Trade Sales Assistant — Heavyside
T. Brooker & Sons Ltd (Brookers) is a family-owned builders' merchant that has been serving Hitchin and the surrounding area for over 150 years. With branches at Bilton Road and Bucklersbury, plus our own Post Office operation, we combine long-standing family values with a genuine commitment to service, quality, and our local community. As we continue to grow and invest in our people, we're looking for the right person to join our team.
Key Facts
Location
Bilton Road, Hitchin
Department
Heavyside
Hours
40 hours per week, full time
Overtime
Plus 1 in 3 Saturdays (8:00am - 2:00pm), paid as overtime
Rate of pay
£13.45 per hour
About the Role
Our Heavyside department is the trade counter and yard combined — the first point of contact for customers buying timber, plasterboard, aggregates, blocks, and other heavy building materials. You'll spend your day serving customers face-to-face, advising them on the right materials for the job, taking and processing orders, and then loading those orders using a forklift. It's a genuinely varied role: part sales, part yard, and all about making sure customers get good advice and a smooth, reliable service every time.
What You'll Be Doing
- Greet every customer properly, quickly get to grips with what they're after, and get them sorted with no fuss
- Ask good questions so you understand what a customer's working on now — and what's coming up — so we can be genuinely useful to them, not just take an order
- Keep the yard, trade counter, and shop floor looking sharp and running smoothly
- Operate the forklift and other yard equipment safely, covering off-loading, picking, packing, restocking, and loading vehicles
- Look out for opportunities to help the branch do more business — spotting where we can go the extra mile for a customer
- Keep building your knowledge of our product range, from everyday timber and plasterboard through to more specialist lines, so you can advise with real confidence
- Load and unload vehicles, both by hand and using a forklift — full training provided
- Muck in and support colleagues across the branch whenever it's busy
What We're Looking For
- Customer-focused — you want people to leave happy, whether it's a one-off sale or a trade account you're building over time
- Genuinely enthusiastic about the trade and the products we sell — it comes across when you talk to customers
- Honest and fair — you do right by customers and colleagues, even when no one's watching
- A team player — happy to pitch in wherever you're needed, not just stick to your own patch
- Take real pride in your work and getting things right first time
- A valid, in-date forklift licence (counterbalance) is essential
- Some experience in customer service, sales, or a builders' merchant/trade environment is helpful but not essential — full training given
- Good numeracy and attention to detail when processing orders
- Reliable, good timekeeping, and able to work Saturdays on a 1 in 3 rota
What We Offer
- A full-time role with a long-established local family business
- On-the-job training and support to build your product knowledge and skills
- A friendly team environment across our Hitchin branches
- Overtime pay for Saturday working
Pay: Up to £13.45 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Hitchin SG4 0SB: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Heavyside Materials: 3 years (preferred)
- Forklift: 1 year (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
