the nursery when required and support the wider management team

• Lead, motivate and support colleagues to deliver consistently high standards

• Help ensure staffing and deployment support safe ratios and children's needs

• Promote high-quality teaching, learning and experiences in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

• Support colleagues with children's individual learning, development and next steps

• Build positive relationships with children, families and colleagues

• Help maintain a safe, stimulating and inclusive nursery environment

• Support staff supervision, development, coaching and performance

• Promote excellent safeguarding, child protection, health, safety and welfare practice

• Support nursery standards, compliance and operational processes

• Lead by example and bring our values to life every day

What we're looking for

You'll need:

• A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years / Childcare qualification or equivalent

• Strong knowledge and understanding of the EYFS

• Good knowledge of safeguarding and child protection within an Early Years environment

• Experience working within a nursery or Early Years setting

• Previous experience supervising, leading or supporting a team

• Confidence taking responsibility and making sound day-to-day operational decisions

• Strong communication, organisation and people skills

• A caring, positive and professional leadership style

• A commitment to safeguarding and promoting children's wellbeing

• An Enhanced DBS or willingness to undertake the required check

Previous experience as a Room Manager, Deputy Nursery Manager, Third in Charge, Early Years Team Leader or Duty Managerwould be a strong advantage.

Grow your Early Years leadership career

Already working as a Room Manager, Senior Nursery Practitioner, Early Years Team Leader, Third in Charge or Deputy Nursery Manager?

This could be your opportunity to take your next step into nursery leadership with a growing Early Years organisation.

Our culture is built around our ARCH values: Accountability, Reliability, Caring and Honesty, with learning, recognition and career opportunities forming part of our colleague promise.

Safeguarding children

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Our safer recruitment process includes the appropriate identity and Right to Work checks, references, Enhanced DBS and barred-list checks where required, qualification verification and employment history checks.

Working in Taunton, Somerset

This role is based in Taunton, Somerset and could suit candidates looking for Early Years leadership opportunities from surrounding areas including:

Taunton | Wellington | Bridgwater | North Petherton | Creech St Michael | Bishop's Lydeard | Wellington | Somerset

Ready for your next adventure?

If you're looking for a Duty Manager, Deputy Nursery Manager, Room Manager, Early Years Team Leader or nursery management job in Taunton or Somerset, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and take the next step in your Early Years leadership career.

Closing date: 22 November 2026