Major Accounts Manager

Howdens-95ed4e89; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Laptop and mobile

Excellent pension scheme

Staff discount on Howdens products

Share awards and prize draws

25 days' holiday, rising with years

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Howdens Joinery is recruiting a Major Accounts Manager to grow our Social Sector contract business across the North of the UK. You will manage high‑value accounts, win new business and build long‑term relationships with key customers.

This field‑based role requires frequent regional travel with occasional UK overnight stays. You will work with Kitchen Designers to deliver innovative, practical layouts, prepare tenders, and produce accurate estimates while maintaining excellent after‑sales

Qualifications

• Strong business development experience, ideally in construction or a trade environment.
• Proven track record of achieving and surpassing sales targets.
• Experience managing high-value customer accounts.
• Confident preparing tenders, pricing plans and working to margins.
• Outstanding presentation, communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• A customer-focused and commercially astute approach with strong organisation.
• Proactive, flexible and results-driven with the ability to travel frequently within the North.

Responsibilities

• Achieving and surpassing sales targets by developing new and existing Social Sector contracts.
• Managing major spending accounts and building long-term customer relationships.
• Generating leads and initiating contact with potential, existing and lapsed customers.
• Preparing tenders and pitching Howdens as a potential supplier.
• Understanding customer requirements with Kitchen Designers to deliver practical solutions.
• Finding commercial solutions for design challenges including accessible layouts.
• Providing high level after-sales service and first point of contact for queries.
• Producing accurate estimates with pricing, delivery dates and stock needs.
• Maintaining detailed account records and monthly development reports.
• Monitoring competitor activity to support growth and working with depots/Contracts team.

Skills

Business development

Account management

Tendering

Presentation skills

Communication

Negotiation

Customer focus

Organization

Travel readiness

Driving licence

Tools

CAD

Kitchen planning

Job description

North of the UK | Candidates can be based in or around the Midlands, Leeds or ManchesterAre you an ambitious, commercially minded sales professional who knows how to build long-term relationships with major customers? Howdens Contracts Division is growing, and we are looking for a Major Accounts Manager to develop our Social Sector contract business across the North of the UK.You will manage major spending accounts, win new business and grow existing relationships, helping to increase our share of the Social Sector contracts market. This is a field-based role involving frequent travel across the region and occasional UK travel and overnight stays.What you'll be doingAchieving and surpassing sales targets by developing new and existing Social Sector contractsManaging major spending accounts and building collaborative, long-term customer relationshipsGenerating leads and initiating contact with potential, existing and lapsed contract customersPreparing tenders and pitching Howdens as a potential supplierUnderstanding customer requirements and working with Kitchen Designers to deliver innovative, practical solutionsFinding commercial solutions to design challenges, including accessible layouts and compact spacesActing as the first point of contact for customer queries, concerns and changes, providing a high level of after-sales serviceProducing accurate estimates with the correct pricing, delivery dates and stock requirementsMaintaining detailed account records and completing monthly reports on development and sales activityMonitoring competitor and industry activity to support commercial growthWorking closely with depots, NDCs and the wider Contracts team to deliver a consistent customer experienceWhat we need from youStrong business development experience, ideally gained within construction or a trade-only environmentProven experience of achieving and surpassing sales targetsExperience of managing and developing high-value customer accountsConfidence preparing tenders, competitively pricing plans and working to agreed marginsOutstanding presentation, communication, influencing and negotiation skillsA customer-focused and commercially astute approach, with the ability to communicate at all levelsExcellent organisation, attention to detail and the ability to manage your own workloadA proactive, flexible and results-driven style, with the desire to succeedGood computer literacy and confidence handling customers by phone and in personA full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel frequently across the North, with occasional overnight staysDesirable: Experience within the kitchen industry, CAD or kitchen planning, or a Howdens depot background.What we can offer youBasic Salary of £45-55,000 depending on experienceCompany car, laptop and mobileExcellent pension scheme, with company contribution of up to 12%25 days' holiday, rising to 27 days after 5 years' service and 30 days after 10 years' serviceStaff discount on Howdens productsShare awards and prize drawsThe opportunity to build your career within a fast-paced, successful and growing businessHow to applyIf Howdens sounds like the kind of place where you can build and develop your career, we would be keen to hear from you.Howdens is founded on the principle of being Worthwhile for ALL concerned. We are working hard to provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. We will do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need any adjustments to our recruitment process, please email [e-mail] with the job title and preferred location, and we will be happy to help.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.#LI-LO1 #CVL #INDKSD #Reed