Assistant Funding Manager (12 Month Fixed Term Contract)

This is a Central Office role in London (Hybrid - with 2-3 days a week in our Central Office)

Help secure the funding that helps children get the best start in life.

At LEYF, we’re not just running nurseries. We’re giving children the best start in life.

Every day, thousands of children learn, grow and thrive in our nurseries across London. Behind every great nursery is a network of talented teams working together to create outstanding experiences for children and families. As our new Assistant Funding Manager, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring we access, manage and maximise the funding that makes this possible.

We’re looking for someone who loves solving problems, working with data and making complex processes simple. Someone who enjoys bringing structure, accuracy and consistency to their work. Someone who understands that getting funding right doesn’t just support the organisation, it helps create opportunities for thousands of children across London.

As the UK’s largest social enterprise nursery group, we’re proud of our purpose and ambitious about quality. With significant changes to childcare funding across the sector, this is an exciting opportunity to help shape how funding is managed across LEYF while working closely with nurseries, local authorities and central support teams.

What you’ll be doing

This role is about much more than submitting funding claims.

You’ll work closely with the Grants Manager to strengthen processes, improve compliance and ensure funding is accurately claimed, allocated and reconciled. You’ll work across multiple teams to provide the insight, guidance and support needed to help LEYF make informed decisions and deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families.

You will:

• Support the delivery and continuous improvement of LEYF’s funding processes
• Lead the termly Local Authority Census returns
• Ensure funding claims are accurate, compliant and submitted within required deadlines
• Work closely with Local Authorities to manage funding returns and reconciliations
• Analyse funding data and provide meaningful reporting and insight
• Support audits and ensure compliance with Local Authority funding requirements
• Document processes and create practical guidance for colleagues across the organisation
• Maintain accurate grant and funding records across systems
• Work collaboratively with Finance, Billing, Customer Services and Nursery teams to maximise funding opportunities
• Identify opportunities to improve ways of working and increase efficiency
• Provide support, guidance and quality assurance to colleagues
• Support month-end reporting, reconciliations and wider finance activities

You’ll probably love this role if…

• You enjoy working with data and turning detail into meaningful insight
• You’re highly organised and thrive when managing multiple deadlines
• You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• You enjoy improving processes and finding better ways of working
• You understand the importance of accuracy and compliance
• You can build positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• You enjoy balancing independent work with collaborative team projects
• You communicate complex information clearly and confidently
• You take pride in delivering a high standard of service
• You’re motivated by working for an organisation with a genuine social purpose

Most importantly, you’ll share our belief that every child deserves the best start in life and that great support behind the scenes helps make that happen.

Why LEYF?

Because this isn’t a typical funding role.

You’ll be joining the UK’s largest social enterprise nursery group, where every part of the organisation contributes to improving outcomes for children and families. You’ll work in a role that combines financial accuracy, operational improvement and meaningful social impact.

This is an opportunity to help shape the future of funding processes during a period of significant change in the childcare sector, while working with passionate colleagues who care deeply about making a difference.

If you’re looking for a role where your attention to detail, analytical thinking and collaborative approach can have a real impact, we’d love to hear from you.

What’s in it for You?

• Shape the way we work: Bring your ideas and help us improve our funding processes and systems
• Be part of something bigger: Join a supportive team committed to making a diffe…