Major Accounts Manager

Howdens; West Midlands, Leeds, Manchester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Pension up to 12%

25 days holiday

Staff discount

Share awards

Job summary

Howdens Joinery is recruiting a Major Accounts Manager to grow Social Sector contract business across the North of the UK, with Midlands, Leeds or Manchester bases acceptable. This field-based role requires travel across the region and occasional UK overnight stays.

You will manage major spending accounts, win new business, build long-term relationships and deliver practical kitchen solutions in collaboration with designers, while providing first-class after-sales service and accurate estimated

Qualifications

• Strong business development experience in construction or trade environments.
• Proven track record of achieving and surpassing sales targets.
• Experience managing high-value customer accounts.
• Confidence with tenders, pricing plans and margins.
• Excellent presentation, communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Customer-focused and commercially astute with ability to communicate at all levels.
• Excellent organisation and ability to manage workload.
• Proactive, flexible and results-driven attitude.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel frequently in the North.

Responsibilities

• Achieve and exceed sales targets by building Social Sector contracts.
• Manage major accounts and build long-term customer relationships.
• Generate leads and contact potential, existing and lapsed contract customers.
• Prepare tenders and pitch Howdens as a supplier.
• Understand customer requirements and work with Kitchen Designers to deliver solutions.
• Find commercial solutions to design challenges, including accessible layouts and compact spaces.
• Act as the first point of contact for customer queries with high after-sales service.
• Produce accurate estimates with pricing, delivery dates and stock requirements.
• Maintain detailed account records and monthly sales activity reports.
• Monitor competitor activity to support commercial growth.
• Collaborate with depots, NDCs and the Contracts team for a consistent customer experience.

Skills

Business development

Sales targets

Account management

Tendering

Presentation skills

Negotiation

Communication

Organization

Proactive attitude

Driving licence

Travel flexibility

Tools

CAD

Kitchen planning

Job description

North of the UK | Candidates can be based in or around the Midlands, Leeds or Manchester

Are 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 Doing

• Achieving and surpassing sales targets by developing new and existing Social Sector contracts
• Managing major spending accounts and building collaborative, long-term customer relationships
• Generating leads and initiating contact with potential, existing and lapsed contract customers
• Preparing tenders and pitching Howdens as a potential supplier
• Understanding customer requirements and working with Kitchen Designers to deliver innovative, practical solutions
• Finding commercial solutions to design challenges, including accessible layouts and compact spaces
• Acting as the first point of contact for customer queries, concerns and changes, providing a high level of after-sales service
• Producing accurate estimates with the correct pricing, delivery dates and stock requirements
• Maintaining detailed account records and completing monthly reports on development and sales activity
• Monitoring competitor and industry activity to support commercial growth
• Working closely with depots, NDCs and the wider Contracts team to deliver a consistent customer experience

What We Need From You

• Strong business development experience, ideally gained within construction or a trade-only environment
• Proven experience of achieving and surpassing sales targets
• Experience of managing and developing high-value customer accounts
• Confidence preparing tenders, competitively pricing plans and working to agreed margins
• Outstanding presentation, communication, influencing and negotiation skills
• A customer-focused and commercially astute approach, with the ability to communicate at all levels
• Excellent organisation, attention to detail and the ability to manage your own workload
• A proactive, flexible and results-driven style, with the desire to succeed
• Good computer literacy and confidence handling customers by phone and in person
• A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel frequently across the North, with occasional overnight stays
• Desirable: Experience within the kitchen industry, CAD or kitchen planning, or a Howdens depot background

What We Can Offer You

• Basic Salary of £45-55,000 depending on experience
• Company car, laptop and mobile
• Excellent 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' service
• Staff discount on Howdens products
• Share awards and prize draws
• The opportunity to build your career within a fast-paced, successful and growing business

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.