33 Early years jobs

Director of Community (Early Years, Family Support and Safeguarding)
Part-time (3 days per week) | Job Share | Executive Leadership Team
 

Coin Street is seeking an exceptional leader to join our Leadership Team as Director of Community.

This role forms part of a senior job-share arrangement. Together, the two postholders provide leadership for Coin Street's Community Hub. While your counterpart will lead our youth work, adult and older people's programmes and community participation activities, this role has primary responsibility for our early years, family support and safeguarding functions.

We are looking for someone with substantial experience of leading children's services and a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing families today. You may currently be leading an early years setting, children's centre, family hub, early help service or similar community-based provision.

This is a rare opportunity to combine operational oversight of established services with strategic leadership within one of the UK's best-known community-led organisations.
 

About the role
You will provide strategic leadership for:

• Coin Street Nursery
• The Coin Street Family Hub
• Family support and parenting programmes
• Early years education and childcare
• Safeguarding across the organisation as Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Relationships with children's services partners and commissioners
• Quality assurance, compliance and continuous improvement

As a member of the Leadership Team, you will help shape organisational strategy, contribute to future service development and ensure children and families remain at the heart of Coin Street's work.

You will work closely with senior managers, trustees, funders, regulators and statutory partners to ensure services remain safe, effective, financially sustainable and responsive to community needs.

Who we're looking for

We expect applicants to bring significant experience in early years, family support or children's services.

You might currently be:

• Leading a nursery group or early years organisation
• Managing a Family Hub or Children's Centre network
• Leading an early help or family support service
• Working in a senior leadership role within the voluntary sector supporting children and families
• Managing integrated services spanning early years, parenting support and family wellbeing

You will bring:

• A strong understanding of early years education and child development
• Experience operating within regulated environments, including Ofsted
• Experience of safeguarding leadership and organisational safeguarding assurance
• Experience working alongside local authority children's services and commissioners
• The ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and complex services
• Experience using evidence, inspection frameworks and performance information to drive improvement
• Strong partnership-building and influencing skills
• Strategic leadership capability combined with sound operational judgement

Most importantly, you will share our belief that strong communities are built by investing in children, families and residents and by creating the conditions in which people can thrive.
 

About Coin Street

For over forty years, Coin Street has been creating opportunities for people to lead their own change. Based on London's South Bank, we combine community services, co-operative housing, commercial enterprise and neighbourhood stewardship to create a thriving mixed-use community.

Our work with children and families sits at the heart of that mission. Through our nursery, family support services, community programmes and partnerships, we support local families from the earliest years onwards, helping to create stronger foundations for the future.
 

Contract
Permanent. Part-Time, 3 days per week.

Salary
£70,000 per annum full-time equivalent (£42,000 pro rata for 3 days per week), plus a non-consolidated annual Designated Safeguarding Lead allowance of £3,000.

Extras

• 27 days’ annual leave (excluding bank holidays)/Equivalent of 35 days annual leave (including Bank holidays), pro rata for part-time staff. Increases with length of service.
• 8% contributory pension scheme (5% employer contribution, 3% employee contribution)
• Health and wellbeing support, including online mental health therapy sessions
• Free gym membership at Colombo Centre, annual flu jabs 
• Commitment to training and development 

How to Apply

To apply for the role, please click on this link to be redirected to ourRecruitment Portal.  

Closing Date
Please submit your application by midnight on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check.