About The Role Ark Start has reached an exciting stage in its journey as we prepare to expand our provision into West Yorkshire. We are now seeking to appoint a Deputy Director of Early Years to join the Ark Start leadership team to set up and grow a cluster of not-for-profit nurseries, initially across Pontefract and Bradford. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and ambitious early years leader who is keen to develop whilst leading an exciting expansion project. The successful candidate will ideally join the Ark Start team in May (2026), or sooner if possible. The success candidate will play a crucial role in ensuring every nursery is delivering the highest quality early education as well as shaping a positive culture that embodies the Ark Start values. They will be responsible for line managing the nursery managers and developing partnerships with schools, local authorities and other external partners to support the expansion and profile of Ark Start in West Yorkshire. Part of Ark, a national children''s charity, Ark Start is a start-up nursery network aiming to ensure that every child has access to an excellent early years'' education and that families have access to flexible and affordable childcare. Over the past few years, Ark Start has built a network of seven nurseries in London, working closely with families and local partners to deliver high-quality provision. To date, 91% of children moving on from Ark Start settings have achieved a Good Level of De