Early Years and Childcare Sector Development Support Officer

This full-time, permanent role has a starting salary of 34,660 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be recruiting a new Early Years and Childcare Sector Development Support Officer to join our fantastic Early Years Commissioning team based in Woking.

This role is open to hybrid working with the right balance. As a team we split our time between collaborating with colleagues in the office (approximately 20% of your working week) and working remotely, including from home.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (pro rata for part-time hours) 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

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to children and families across Surrey. By supporting parents, childcare providers and colleagues, you will help ensure families can access high-quality childcare and early education, giving children the best possible start in life.

Your work will contribute to securing sufficient, sustainable and inclusive childcare provision across the county, with a focus on ensuring children who need additional support are able to access the services they need. Through accurate data management, provider engagement and community support, you will help improve outcomes for children and families while supporting Surrey's vision that everyone can achieve their full potential.

Your key responsibilities as a Commissioning Support Officer will include:

• Managing the team's shared inbox, responding to and directing enquiries from childcare providers, parents and partners
• Providing information and signposting on childcare provision, funded early education and relevant support services
• Collecting, maintaining and analysing childcare sufficiency data, liaising with providers and keeping accurate records using spreadsheets and databases
• Supporting the planning and delivery of community engagement events, including preparing resources and providing information to attendees
• Providing administrative support to the team, including organising meetings, maintaining records and coordinating office bookings

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills:

• Experience in Early Years, or another similar relevant field
• An understanding of Early Years Funded Early Education Entitlements and Statutory Guidance, including Safeguarding responsibilities and the impact of disadvantage on families and children
• IT confidence including: MS applications and creating/editing webpages
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including diplomacy and discretion and ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and partners
• Understanding of how to gather and analyse data and information
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise conflicting deadlines

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

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

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

1. What interests you about working in the Early Years Commissioning Team, and how does your knowledge and experience make you suitable for this role?
2. Please describe your understanding of the current Early Years Funded Entitlements and the role they play in improving outcomes for children, and supporting families to access high-quality childcare.
3. What is your approach to organising and prioritising your work when managing multiple competing demands?
4. Please tell us about your experience of using digital systems and data to support your work. This could include collecting information, maintaining records, analysing data or producing reports.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 25.10.2026 with interviews planned to follow.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is West Surrey, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year.

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 shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, 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.