Customs Clerk

JAM Recruitment Ltd; Kemsley; On-site; GBP 49,594,000 - 57,859,000; Full time

Job summary

JAM Recruitment Ltd is seeking an experienced Customs Clerk in Kemsley to ensure international freight moves compliantly from Europe into the UK and on to Ireland. This hands-on role requires accuracy, speed and focus on export documentation, manifests, and liaising with authorities and clients.

You’ll work with HMRC, the Border Force and CDS/CHIEF, handling air and road freight operations while maintaining precise records and timely processes to prevent delays.

Qualifications

• 2+ years’ experience in an import, export or customs compliance environment.
• Experience across air and road freight operations.
• Strong knowledge of UK import/export legislation and customs regulations.
• Experience dealing with HMRC and Border Force.
• Working knowledge of CDS and CHIEF.
• A professional qualification in Customs, Import/Export or International Trade is desirable.
• Excellent IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Proven experience working within a logistics or freight environment.

Responsibilities

• Process export documentation within 30 minutes of receiving customer information.
• Prepare transportation documents and manifests for onward movement to Ireland.
• Ensure export clearances and final manifests are accurate and compliant.
• Complete safety and security declarations.
• Cut Air Waybills (AWBs) and build flight manifests.
• Work with HMRC and Border Force on customs-related matters.
• Use customs systems including CDS and CHIEF.
• Resolve customs and customer queries quickly and effectively.
• Maintain accurate records for import, export, screening and handling charges.
• Monitor customs processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Support the smooth running of a busy air and road freight operation.

Skills

Import/Export

Air & Road Freight

UK Legislation

HMRC/Border Force

CDS/CHIEF

Excel

Logistics Experience

Education

Customs/Import-Export qualification

Tools

CDS

CHIEF

Job description

As a Customs Clerk in Kemsley, you will ensure international freight moves compliantly through European gateways into the UK and onwards to Ireland. This temporary role, paying £17.31 per hour for 40 hours weekly, demands flexibility around working hours. You will process export documentation within thirty minutes of receiving customer information, prepare transport manifests, and liaise with customs authorities, clients, and internal operations. Accuracy and speed are critical, as you will manage air and road freight requirements without unnecessary delays. The position suits someone experienced in customs procedures and international trade, ready to handle a hands‑on workload where precise attention to detail directly impacts shipment efficiency.

Customs Clerk £17.31 per hour | 40 hours per week | Air & Road Freight | Customs & International Trade | Must be flexible on hours | Temporary

The Role We’re looking for an experienced Customs Clerk to play a key role in ensuring international freight moves seamlessly, compliantly and on time from European gateways into the UK and onwards to Ireland. This is a hands‑on role where accuracy, speed and attention to detail really matter. You'll work closely with customers, customs authorities and internal operations teams to ensure import and export requirements are met, and freight keeps moving without unnecessary delays.

Key Responsibilities

• Process export documentation within 30 minutes of receiving customer information.
• Prepare transportation documents and manifests for onward movement to Ireland.
• Ensure export clearances and final manifests are accurate and compliant.
• Complete safety and security declarations.
• Cut Air Waybills (AWBs) and build flight manifests.
• Work with HMRC and Border Force on customs‑related matters.
• Use customs systems including CDS and CHIEF.
• Resolve customs and customer queries quickly and effectively.
• Maintain accurate records for import, export, screening and handling charges.
• Monitor customs processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Support the smooth running of a busy air and road freight operation.

What We’re Looking For

• 2+ years’ experience in an import, export or customs compliance environment.
• Experience across air and road freight operations.
• Strong knowledge of UK import/export legislation and customs regulations.
• Experience dealing with HMRC and Border Force.
• Working knowledge of CDS and CHIEF.
• A professional qualification in Customs, Import/Export or International Trade is desirable.
• Excellent IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Proven experience working within a logistics or freight environment.

The Person

• Accurate & organised - you understand that one mistake can cause significant delays.
• Resourceful & solutions-focused - you find a way to get the job done.
• Confident communicator - comfortable dealing with customers, customs authorities and colleagues.
• Commercially aware - you understand the financial and operational impact of freight not clearing on time.
• Driven by continuous improvement - you're always looking for smarter, more efficient ways of working.
• Resilient & adaptable - you thrive in a fast-moving environment where priorities can change quickly.

Why This Role Matters

This isn’t simply a paperwork role. Your work keeps critical freight moving. With tight operational deadlines and high-consequence shipments, you'll be responsible for making sure customs processes are right first time, every time - helping our customers avoid delays and ensuring freight reaches its destination when it needs to.