Head of Early Years Funding and Family Information Services

Job Description

The London Borough of Harrow is seeking a Head of Early Years Funding and Family Information Services to provide strategic leadership across a portfolio that is fundamental to the delivery of high-quality early education, childcare and family support services.

Reporting to the Early Years Lead Adviser, this senior leadership role sits within the Education Services division of Children’s Services and has a key responsibility for overseeing the effective management and distribution of the Early Years Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant, with an annual value of approximately £39 million.

This is a key role, with responsibilty for leading the Families Information Service, childcare sufficiency strategy, early years funding administration and associated data and intelligence functions. The postholder will ensure the Council fulfils its statutory duties, delivers excellent support to families and providers, and maintains a sustainable, accessible and inclusive childcare market across the borough. Working closely with senior leaders, elected members, schools, early years providers, government bodies and partner organisations, you will provide expert advice on complex policy, funding, performance and market-development matters. You will also lead the development of strategies and systems that ensure services remain compliant, efficient and responsive to the changing needs of children and families.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of early years provision in Harrow. Combining strategic leadership with strong operational oversight, you will drive service improvement, manage significant budgets and resources, and use data and insight to inform decision making and improve outcomes. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced leader to influence policy, strengthen partnerships and deliver meaningful impact for children, families and childcare providers across the borough.

Interview Date- 20/11/2026

The successful candidate will have:

• Significant leadership experience within a complex public sector, education, childcare or family services environment
• Extensive knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance and funding arrangements relating to early years education, childcare and family support services
• Proven experience managing substantial budgets, funding programmes and financial performance within a highly accountable environment
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data, identify trends and use evidence to inform strategic decision making
• Experience leading service improvement, transformation programmes and organisational change initiatives
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to present complex information to senior leaders, elected members and external partners
• Strong partnership-building and stakeholder management skills, with experience working across multiple agencies and sectors
• A strategic, collaborative and outcome-focused leadership style, with the ability to manage risk, drive performance and deliver high-quality services for children and families

For more information, please refer to the Role Profile/ Selection Criteria

About us

Harrow Council is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit with a range of cultures, religions and opinions that come together to produce high achieving schools and a close and friendly community. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

Other information

Support for candidates visit:Harrow.gov.uk Our behavioural indicators roles below G11 and above G11 Here at Harrow Council, the vision is one of 'Working together to make a difference for Harrow' Please click here to view Harrow Council's benefits

Important Note

To deliver our commitment to equality of opportunity in service provision, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs at the London Borough of Harrow. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification applies. As such, we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. For further information, please read our equality statement.

As a disability-confident employer, we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes reasonably adjusting the recruitment process for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, please contact us at resourcing@harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Harrow operates stringent, safer recruitment procedures.

Due to the high number of applications received for some posts, we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Harrow redeployees will be given priority consideration.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn