Job Description:

This permanent role has a starting salary of £47,142 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We have a great opportunity to join our Early Years Commissioning team as a Senior Early Years Commissioning Officer.

We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for one day per week on average (20% of the working week). In addition to this you will carry out visits to schools and early years providers across the county weekly, and we support working from home the rest of the time.

This role is currently covering the South East of the county (Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley, and Tandridge) however travel across the county may be required. The designated office base is Victoria Gate in Woking, however we work on a rotation basis between offices in Reigate and Woking.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

A typical day in this role could see you supporting the opening of new nurseries, visiting sites across the county, and guiding Commissioning Officers with expert advice on business planning and financial forecasting. You may lead statutory processes with schools establishing new nursery classes, ensuring these developments meet local needs. You'll analyse data to identify where early years places are most needed, shaping strategies that prioritise our most vulnerable children and families.

Alongside this, you'll work closely with a wide range of partners - including education, health, property, legal teams, school leaders, Family Centres, parents and data analysts - to assess the impact of local developments, ensuring funded entitlements are delivered effectively, and strengthen the early years sector through engaging and high-quality training.

The role includes the line management of two colleagues within the Early Years Commissioning Team, providing regular supervision, guidance, and support to enable their continued professional development and ensure high quality, effective practice across the service.

Over the next 12-18 months, key projects will include embedding the biggest ever rollout of funded early education into business as usual, leading the government agenda on expansion of school-based nurseries, prioritising improved outcomes for disadvantaged families, strengthening links with the Best Start for Life programme, and implementing new statutory requirements relating to charging and the Early Years Census.

In this role, you will play a pivotal part in shaping Surrey's early years landscape by driving strategic improvements, strengthening provider quality and sustainability, and ensuring that our most vulnerable children and families benefit from high quality early years support that aligns with the Council's long-term ambitions for better outcomes and thriving communities.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Level 6 qualification in Early Years or a related field, or significant relevant professional experience, with clear progression in previous roles
• Strong knowledge of Early Years funded entitlements and Statutory Guidance, including safeguarding responsibilities, and the impact of additional needs, deprivation and disadvantage on the sector
• Understanding of sufficiency, market management, and the Early Years landscape at a strategic and operational level

The role holder will need to have the willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• What do you think will be the key priorities/challenges within the first 6 months of the role?
• What motivated you to apply for this role and what knowledge, skills and experience do you bring?
• Give an example of a time when you worked with a range of partners - such as schools, early years providers, health, social care, or community organisations - to achieve a shared outcome for children and families. What was your role, and how did you build effective and productive relationships?
• Describe the types of data you have used in your current or previous roles (for example: sufficiency data, demographic trends, financial information or quality indicators). How did you analyse this data, and how did your analysis influence your decision making or improve outcomes for children and families?

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 21st June 2026 with interviews planned to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.