Depot Manager

Howden Joinery Limited; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonuses and incentives

Company car or car allowance

Management training and development

Pension plan with up to 12% company

Up to 32 days annual leave

Staff discount on Howdens products

Share scheme

40 hour working week

No evenings, Sundays or Bank Holidays

Virtual GP access and wellbeing

Job summary

Howdens Joinery is looking for a capable depot leader to drive performance across a network of depots. The role requires a hands-on manager who can coach and develop a team while delivering sales growth, strong customer service, and profitable operations.

You will be responsible for leading local trade relationships, setting performance targets, and ensuring the highest standards of service in a fast-paced environment. A competitive package and opportunities for development are offered.

Qualifications

• Experience managing teams in fast-paced, customer-focused settings.
• Confident, hands-on leader who can coach and develop staff.
• Strong commercial awareness with sales targets and KPIs.
• Skilled at building relationships and growing sales opportunities.
• Proven ability to manage people, performance and results.
• Practical problem solver with proactive, can-do approach.
• Excellent communication with a customer-first mindset.
• Drive, ambition and resilience in a performance-led environment.

Responsibilities

• Taking full ownership of depot performance, including profit and loss.
• Driving sales growth and margin through strong local trade relationships.
• Recruiting, leading, developing and motivating your team.
• Promoting and ensuring effective account management.
• Setting clear expectations and holding the team accountable to targets.
• Ensuring high standards of customer service and depot operations.

Skills

Management experience

Hands-on leadership

Commercial awareness

Relationship building

People management

Problem solving

Excellent communication

Drive and resilience

Job description

What we can offer you:

• Competitive salary
• brilliant bonuses and outstanding depot incentives
• Company car or car allowance
• Ongoing Management Training and 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 are looking for:

• Previous management experience in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused environment, ideally within a sales‑led role
• A confident, hands‑on leader who can motivate, coach and develop a team
• Strong commercial awareness, with experience of driving performance and working to sales targets and KPIs
• Someone who enjoys building relationships and spotting opportunities to grow sales
• Confidence managing people, performance and results
• A practical problem solver who takes a proactive, can‑do approach
• Excellent communication skills with a customer‑first mindset
• Drive, ambition and resilience in a performance‑led environment

What you will be doing:

• Taking full ownership of depot performance, including profit and loss
• Driving sales growth and margin through strong local trade relationships
• Recruiting, leading, developing and motivating your team
• Promoting and ensuring effective account management
• Setting clear expectations and holding the team accountable to targets
• Ensuring high standards of customer service and depot operations

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 keep products in stock, provide exceptional service, and deliver real value to our customers every day.