Depot Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Howdens is a manager-driven business, which means as a Depot Manager you’ll have a significant level of autonomy in your decision-making and how you drive your depot and team to success, which is what makes us so unique.
Your responsibilities will range from managing your own P&L to recruiting, leading, and motivating your team in order to achieve and exceed your sales targets, by building strong working relationships with the local trade. However, you won’t be alone as there is a whole network of teams working behind the scenes who will provide you with immediate guidance, support, and training to help you achieve your goals and ambitions.
The pace is fast, and the environment is competitive and demanding but also incredibly rewarding financially and in our strong sense of team spirit that makes us different from the rest.
Skills and attributes you need to be a successful Depot Manager:
- Management experience
- Inspirational leader
- Sales focused
- Problem-solving
- Target-driven
- Effective communicator
- Ambition and drive
- Customer service
- Results driven
- Thrive in fast-paced environments
What you get from us as a Depot Manager:
- Competitive base salary
- Monthly depot bonus OTE
- Company car provided
- Team incentives and outings
- Competitive Pension Plan with a maximum company contribution of 12%.
- 24 days holiday, rising to 26 days after 5 years
- Staff discount on Howdens products
- Buy as you earn share scheme
About Howdens:
Howdens Joinery is the UK’s number one trade kitchen supplier providing thousands of products across kitchens, joinery, and hardware. We have over 900 depots throughout the UK and Europe – making us the first choice for more than 460,000 loyal trade professionals. Last year our sales reached circa 2.3bn, and we have an ambitious growth agenda.
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.
How to apply:
When you apply, you will need to attach a CV. If this is your first time applying for a role with us, you will need to activate your account when you apply for this role. Please check your email carefully to ensure that you have completed this step. We are unable to view your application if you have not activated your account. Good luck with your application.
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 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 INDDM
#Reed
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your CV with a Personal Statement that explicitly references P&L ownership and sales target achievement, as the advert lists these as core responsibilities from the outset.
📊 Quantify your depot or branch management results: e.g. 'Grew branch revenue by 22% YoY, exceeding sales target by £180k across a team of 12.'
🎯 Mirror the advert's language — use phrases like 'trade relationships', 'depot performance', and 'results-driven' throughout your CV to pass ATS screening for Howdens' system.
🤝 Include a specific example of recruiting and developing a team, as the advert emphasises recruiting, leading, and motivating staff as a key responsibility.
🌐 Highlight any experience in a fast-paced, commercially competitive environment (trade, builders' merchant, kitchen/joinery supply, or similar) to demonstrate sector fit with Howdens' trade-focused model.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Managed full depot P&L across a £2.1M annual turnover branch, delivering 14% revenue growth year-on-year by strengthening relationships with 85 active trade accounts.
- •Recruited, onboarded, and developed a team of 9 depot staff, reducing average time-to-competency from 10 weeks to 6 weeks through structured coaching and weekly performance reviews.
- •Exceeded quarterly sales targets for 6 consecutive periods by implementing a proactive trade outreach programme, adding 22 new trade professional accounts within 12 months.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for Howdens Joinery. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to Howdens Joinery
Dear Hiring Manager,
Howdens Joinery's manager-driven model — where depot leaders own their P&L and build direct trade relationships — is precisely the environment in which I perform at my best. The Depot Manager role in Worcester Park appeals because of the genuine commercial autonomy on offer and the clear link between performance and reward through the monthly OTE structure.
My background in branch and depot management has given me hands-on experience of driving sales targets, recruiting and developing high-performing teams, and building lasting relationships with trade customers. In my most recent role, I managed a team of 10 across a trade-focused operation, consistently exceeding monthly revenue targets by an average of 18% and reducing staff turnover by restructuring onboarding and performance review processes.
Free signup, no card needed. Export to PDF/Word requires a £1.99 trial (14 days).
Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you manage a depot P&L on a month-by-month basis, and what metrics do you prioritise?
- ›Describe the tools or processes you use to track sales performance against targets across your team.
- ›How do you approach stock management and product availability to meet trade customer demand?
- ›What is your process for recruiting depot staff, and how do you assess candidates for a sales-focused environment?
- ›How have you used data or reporting to identify underperformance in a depot or branch and address it?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you took full ownership of a business unit's performance and drove it to exceed its targets.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to motivate a disengaged team — what did you do and what was the outcome?
- ›Give an example of when you built a strong relationship with a key trade customer that resulted in increased revenue.
- ›Tell me about a time you had to make a significant commercial decision independently under pressure.
- ›Describe a time you recruited and onboarded a member of staff who went on to perform strongly — what was your approach?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you took full ownership of a business unit's performance and drove it to exceed its targets.
Describe a situation where you had to motivate a disengaged team — what did you do and what was the outcome?