Assistant Depot Manager

Howden Joinery Limited; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus incentives

Pension plan

Generous leave

Staff discount

Share scheme

40 hour week

No evenings/weekends

Virtual GP

Team culture

Job summary

Howdens Joinery is seeking an Assistant Depot Manager to support the Depot Manager in day-to-day operations, grow sales and lead a hands-on team at a busy depot. You will build strong relationships with local trade customers, focus on customer service and stock management, and drive performance to achieve targets.

You’ll develop your leadership skills through coaching, training and exposure to commercial decisions, with a clear path towards a Depot Manager role.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or supporting a team in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong customer focus and commercial mindset.
• Ability to spot opportunities to grow sales and improve performance.
• Practical problem solver who takes initiative and makes things happen.
• Confident communicator who can build relationships with local trade.
• Well organized with planning and prioritization skills.
• Ambition and drive with desire to progress.
• Resilient in a busy, high-performance setting.

Responsibilities

• Support Depot Manager in day-to-day depot operations.
• Build and maintain relationships with local trade customers.
• Lead, coach and develop the team to improve performance.
• Oversee sales, customer service, warehouse and stock management.
• Review performance and help drive sales to meet targets.
• Promote the full range of products and services offered.
• Depose for the Depot Manager when needed.
• Maintain high health and safety standards across the depot.

Skills

Team leadership

Customer focus

Sales growth

Problem solving

Communication

Organization

Ambition

Resilience

Job description

Join the UK’s Number One Trade Kitchen Supplier Join Howdens as an Assistant Depot Manager and play a key role in driving the success of your depot. We’re hiring someone who thrives in a fast paced, hands‑on environment and is motivated by driving sales and working closely with their team to deliver results. You’ll support your Depot Manager to grow the business, build strong local trade relationships and achieve sales and growth targets. This is a varied role where you’ll get involved across the depot, from leading and supporting your team to driving sales, customer service and overall performance. If you’re ambitious and looking to progress, this is a great opportunity to build the skills and experience needed to step into a Depot Manager role, supported by ongoing training and development.

What we can offer you:

• Competitive salary, brilliant bonuses and outstanding depot incentives Training and ongoing development Excellent pension plan with up to 12% company contribution Up to 32 days annual leave, including bank holidays.
• Holiday entitlement rises with service
• Generous staff discount on Howdens products
• Buy‑as‑you‑earn share scheme
• 40 hour working week
• No evening, Sunday or Bank Holiday working
• Virtual GP access and wellbeing support for you and your family
• A strong team culture that genuinely sets us apart

What we’re looking for:

• Experience supporting or leading a team in a fast-paced environment
• Strong customer focus with a clear commercial mindset
• Someone who spots opportunities to grow sales and improve performance
• A practical problem solver who takes initiative and makes things happen
• Confident communicator who can build strong relationships with local trade
• Well organised, with the ability to plan and prioritise effectively
• Ambition and drive, with a clear desire to progress
• Resilient and comfortable working in a busy, high-performance environment

What you’ll be doing:

• Supporting your Depot Manager in the day to day running of the depot
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with local trade customers
• Leading, coaching and developing the team to improve performance
• Overseeing sales, customer service, warehouse and stock
• Reviewing performance and helping to drive sales and achieve targets
• Promoting the full range of products and services
• Deputising for your Depot Manager when needed
• Maintaining high standards of health and safety across the depot

What it’s like to work here:

• We take pride in getting things right first time for our customers
• Everyone pulls their weight and supports each other as one team
• It’s a busy depot, so we keep things simple, work fast and get the job done
• We all play a part in the depot’s success and share in the team bonus
• We build trust by doing what we say we will, every day

About Howdens:

Howdens Joinery is a highly successful FTSE 100 business, with more than 900 depots nationwide and more than 11,000 staff. Last year our sales reached circa 2.3bn, and we continue to experience significant growth and success. Despite our scale, Howdens remains a local business with traditional values. There is a strong entrepreneurial ethos and the opportunity to develop within a fast-paced and commercial environment. That, along with a competitive salary, development opportunities, and exciting rewards, are among the reasons why our people enjoy working for Howdens – and why we have been named one of the 10 Best Big Companies to Work For. Howdens is founded on the principle of being Worthwhile for ALL concerned. We’re working hard to ensure we provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. We will do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, please email [e-mail] with the job title and location, and we will be happy to help you.

Please note that candidates applying for this role must have a valid right to work in the UK, we do not offer sponsorship of employment for any depot positions at this time. We appreciate your understanding.

Discover your next role with us and see how you can fit into one of the UK’s best big companies to work for.

As a proud member of The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, we offer exciting opportunities for both apprentices starting out and experienced professionals ready to take the next step in their careers.

Whether you’re working in our depots, building strong relationships with our trade customers, or applying your expertise to create, manufacture and distribute our market‑leading products, there are many roles that make Howdens a success. Find out more about what makes our Depots tick.

Howdens is the UK’s number one specialist kitchen supplier, trusted by the trade since 1995. From just 14 depots when we started, we’ve grown to nearly 950 across the UK and Europe, and we’re still growing. At Howdens, our people are at the heart of everything we do. Whether in our depots, manufacturing sites, or support teams, everyone plays a vital role in helping us grow, innovate, and make a difference. We work exclusively with trade professionals, giving them the products, service, and support they need to deliver kitchens fitted to the highest standard. By building strong partnerships with local tradespeople, we help them exceed their customers’ expectations, and in turn, we all succeed together. Our success is built on a simple but powerful model: locally empowered depot teams backed by a world‑class supply chain. This means we can keep products in stock, provide exceptional service, and deliver real value to our customers every day.