Sales Supervisor

Bradfords Building Supplies Ltd; Taunton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Bradfords Building Supplies Ltd is seeking a Sales Supervisor to lead our trade counter and sales office. You will deliver outstanding customer service, manage day-to-day sales activities and drive sales performance while supporting and developing a team of colleagues.

We value hands-on leadership, strong communication and a proactive approach to sales, pricing, quotations and orders, ensuring customers receive friendly, professional service and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience in a builders' merchant or similar sales-facing environment.
• Cash handling experience is required.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead, guide and develop a sales team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day sales operations across the trade counter and sales office.
• Lead, coach and motivate the sales team to achieve targets in sales, margin and service.
• Handle customer enquiries, pricing, quotations, orders and delivery requirements.
• Identify upselling opportunities and build strong relationships with customers.
• Ensure high standards of customer service and team performance during busy periods.

Skills

Supervising others

Customer service

Cash handling

Interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Job description

At Bradfords Building Supplies, we've been supporting tradespeople, contractors and homeowners for over 250 years. As one of the South West's leading independent builders' merchants, we're proud of our reputation for expert advice, exceptional customer service and strong local relationships.

Our success is built on our people, and we're passionate about creating a workplace where colleagues can develop, thrive and build rewarding careers.

We're now looking for a Sales Supervisor to join our team and help lead our trade counter and sales office, while playing a key role in delivering outstanding customer service and driving sales performance.

This is a varied and hands‑on supervisory role where you'll combine your sales expertise and customer service skills with the opportunity to support and motivate a team.

You'll help oversee the day‑to‑day running of the sales function, working across both the trade counter and sales office to make sure customers receive a friendly, responsive and professional service every time. You'll lead by example, remaining hands‑on with customers while supporting the wider team to deliver against sales, margin and service expectations.

You'll deal with customer enquiries, pricing, quotations, orders and delivery requirements, using your product knowledge to provide helpful advice and find the right solutions for our customers. You'll also take a proactive approach to sales, following up quotes, identifying opportunities for additional sales and building strong relationships with your customer base.

As Sales Supervisor, you'll play an important role in helping the team perform at its best.

You'll set clear expectations and goals, encourage your team to maximise sales opportunities and monitor the standard of service being provided to customers. You'll support colleagues with their development, provide guidance when needed and be confident addressing issues or having more difficult conversations where necessary.

You'll also work closely with management to support the day‑to‑day running of the sales office, ensuring there is appropriate team availability and that the sales function continues to operate effectively during busy periods.

While you'll have responsibility for supervising the team, you'll still be very much part of the action. You'll provide cover on the trade counter when required, speak directly with customers and get involved in sales activity yourself.

You'll help create a sales‑focused culture where every customer interaction is an opportunity to build a relationship and identify how we can help further.

You'll look for opportunities to upsell and introduce customers to related products, follow up quotations and identify new customers and markets. You'll keep an eye on local competition and market activity, sharing ideas and opportunities that could help grow the branch.

At the same time, you'll make sure customer service remains at the heart of everything the team does. You'll monitor the customer journey, deal with complaints promptly and ensure customers are acknowledged and served efficiently.

You'll also help maintain strong operational standards, including accurate ordering, stock presentation and merchandising, stock loss prevention and compliance with our Health & Safety requirements and company procedures.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who enjoys working with customers, has a strong commercial focus and is ready to take the next step in their sales career.

You'll be confident supervising others and comfortable setting expectations, providing feedback and having difficult conversations when needed. You'll be approachable and supportive, but also able to take ownership and make decisions to keep the sales function running effectively.

You'll be an excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with both customers and colleagues. You'll be results focused and motivated by achieving sales and margin targets, while never losing sight of the importance of exceptional customer service.

You'll also need to be organised, flexible and able to remain calm and effective in a busy environment. Experience within a builders' merchant or a similar sales and customer‑facing environment would be beneficial.

Cash handling experience is also required.

Why Bradfords?

At Bradfords, our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and our people are what make that possible.

You'll join a business with over 250 years of history, but we're always looking ahead. We want people who are willing to develop their skills, support their colleagues and play an active role in making our business even better.

Our values of Commitment, Care, Consistency and Innovation shape how we work every day. We believe in going the extra mile for our customers, working together as one team and continually looking for better ways to deliver.

If you're an experienced sales professional who enjoys working with people and is ready for the opportunity to lead, support and develop a sales team, we'd love to hear from you.