Customs Clerk

Pertemps Solihull; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

Pertemps Solihull is seeking an experienced Customs Clerk to ensure international freight from European gateways into the UK and Ireland moves compliantly and on time. The role demands accuracy, speed and close collaboration with customers, customs authorities and internal teams to meet import/export requirements.

Key responsibilities include preparing export documents, managing manifests, supporting HMRC interactions, and maintaining precise records in a busy air and road freight operation.

Qualifications

• 2+ years' experience in 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.
• Excel proficiency and IT literacy.

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

Customs compliance

HMRC/Border Force liaison

Microsoft Excel

Import/Export knowledge

Logistics/freight operations

Education

Customs/International Trade qualification (desirable)

Tools

CDS

CHIEF

Job description

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