At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and motivate a sales team to achieve exceptional customer service and drive sales growth.
- Company: Join Macfarlane Packaging, a stable and evolving company with over 75 years of history.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible benefits, and up to 27 days holiday.
- Other info: Opportunities for career progression and personal development await you.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in sales leadership and a passion for coaching and team development.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 40000 £ per year.
Location: Tilehurst, Reading
Package: Basic salary up to £40,000 (dependent on experience) plus bonus/OTE and flexible benefits package including up to 27 days holiday (plus additional annual leave purchasing scheme)
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours) Monday to Friday
Sector: Packaging Distribution
Protecting what matters, together. We're dedicated to protecting what matters most - our people, our customers, our communities and the environment. At Macfarlane Packaging, our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continual improvement creates a highly collaborative, supportive and friendly workplace where you can unpack a career that grows. With history stretching back over 75 years, we offer stability whilst continuing to evolve and grow. Our fast-paced, results-driven approach provides genuine opportunities for development, progression and achievement. Every colleague has the opportunity to influence our success, helping us deliver outstanding service and innovative packaging solutions to customers across the UK.
This is a key leadership role within one of our packaging distribution operations. As Sales Office Manager, you will lead, develop and motivate a team of internal sales professionals, ensuring exceptional customer service, strong commercial performance and effective day-to-day sales office management. You will be responsible for driving sales growth across existing accounts, maximising quotation conversion, identifying new opportunities and ensuring the team consistently delivers against agreed targets. Working closely with external sales executives, operations and logistics colleagues, you will help create a high-performance culture focused on customer satisfaction, profitability and continuous improvement. This role offers an excellent opportunity for an experienced internal sales leader who enjoys coaching people, improving performance and contributing directly to business success.
We welcome applications from commercially minded sales leaders who can demonstrate success within a fast-paced sales, distribution, merchanting or wholesale environment. You will ideally offer:
- Previous experience leading, coaching and developing an internal sales or customer service team (you may currently be a ‘team leader/supervisor' looking for that next step up)
- A strong understanding of sales office operations, customer account management and commercial decision-making
- Experience setting objectives, monitoring performance and driving continuous improvement
- The ability to motivate teams to achieve sales, margin and service targets
- A track record of building strong customer relationships and identifying opportunities to grow account spend
- Confidence handling customer escalations and resolving issues professionally
- Experience supporting and working alongside field-based sales colleagues
- Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance customer satisfaction with profitability
- Excellent communication, organisation and people management skills
- Strong IT capability, including CRM systems and Microsoft Office applications
- Knowledge of packaging products or experience within the packaging sector would be advantageous but is not essential.
We provide a competitive basic starting salary and operate a range of rewarding bonus and incentive schemes. Our flexible employee benefits package can include:
- 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public/bank holidays
- Additional Holiday Purchasing Scheme (run annually)
- Contributory pension scheme
- Free parking at the majority of our site locations
- Annual paid volunteering day
- Company car or cash allowance for qualifying roles
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Extensive training, development and progression opportunities
- Employee discount scheme
- Simply Health/Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles
- Enhanced HR policies relating to employee rights and entitlements
- Long service awards
- Charitable giving options
- Financial support with eye tests and prescription glasses for DSE users
- EE Mobile discount scheme
- Candidate referral scheme
Here at Macfarlane Group, you have the opportunity to shape your own career. As a large national business, internal progression and mobility are key parts of our success. Through structured development pathways, leadership programmes and recognised external training, we support colleagues to achieve their full potential and progress their careers.
We are working swiftly to find the best applicants and hope to hold local interviews ASAP. Please click 'apply' to submit your up-to-date CV. All applications will be acknowledged. If you haven't heard from us within 2-3 weeks, please assume your application was unsuccessful. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender expression, religion or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.
Sales Office Manager in Reading employer: Macfarlane Packaging
At Macfarlane Packaging, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a supportive and collaborative work environment in Tilehurst, Reading. With a strong focus on employee development, our flexible benefits package includes up to 27 days of holiday, a contributory pension scheme, and extensive training opportunities, ensuring that every team member can grow their career while contributing to our commitment to customer satisfaction and sustainability.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Sales Office Manager in Reading
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or at industry events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company, understand their values, and think about how your experience aligns with their needs. Practise common interview questions so you can nail it when the time comes.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your personality! During interviews, let your enthusiasm shine through. Companies like Macfarlane Packaging want to see that you’re not just qualified, but also a great fit for their team culture.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After an interview, send a quick thank-you email. It shows your appreciation and keeps you fresh in their minds as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Sales Office Manager in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Sales Office Manager role. Highlight your leadership experience and any achievements in sales growth to catch our eye!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've motivated teams and driven sales success in previous positions.
Showcase Your Commercial Awareness:In your application, demonstrate your understanding of sales office operations and customer account management. We want to see how you balance customer satisfaction with profitability!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any updates!
How to prepare for a job interview at Macfarlane Packaging
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, make sure you understand the packaging distribution sector and the specific role of a Sales Office Manager. Familiarise yourself with Macfarlane Packaging's values, especially their commitment to customer satisfaction and sustainability. This knowledge will help you connect your experience to their mission.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading and developing sales teams. Think about times when you motivated your team to achieve targets or improved performance. Be ready to discuss how you handle customer escalations and foster a high-performance culture.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Awareness
Be prepared to discuss how you balance customer satisfaction with profitability. Think of specific instances where you've identified opportunities for account growth or made commercial decisions that positively impacted your previous employer. This will show your understanding of the business side of sales.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
At the end of the interview, have a few thoughtful questions ready. Ask about the team dynamics, the company's future goals, or how they measure success in the Sales Office Manager role. This shows your genuine interest in the position and helps you assess if it's the right fit for you.
