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Join our York branch as a Yard Operative and become an important part of a busy, customer-focused team. If you are reliable, safety-conscious and enjoy practical outdoor work, we would like to hear from you.

You will help keep the yard safe, organised and running smoothly by loading and unloading vehicles, preparing accurate customer orders, moving stock and assisting customers with collections.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys a fast-paced environment, takes pride in doing a job well and wants to develop their skills within a successful family-owned business.

About Howarth Timber & Building Supplies

Established in 1840, Howarth Timber Group is the UK’s largest privately owned timber company. From our family-owned roots, we have grown into a nationwide business employing more than 1,000 people across the Group, with 37 merchant branches serving over 50,000 customers. Our knowledgeable local teams, commitment to excellent customer service and investment in training and development are central to our success.

Key responsibilities

• Load and unload delivery vehicles by hand or using approved mechanical-handling equipment.
• Pick, check and prepare customer orders accurately and on time.
• Serve customers and check collections against the relevant paperwork before vehicles leave the site.
• Move, sort and store timber and building materials safely and efficiently.
• Keep the yard, storage areas and workspaces clean, tidy and well organised.
• Help minimise stock losses by checking customer collections carefully.
• Carry out all duties in accordance with the Company’s health and safety procedures, including safe manual-handling practices.
• Respond helpfully and professionally to enquiries from trade customers and members of the public.

What you’ll need

Essential

• Experience of customer service and working in a warehouse, yard or similar environment.
• A valid sideloader and/or forklift truck licence.
• A good understanding of health and safety and safe manual handling.
• A reliable, practical and customer-focused approach.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team in a physically demanding, mainly outdoor environment and in varying weather conditions.
• Availability to work full-time, Monday to Friday, plus alternate Saturday mornings from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon.

Desirable

• Experience within a timber or builders’ merchant, although full training will be provided for the right applicant.
• A full UK manual driving licence.

What we offer

As a family-owned business, we want our colleagues to feel valued and supported. Our benefits include:

• 31 days’ holiday, including bank holidays.
• The option to buy up to five additional days’ annual leave or sell up to three days each year.
• Colleague referral bonus scheme: receive a £500 bonus when someone you refer for an HGV Driver role successfully completes their probationary period. Terms and conditions apply.
• Length-of-service awards.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Company sick pay.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme, including a 24/7 helpline and access to counselling, legal, debt and life-management support.
• Generous colleague discount at our merchant branches.
• Access to BenefitHub, offering discounts and savings across a wide range of retailers, products and services.
• One fully paid volunteering day each year.
• Excellent training and development opportunities.

How to apply

If you have the energy, practical skills and customer-focused approach to succeed in this role, we would be pleased to hear from you. To apply, please email your CV to Ashley Winstanley, Assistant Branch Manager, at awinstanley@howarth-timber.co.uk.