Sales Apprentice

Kion Group AG; Newton Aycliffe; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Structured development programme

Mentoring and coaching

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

KION Group, via its Linde Material Handling brand, invites driven individuals to join a two-year Sales Development Programme in the UK. You’ll gain real-world experience, mentoring, and formal learning while building relationships across the sales, service and operations teams.

You’ll learn to identify opportunities, present value-driven solutions, and develop commercial awareness in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment. A UK driving licence is essential.

Qualifications

• Passion for starting a career in sales.
• Confident communicators with the ability to build relationships.
• Willingness to learn and be mentored in a structured development path.
• Willingness to travel as part of the role.

Responsibilities

• Support the sales team in managing customer relationships.
• Learn how to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Learn how to present solutions that deliver value to customers and influence decisions.
• Build relationships with customers across a range of industries.
• Develop commercial awareness and understand how businesses make buying decisions.

Skills

Passion for sales

Confident communication

Relationship building

Self-motivated

Education

No specific degree required

Tools

N/A

Job description

Kick-start your career in sales with Linde Material Handling! Are you ambitious, commercially minded, and ready to build a career in sales? Are you motivated by building relationships, influencing decisions, and delivering results? Do you want to join a global organisation that is shaping the future of supply chain solutions? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

About Us At Linde Material Handling, we are part of the KION Group - a leading global provider of industrial trucks, warehouse technology, and supply chain solutions. We are a forward-thinking, future-driven organisation, committed to innovation, sustainable growth, and delivering exceptional customer value. Our culture is built on strong values - Integrity, Collaboration, Courage, and Excellence - which shape how we work, innovate and grow together.

About the Programme Our Sales Development Programme is designed for ambitious individuals looking to build a long-term career, not just secure their next role. Over two years, you'll follow a structured, hands-on development journey, learning from experienced professionals while gaining the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in a commercial sales environment. Through real-world experience, mentoring and tailored development opportunities, you'll establish a strong foundation for a rewarding career with one of the UK's leading material handling businesses.

We offer:

You will benefit from:

• A fully supported development programme combining on-the-job experience with formal learning
• Exposure to our sales, service, and customer operations
• Dedicated mentoring and coaching from experienced professionals
• Opportunities to build strong relationships across the business
• A clear pathway towards a long-term career in sales

Tasks and Qualifications

What You'll Be Doing As a Sales Apprentice, you will:

• Support the sales team in managing customer relationships
• Learn how to identify and develop new business opportunities
• Learn how to present solutions that deliver value to customers and influence their decisions
• Build relationships with customers across a range of industries
• Develop commercial awareness and understand how businesses make buying decisions
• Work with experienced sales professionals on real customer projects

We're looking for individuals who are:

• Passionate about starting a career in sales
• Confident communicators with a natural ability to build relationships
• Driven, self-motivated, and eager to learn
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment
• Aligned to our values of integrity, collaboration, courage and excellence
• Essential requirements: A full, valid UK driving licence
• Willingness to travel as part of the role

Why Join us?

• Gain a recognised qualification alongside practical experience
• Join a business that invests in your development and future career
• Work in a collaborative and supportive environment where your contribution matters
• Your future starts here

This isn't just a training programme. It's the first step towards becoming a successful sales professional and build a career that makes a real impact.

KION brands keep the world moving - globally, regionally, and locally. KION is the Supply Chain Solutions Company. With over 42,000 employees in more than 100 countries, we enable smart, sustainable, and reliable supply chains worldwide - wherever goods are stored, moved, or delivered. KION offers its customers the full spectrum of solutions to make their supply chains future-ready. Our international brands, Linde Material Handling, STILL, and Baoli and our regional brands, Fenwick and OM, stand for outstanding technological innovation, intelligent automation and service excellence in forklift trucks and warehouse equipment. Dematic complements this expertise with state-of-the-art automation technology and AI-supported software solutions that optimize intralogistics across warehousing, production, and distribution. Whether locally or globally - we offer exciting career opportunities in an innovative environment shaped by our core values: Integrity, Collaboration, Courage, and Excellence. Together, we create the magic of supply chain solutions.