Join Early Years – the organisation for young children as Early Years Quality Advisor
Location: North West/Northern Working across Health and Social Care Trust areas within Northern Ireland. A hybrid working policy is in place.
Base: Early Years North West Office Derry/Londonderry BT48 8SE
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm
Tenure: Fixed Term until 30 June 2029 with possibility of extension
Salary: NJC Scale, Point 23-26 (£33,366-£36,124) per annum pro rata
Do you have a passion for making a meaningful impact in early childhood education?
Do you believe in the power of play to unlock potential?
Be part of our team and help shape the futures of children by fostering growth and learning through purposeful opportunities.
At Early Years, we are committed to fostering growth for both the children and our staff. Joining means an opportunity to enhance your skills, make a meaningful difference, and collaborate with a team that upholds dedication, compassion, and excellence in early years care and education.
In return, Early Years provides a comprehensive rewards package, including a competitive salary, 36 days of annual leave (pro-rata), inclusive of statutory/public holidays, a contributory pension scheme, options to purchase additional leave, and access to healthcare schemes.
The role
The Early Years Quality Advisor (EYQA) will be responsible for the programmatic development, delivery, co-ordination and quality assurance within the pre-school sector. The EYQA will also contribute to the delivery of existing services and developments within the Early Years portfolio, with a clear focus on leading improvements within the sector.
We're looking for people who:
At the closing date have:
Essential criteria
At the closing date applicants, must have:
- Undergraduate Qualification in Early Years.
- Demonstrate a strong working knowledge of statutory requirements in Northern Ireland for childcare settings in the community and voluntary sector.
- Two years acting in a lead capacity in a voluntary/independent pre-school OR Sure Start OR a Nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 class.
Desirable criteria
- Proven experience of quality improvement.
An information pack containing the job description and personnel specification is available by clicking here.
Please note, the information pack will not be available after the job posting closes therefore you may want to download it.
As part of the application process, you will need to demonstrate how you meet the criteria as outlined above and, on the personnel specification, and provide a copy of your CV.
Shortlisting will be completed based on the information contained with the application form, therefore it is important to clearly outline how you meet the criteria.
Where there are a large number of applications received, candidates may also be shortlisted using the desirable criteria.
Please note that your CV will only be used to support your application in assessing employment history.
Once you begin the application, it must be completed in one session, as there is no option to save and return to it later.
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Tuesday 10 March 2026.
For shortlisted applicants it is anticipated that interviews will take place Wednesday 18 March 2026.
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to six months for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via email.
Should you need to contact us, please use the following methods:
Email: monitoringofficer@early-years.org
Phone: 028 9066 2825 Option 5
Early Years is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to providing flexible friendly working conditions. As Protestants and males are currently known to be under-represented in the Organisation, we would particularly welcome applications from these groups.