We have a new exciting opportunity within the Early Years service as a Childcare Market Development Officer.
In this dynamic role you will produce and use our Childcare Sufficiency Assessment to analyse the local sector, deliver business advice and support that helps sustain and develop our local childcare market to meet community needs.
As Childcare Market Development Officer you will collaborate with a range of stakeholders to help translate national childcare policy and local childcare sufficiency strategy into local initiatives and support that will secure sufficient, sustainable, flexible, affordable and inclusive childcare provision which maximises the take up of the early education entitlements and meets the needs of working families.
About the role
Experienced in leading early education and/or childcare at a senior level, this exciting and diverse role will require you:
- Develop deep understandings of the local childcare sector through the production and collation of information and data, identify gaps in childcare provision and work with the childcare sector to adapt provision to meet parental demand and child needs
- To co-write our annual Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and use analysis to plan childcare stakeholder engagement projects and promote and market management initiatives
- Supporting a range of childcare providers in responding to and implement national childcare policy and maximise the take-up of the early education entitlements in financially sustainable ways through training, face to face support and developing tools and resources
- Advising or signposting prospective, new or existing providers on governance, operational, business and sound financial matters practices
About you
As a Childcare Market Development Officer, you will have:
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills that build respectful partnerships with service users and stakeholders
- Broad knowledge of the early years and childcare sector and government policy
- Strong knowledge of current childcare market business practices and financial management
- Highly analytical and numerate, demonstrably attentive to detail, with a passion for collating and drawing insight from data
- Strong organisational abilities: time management, creative-thinking, resilience, problem-solving and multitasking
About our Benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Hybrid and mobile working (between home and work)
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.