Regional Contract Sales Manager - New Build Division

Howden Joinery Ltd; Reading; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car and fuel card for business

Laptop and mobile phone

Employer pension contributions matched

25 days' holiday rising to 30

Staff discount

Share awards and colleague recognition

Training and career development

Job summary

Howdens Joinery is seeking a commercially driven Regional Contract Manager to win kitchen contracts across new-build and regeneration projects. You will develop your region, build a portfolio of customers and maintain long-term partnerships with housebuilders, developers and housing associations.

You'll lead tenders from inquiry to contract award, secure specifications, review designs, negotiate pricing and manage margins while coordinating with legal and installation teams.

Qualifications

• Record of winning new business and building a healthy pipeline.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in achieving and exceeding individual sales targets.
• Strong commercial judgement on specification, pricing and margins.

Responsibilities

• Grow repeat business and manage your pipeline, forecasts and sales targets.
• Win kitchen contracts across new build, urban regeneration and low-rise accommodation with joinery and bedrooms as opportunities.
• Build lasting relationships with housebuilders, developers, main contractors and housing associations.
• Secure tenders, agree specifications and work with our design hub to develop competitive packs for client presentations.
• Review designs, value engineer solutions and negotiate pricing while protecting margins.
• Coordinate handover to installation manager and supplying contract depot; monitor project performance and commercial matters.
• Submit monthly payment applications and manage leadbank and active sales through CRM.

Skills

Field-based sales

New business growth

Negotiation

Communication skills

Target achievement

Pipeline management

Job description

At Howdens, we're looking for a commercially driven Regional Contract Manager to win kitchen contracts across new-build and regeneration projects and turn new customers into long-term partners. You'll have autonomy to develop your region and build your own portfolio of customers, with the backing of a recognised industry leader, reliable supply chain and specialist support teams. The relationships you build today can deliver repeat business for years to come. What You'll Be Doing Lead opportunities from tender to contract award, then retain commercial oversight while specialist teams manage day-to-day delivery.

• Grow repeat business and manage your pipeline, forecasts and sales targets.
• Win kitchen contracts across new build, urban regeneration and low-rise accommodation with joinery and bedrooms as additional opportunities.
• Build lasting relationships with housebuilders, developers, main contractors and housing associations, while developing longer term specification opportunities with private clients and local authorities.
• Secure tenders, agree specifications and work with our design hub to develop competitive presentation packs for presentation to client.
• Review designs, value engineer solutions and negotiate pricing while protecting margins.
• Work alongside our dedicated Legal team to agree contractual terms with clients.
• Coordinate handover to installation manager and supplying contract depot.
• Maintain customer relationships and monitor project performance, stepping in on commercial matters when needed.
• Submit monthly payment applications.
• Manage leadbank and active sales through our CRM system.

  We're looking for a competitive, resilient salesperson who listens well, knows when to persist and builds trust over time. Kitchen or construction field sales experience is preferred, but related backgrounds are welcome.

• A record of winning new business and building a healthy pipeline
• Consultative selling, presentation and negotiation skills
• Strong commercial judgement on specification, pricing and margins
• Previous experience in a field-based role
• Strong communication skills essential
• Experience in achieving and exceeding individual sales targets
• Organisation across customers, tenders and active projects
• Drive and persistence balanced with patience and integrity
• A full UK driving licence for this field-based role is essential
• £55,000 - £75,000 OTE
• Company car and fuel card for business and personal mileage
• Laptop and mobile phone
• Employer pension contributions matched up to 12%
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, rising to 30 days with service
• Staff discount, share awards and colleague recognition schemes
• Training and career development opportunities

Who This Role Would Suit

This could suit someone in business development, regional or area sales, specification sales or key account management. Your approach matters more than your job title.

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 (url removed) with the job title and location, and we will be happy to help you.