Is this the job for you?

Are you passionate about giving children the very best start in life?

Are you an experienced Early Years professional ready to lead, motivate, and develop a team to deliver outstanding practice?

Do you thrive in a creative, dynamic environment where imagination, play, and learning go hand in hand?

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference every single day while developing others around you?

If the answer is yes, we’d love to hear from you!

We’re looking for a caring, enthusiastic, and motivated Early Years Room Leader who holds a full and relevant Level 3 (or above) Childcare qualification plus a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in Early Years  to join our amazing team.

About Us

At Lancaster University Pre-School Centre, we care for around 200 children aged 3 months to 5 years, providing a nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment where children can learn, explore, and grow.

We’re open for 50 weeks of the year (closed at Easter, Christmas, and on Bank Holidays), and we’re looking to appoint into a Full time 36.5 hours per week vacancy.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Room Leader and key member of our dedicated and friendly team, you will take a leadership and supervisory role in ensuring high-quality care and education within your designated room

You will :

• Lead and manage the day-to-day organisation and operation of one of our rooms, ensuring high standards of care, learning, and safeguarding are consistently achieved.

• Provide line management, supervision, coaching, and mentoring to Early Years Practitioners, students, and apprentices, supporting their professional development and performance.

• Act as a role model for best practice, supporting staff to deliver high-quality teaching, learning, and interactions in line with EYFS requirements and centre policies.

• Take responsibility for planning, implementing, and evaluating a high-quality curriculum that meets the individual needs of all children.

• Monitor children’s progress, ensuring accurate observations and  assessments , ensuring accuracy, consistency, and progression in children’s development.

• Lead on maintaining a safe, inclusive, and stimulating learning environment, ensuring safeguarding, health and safety, and welfare standards are embedded in daily practice.

• Work collaboratively within the senior team to support the continuous improvement of practice, contribute to self-evaluation processes, and implement development plans.

• Build and maintain strong, professional partnerships with families, acting as a senior point of contact for your room and supporting positive outcomes for children.

• Support the operational running of the centre, including contributing to staff deployment, ratio management, and daily room organisation.

Every day will bring opportunities to lead by example, inspire your team, and support children to thrive.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

✔ Qualified with a full and relevant Level 3 (or above) childcare qualification: check your qualification here: https://www.gov.uk/check-early-years-qualification

✔ A minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in working within an Early Years setting, with demonstrable experience supporting or supervising staff.

✔ Confident in leading practice, making professional judgments, and supporting quality improvement.

✔ Knowledgeable about the Early Years statutory framework,  safeguarding responsibilities, and inclusive practice.

✔ An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and customer service skills.

✔ Organised, proactive, and able to manage competing priorities within a busy childcare environment.

✔ Committed to continuous professional development for both themselves and their team.

✔ A positive, flexible team player who leads by example.

Why work with us?

• We’re proud of our exceptional team and the positive difference we make every day.

• Fantastic facilities – see for yourself: https://youtu.be/81Aw-nL95qo

• Beautiful campus location – set in green parkland with shops, cafes, a sports centre, and even a post office on-site.

• Supportive community – from staff networks to clubs and groups, there are endless ways to connect.

• Healthy work-life balance – Lancaster University is committed to supporting staff wellbeing.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now to join our dedicated team and help shape the future for the next generation.

Closing Date: 14 Jun 2026

Department: Support - Other

Salary: £26,707 to £30,378 (Full time, indefinite)

 ABOUT YOU

The successful candidate will: 

• Be able to demonstrate good understanding of synthetic chemistry and practical techniques. 
• Have experience of following and ensuring good laboratory practice and maintaining high standards of housekeeping and cleanliness.
• Be able to demonstrate competent understanding of chemical safety as applicable to an undergraduate teaching environment with a working knowledge of health and safety and other relevant legislation. 

 THE BENEFITS OF THE ROLE

• Generous holiday entitlement – 25 days (pro-rata) annual leave plus university closure days and bank holidays.
• Access to employee pension scheme, and Lancaster’s annual flexible benefits scheme.
• We are committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across the Faculty, and supporting family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis. The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze Award, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in Higher Education and research. Please see the university’s family friendly webpages to find out more – Family-friendly Lancaster - Lancaster University
• The university is committed to supporting the professional and career development of all staff. Lancaster University is a signatory to the Technician Commitment and has implemented a Technicians Career Framework to support individuals with their personal development and career planning. 

 The Department of Chemistry was re-opened in 2012 and has undergone rapid expansion and development. The Department consists of a core complement of more than 20 members of academic staff and a thriving community of post-doctoral researchers, PGR and UG students. It ranks highly in the UK (7th in the Guardian University Guide 2026) with modern state-of-the-art labs housed in a completely refurbished building. 

Further information about the Department is available at: Chemistry - Lancaster University.

Lancaster University is highly ranked – 14th in the UK according to the Guardian University Guide 2026. It was awarded the Times International University of the Year in 2020 and University of the Year in 2018, and holds a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold rating. The University’s campus is located in 560 acres of beautiful parkland on the edge of the small but vibrant city of Lancaster.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be addressed to our Chemistry Departmental Safety Officer and Superintendent, Helen Quirk, h.quirk@lancaster.ac.uk. 

Please upload a one page cover letter with your application.

Closing Date: 14 Jun 2026

Department: Support - Other

Salary: £33,002 to £37,694 (Full time, indefinite)