Job in Focus: Head of Business Development for Building Products via Specification - £85k OTE

Our latest Job in Focus is a senior role national role as Head of Business Development for a manufacturer of heavyside building products selling to architects, contractors, merchants and distribution. You would take charge of a large sales team to further develop business in the UK market via specification. Package of £70k plus bonus, car and benefits. 

Our Construction & Building Industry Job in Focus feature takes a detailed look at some of the fantastic sales & marketing construction and building materials job vacancies currently on our books. 

Job in Focus is also promoted on our website. www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk 

Job Title: Head of Business Development
Job Ref: J8526
Product: Building Products
Location: National
Salary: £70k
Sector: Management

Manufacturer of heavyside building products selling to architects, contractors, merchants, and distribution.

SALARY: Basic salary to £70k plus £15k bonus, company car, mobile, laptop, pension and additional company benefits 

COMPANY: A major manufacturer of a range of heavyside building products renowned for their innovative products and solutions for the construction sector. A fantastic opportunity to join a market leading organisation. 

JOB ROLE: A senior level position to take charge of a large sales team to further develop business in the UK market. Responsibilities include managing and developing three separate field sales teams via regional managers selling a range of heavyside building products. The sales teams target architects to generate specification, contractors and merchants/distributors. A strategic approach is required with long-term development in mind, the role will also incorporate an element of managing new product launches and marketing campaigns but is a business development position at its core. An ideal position for a senior manager looking to directly influence the success and direction of a large organisation in the UK market. 

LOCATION: National however the position requires frequent travel to head office in the South. 

CANDIDATE: A strong sales manager with experience working with multiple teams with varied routes to market. A structured and strategic approach is required with experience in developing long-term business and product recognition. A background in heavyside products would be ideal however any construction related product background will be considered. Above all, a proven track record in sales management and business development is key to the position. 

For further information or to discuss your career options contact Aaron on 01480 405225 or apply online.

Search for more building products sales jobs >>>

"Reduce barriers to help smaller housebuilders grow" says Home Builders Federation

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has recommended the government should seize the opportunity of Brexit to reform EU regulation to reduce the risk and complexity associated with building new homes and so help smaller builders build more.

This is one of a series of recommendations revealed in a new report released by the HHBF which highlights the challenges faced by small to medium sized (SME) housebuilders in looking to increase housing output.

The report – “Reversing the decline of small housebuilders” - sets out a range of proposals to address the finance, planning and red tape barriers preventing smaller firms from playing a bigger part in tackling the housing crisis. Over the past 25 years the number of SME builders has reduced by around 80%, but HBF says that just getting back to the number operating in 2007 could produce an additional 25,000 homes a year.

The problems are highlighted in the report by Redrow founder Steve Morgan. He grew a fledgling business into a national publicly listed builder but he says this “would be almost inconceivable today”.

The report is based on in-depth interviews and discussions with HBF’s smaller members and highlights access to finance and the increasingly complex planning and regulatory systems as the biggest factors inhibiting the entrepreneurialism of smaller companies.

The report reveals that lending has improved little since the recovery from the 2008 financial crash and that planning is a risky and expensive process which hampers SMEs without the infrastructure and financial ability to navigate them.

HBF points out that housing supply has increased significantly in the past three years but that most of this increase has come from the largest builders. “With government keen to see numbers continuing to increase, enabling SMEs to increase output will be key,” says HBF.

In addition to reforming EU regulation the report suggests a number of other steps government could take to help including:

• Create a new Help to Build scheme to help extend sustainable lending to smaller companies
• Tackle specific planning problems that disproportionately affect the business environment for SMEs, including the lack of smaller sites and the impact of pre-commencement conditions
• Lift barriers for builders to access tax incentives and other support enjoyed by SMEs in other sectors
• Provide technical and planning advice services for fledgling businesses

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation, said: “Whilst housing output has increased significantly in recent years, the vast majority of the increases have come from larger companies. The number of smaller builders has collapsed over recent decades with few new entrants to the market able to grow to any size.

“If government wants to see continued increases in supply it is imperative it enables SME builders to play their part. Removing the barriers for SME builders could result in tens of thousands of desperately needed additional homes being built and boost economies up and down the country.”

Construction Products Association report growth for 15th quarter running!

Hot on the heels of the news from the Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) that growth was at its fastest for 9 months, the Construction Products Association has announced that Sales in Q4 of 2016 continued to grow for the fifteenth quarter in a row.

This is really positive news for building products manufacturers as we enter an interesting year with the unknowns of Brexit lurking.

On an annual basis, 78% of heavy side firms reported that sales had increased in Q4, whilst on the light side, 75% of firms reported that sales were higher than a year earlier, which was the highest balance since 2014 Q3.

However, as uncertainty intensifies and cost pressures from the fall in Sterling post-Referendum hit this year, the industry may struggle to experience similar growth. Among heavy side manufacturers only 6% on balance anticipate a rise in sales over 2017 Q1, and 29% on balance of light side manufacturers anticipate a rise during the same period.

Rebecca Larkin, CPA Senior Economist said: “Unsurprisingly, manufacturers’ expectations for 2017 appear to have been tempered by the uncertainty surrounding the economic and political outlook. Heavy side manufacturers appeared most exposed to the effects of Sterling’s depreciation during the second half of 2016. In Q4, two-thirds of firms reported an increase in costs, the highest in five years, and a further 89% anticipate an increase over the next year. Rising costs of imported raw materials continue to be a primary driver of cost inflation, but there is now an indication that currency weakness is filtering through to higher energy and fuel costs too.

“The impact of Brexit on the construction industry is, as yet, unclear, but it is unlikely this year will be as buoyant as last unless government is able to provide greater certainty and the industry is able to manage cost pressures.”

Key survey findings include

• Sales rose for 78% of heavy side firms and 75% of firms on the light side, on balance 
• A balance of 50% of heavy and light side firms reported that construction product sales rose in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with Q3
• On balance, 6% of heavy side manufacturers anticipated a rise in sales in 2017 Q1, worsening from a balance of 45% in Q3 
• On the light side, 29% of firms expected an increase in product sales in the next quarter, compared to a balance of 67% in Q3
• Annual cost increases were reported by 78% of heavy side manufacturers and 71% of those on the light side
• Raw materials costs rose according to 78% of heavy side manufacturers and 88% of those on the light side
• Fuel and energy costs rose for 71% and 61% of heavy side manufacturers respectively

Take a look at the latest Construction Sales Jobs >>

Photo: shutterstock_130314980

Have you launched an innovative new product for the house building market in the last 12-months?

The Housebuilder Product Awards 2017 are now open for entries. The awards reward excellence and innovation for products and systems which aid new home development in the UK. 

So if you're a building product manufacturer and you've developed or enhanced an innovative product in the last 12 months, why not tell everyone of its success and remind the industry of its benefits and why it has made a difference to the house building industry. 

We know from speaking with many of our clients that 2016 was a very good year for new product launches, especially ones that have made life easier for builders during installation and construction, or enhanced safety on site, many have also had huge cost-saving advantages for the homeowner with benefits for the environment too. This along with the recent news from the HBF that larger homes are now being built than ever before underline the importance for manufacturers to continue to innovate and then let the industry know!

Enter the Housebuilder Product Awards 2017 >>

In their fifth year, these Awards were sucessfully launched in 2013 by Housebuilder Media to reward excellence in the products and systems used in UK housebuilding.

The Housebuilder Product Awards are supported by the HBF and NHBC, with judges from organisations including CPA, BBA, Robust Details and leading housebuilders.

Winning a Housebuilder Product Award could give you or your client an edge in a market that is ever more competitive and will generate invaluable publicity and exposure.  The Awards and the winners will of course be publicised in Housebuilder magazine and through our email news alerts, promoting them widely among the UK housebuilding market.

The winners in each category will also go forward to be a finalist in the Product category at our successful Housebuilder Awards in November for the chance to be crowned Product of the Year in front of an audience of more than 500 senior housebuilders and industry figures.

CATEGORIES

• Best building fabric product
• Best internal/interior product
• Best services product
• Best kitchens and bathrooms product
• Best external product
• Best site product
• Best health and safety product
• Best business product
• Best brand new product

JUDGES

• Dave Mitchell HBF
• Neil Smith NHBC
• Steve Wielebski Consultant
• Claire Curtis-Thomas BBA
• Peter L. Caplehorn Construction Products Association
• Michael Black Bovis
• John Tebbit Robust Details
• Dale Saunders Taylor Wimpey
• Darren Dancey Crest Nicholson

ENTRY DEADLINE FRIDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2017

Your entry must include the following:

• Completed entry form
• One copy of additional materials
• One electronic high res jpeg image of product
• Payment of £130 + vat
• 500 word submission (7 copies)

Entries must be posted to:

Housebuilder Product Awards

Housebuilder Media, 27 Broadwall, London, SE1 9PL

More info...>>

Activity in Britain's construction sector expands at the fastest rate in 9 months

Britain's construction sector expanded in December with activity at its fastest rate in nine months, boosted by more house building, but sterling's weakness drove the biggest rise in costs in over five years.

The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 54.2 in December, its strongest since March and well ahead of expectations in a Reuters poll for it to hold steady at November's reading of 52.8.mA figure above 50 indicates expansion.

But the figures also highlight the challenge Britain will face this year from sterling's plunge after the June vote to leave the European Union, which has pushed up business and household costs.

Markit said building costs rose last month at a rate not seen since April 2011, and that companies reported shortages of materials, possibly because of extra demand as they stocked up to beat further price increases.

"UK construction companies noted that the weaker sterling exchange rate had resulted in higher costs for a wide range of imported materials," survey author Tim Moore wrote.

Britain looks to have been one of the strongest-performing advanced economies last year, but most economists predict a slowdown in growth to 1.1 percent this year from double that in 2016 as inflation climbs.

House building accelerated in December, growing at the fastest rate since January, and may get extra momentum if government plans announced on Monday to build 200,000 new rural homes overcome local planning restrictions.

Civil engineering staged its biggest pick-up in growth in nearly two years, Markit said, but demand for commercial projects such as factories and shops remained lacklustre.

This reflected "an ongoing drag from subdued investment spending and heightened economic uncertainty," Moore said.

Job in Focus for January: Head of Project Sales for Luxury Bathroom Brand - £75k + bonus

Our first Job in Focus of 2017 is to be Head of Project Sales for a global Luxury Bathroom Brand, you would work out of the London office but it is a national role. Responsible for managing 4 people within an internal project office and 6 field sales specification reps. Includes strategic planning & key national negotiations.

Our Construction & Building Industry Job in Focus feature takes a detailed look at some of the fantastic sales & marketing construction and building materials job vacancies currently on our books. 

Job in Focus is also promoted on our website. www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk 

Job Title: Head of Project Sales
Job Ref: J8448
Product: Bathroom Products
Location: London & South East
Salary: £75k plus bonus

LUXURY BRAND IN THE BATHROOM MARKET 

PACKAGE: On offer is a basic salary of up to £75,000 plus 15% bonus, car, pension, healthcare and 25 days holiday plus bank holidays. 

EMPLOYER: A highly successful leading name within the bathroom sector offering a superb product portfolio and a presence in more than 100 countries. 

JOB DESCRIPTION: Head of Projects: Reporting to the Sales Director, this person will be responsible for 4 people within an internal project office and 6 UK based field sales specification representatives. About half of the time will be spent on managing, leading and motivating the team and the rest will be on strategic planning and key national negotiations. Other responsibilities include agreeing the sales revenue targets required in line with company objectives and develop appropriate project plan and developing and executing segmentation based UK regional projects strategy. This is a field role covering nationally and with some international travel. 

LOCATION: Field based covering the UK but ideally living within one hour of London - so candidates would be considered in the following areas of Middlesex, Greater London, Berkshire, Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, East Sussex, West Sussex or Oxfordshire 

CANDIDATE: To apply for this position you will need to be an experienced manager who has worked on a national level. Any knowledge of the KBB sector would be an advantage but it not essential. Experience of specification distribution sales would also be advantageous but it is more important that they are a proactive and strategic thinker operating at a senior level within a global company and a leading brand. 

For further information or to discuss your career options contact Natalie Matthews on 01480 405225 or apply online.

Search for more building products sales jobs >>>

Construction Sales FREE Career Clinics for January 2017 - UK wide locations

Are you suffering from those post-Christmas blues? Have the first couple of days back at work been totally depressing? If you want to chase those blues away and have a spring in your step going to work each morning, perhaps a change is required.

If you are you thinking of making a move but are not sure of the best way to approach it or what opportunities are out there, we can help.

So, if you do want to progress your career in construction sales or marketing, then you should take advantage of a FREE evaluation of your career, gain expert guidance on your next move and take a look at suitable current vacancies. Interested...? Arrange to attend our PinBuild Career Development Clinics this January. 

This could be the most important appointment of your career so far...

PinBuild Clinics are for sales and marketing professionals in the construction and building products sector, providing specialist career advice and a match to the latest construction sales vacancies.

Call us and arrange to meet one of our expert construction industry consultants on 01480 405225 or contact us via to secure your booking e-mail recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

January 2017

·  Tuesday, 17th January – Birmingham

·  Wednesday, 18th January – Reading

·  Thursday, 19th January - Leeds

·  Tuesday, 24th January - Kent

·  Thursday 26th January – Bristol

Our current jobs: You might find one you'd like to discuss: Search for building and construction products sales jobs

PinBuild Clinics will evaluate the job seeker’s career to date and identify the best opportunities available. The clinics provide professionals with expert advice on how to progress their career by discussing the industry sectors that have potential for growth, the skills and focus needed to ensure that they develop with the changing nature of the market and how to ensure that their career continues to progress rather than stagnating.

The clinics will also assist those that attend to map out a realistic and achievable career path, including any potential training requirements. Assistance will also be given to evaluate their CV and also their interview technique and where they should focus to ensure they realise their true potential in the building and construction industry.

We specialise in external and internal sales positions, marketing and management roles and director and board appointments with manufacturers, merchants or distributors across the whole building, construction and interiors product spectrum.

Take some time out to read about CRASH the construction industry's charity for homeless people and one of our industry partners for our charity initiative 'Helping others as you recruit.' Our other partner is the wonderful Lighthouse Club, who look after people and families from the industry who have suffered from illness, injury or death. 

Housebuilders are building bigger homes and more bedrooms says HBF

New analysis from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) reveals that the housebuilding industry is building bigger homes with more bedrooms - and that the number of houses built last year was higher than that ten years ago. This is good for the the building products industry and bigger and move houses means more building products are required!

The new report called "Goodness Spacious Me", finds that the number of bedrooms built increased from 385,000 in 2008/09 to 478,000 in 2015/16.

The report says that this is largely as a result of the shift to building more family homes. Over the same period the percentage of flats built dropped from 50% of the new homes in 2008/9 to just 25%, whilst the number of houses increased from, 80,000 to 120,000. The average size of a new build homes increased by nearly 15% from an estimated 801 sq. ft. to 918 sq. ft.

HBF says that the report underlines how housing supply has rebounded since the financial crash of 2008/09 that saw many housebuilders disappear and others shedding up to 50% of their staff. “As a result of a more positive economic and policy environment the industry has rapidly increased the number and type of homes it has built to better match demand,” says HBF. “Indeed, whilst more dwellings were built in 2006/7, the number of houses produced last year far outstripped that of a decade ago.”

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation, said:

“The report illustrates the huge increase we have seen in housebuilding since the devastating economic crash of 2008/09 but this is more than just a numbers game. We have an acute housing crisis that can only be solved by building more of the right homes in the right places. Government policy has allowed the industry to focus on responding to the needs of buyers in this regard and, as a result, the industry has delivered huge increases in supply over the last three years. The industry is planning to deliver further increases in output. By addressing the entrenched problems with planning and developing further positive policies to promote development the government can help maintain this momentum.”

Photo via Shutterstock.com

Happy New Year 2017!

We hope everyone had a great Christmas and a fun New Year! 

Everyone at Pinnacle Consulting would like to wish you all the best during 2017 - we hope it brings you success in your work life and in your personal life.

If you are ready to look for a new role, please call us on 01480 405225 or email us on recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk 

We open again on 3rd January, in the meantime, please take a look at our latest jobs >>