Early Years

**This is a fixed term contract linked to specific external funding until March 2027.**

**About the Role**:
We are seeking an Early Years Business Advisor to join the Childcare & Early Education Team.

You will support our local early years and childcare sector by enhancing business strategies, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving sustainable growth in response to government expansion of early years and school-aged wraparound childcare.

This is a temporary two-year contract designed to guide providers through policy changes around early years and childcare funding and provision.

You’ll have the opportunity to influence quality improvement and deliver lasting impact for children and families.

You will join a passionate team dedicated to improving the quality of early years provision and outcomes for children.

This is a chance to lead positive change across our community, and a supportive environment that values collaboration and innovation.

**Main responsibilities**:

- Provide operational and financial guidance to early years and childcare providers, linking advice to government funding streams.
- Ensure providers understand and meet all legal and regulatory obligations.
- Identify areas for business improvement and growth, developing sustainable financial plans.
- Deliver and facilitate business-acumen workshops networking and collaboration opportunities.
- Keep providers updated on new tools, technologies and methodologies to boost efficiency and service quality.
- Conduct research on childcare sufficiency, market trends and parental preferences.
- Prepare timely records, reports, audits and statutory submissions, including the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment.
- Develop and maintain procedural guidance notes for digital headcount submission tools.
- Collaborate with Neighbourhood Teams, Family Hubs, the Early Years Advisory Team, School Improvement, SEN services, and other organisations to deliver integrated, effective support

**About You**:
You are organised, detail-oriented and confident handling data.

You take pride in helping others, problem solving with patience and clarity, and you understand the importance of data protection and regulatory compliance.

Your skill set includes:

- Proficiency in spreadsheets for data collation and analysis
- Strong business knowledge, preferably with an understanding of the childcare sector

Ability to train advise and support others to find positive solutions
- Creative thinker, eager to explore new tools and methodologies

Collaborative team player, able to work across multidisciplinary teams
- Adaptable problem-solver, resilient under pressure, and able to navigate change

You bring empathy and a people-first approach to every interaction, ensuring your reports, audits, and analyses directly strengthen local childcare services.

**About Us**:
We’re a small, dedicated team within Rochdale’s Early Years, Early Help and Neighbourhood Services, committed to equitable access to early years and childcare provision supporting the agendas of helping families back to work and children getting the best start in life.

You’ll join a supportive, collaborative environment where your contributions directly impact the lives of children (011 years) and their families across the borough.

**Which applies to your job role?**

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects staff to share this commitment.

If you are interested in what we are offering and have the skills we are looking for we want to hear from you.

If you would like to discuss the post further please contact Julia Henry, Strategic Lead Childcare & Education on 01706 926765 or Tracey Hill, Early Years Claims Manager on 01706 927857

**Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.