Field Based Depot Manager

Howden Joinery Limited; Epsom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Howdens Joinery is seeking a Designate Depot Manager to support depots across the South London area and undergo hands-on training to run a depot. The role offers progression to a permanent Depot Manager position within a manager-led, fast-paced business with strong team spirit.

Your responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day depot operations, developing teams, and identifying opportunities to grow sales while managing budgets and relationships with local trade customers.

Qualifications

• Previous management experience in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop a team.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building with local trade customers.

Responsibilities

• Support the day-to-day running of multiple depots.
• Learn all areas of depot operations through hands-on experience.
• Identify sales opportunities and help improve depot performance.
• Review P&L and manage depot budget.
• Participate in recruitment, coaching and motivating your team.
• Build strong relationships with local trade customers.
• Lead by example in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
• Create a positive team culture where staff feel supported.

Skills

Management experience

Lead and motivate team

Identify sales opportunities

Hands-on problem solving

Strong communication

Job description

Join Howdens, the UK’s leading Trade Kitchen Supplier This role is a great opportunity for anyone looking to take the next step in their career within Howdens. Colleagues with experience supporting depot operations, including those currently working as Assistant Depot Managers may find this a natural progression as it provides the exposure and development needed to step into a future Depot Manager role. We’re looking for a Designate Depot Manager, where you’ll support a group of depots across the South London area while completing hands‑on training that prepares you to run your own depot. This role is perfect for someone who enjoys variety, learning on the job and working with different teams. You’ll be involved in the day‑to‑day running of our depots, gaining experience across all areas of operations from sales and customer service to stock, warehouse and people management.

Once you’ve completed your training and a suitable opportunity becomes available, you’ll step into a permanent Depot Manager position. As a manager‑led business, our Depot Managers have real autonomy and make decisions that directly impact the success of their depot. It’s fast‑paced, competitive and commercially focused, but also hugely rewarding both financially and in the strong sense of team spirit across our network.

What we are looking for:

• Previous management experience in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused environment
• Someone who can lead, motivate and develop a team
• Ability to spot new opportunities to grow sales
• A problem‑solver who takes a hands‑on approach
• Great communication skills with the ability to build strong local trade relationships
• Full UK Driving licence and flexibility to travel across depots during training

What you will be doing:

• Supporting the day‑to‑day running of multiple depots
• Learning all areas of depot operations through hands‑on experience
• Identifying sales opportunities and helping improve depot performance
• Reviewing P&L performance and understanding how to manage a depot budget
• Getting involved in recruitment, coaching and motivating your team
• Building strong relationships with local trade customers
• Leading by example in a fast‑paced, competitive and rewarding environment
• Creating a positive team culture where people feel supported and motivated

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.