Customs Executive (Sea Freight)

Ligentia; Leeds; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Ligentia in Leeds is seeking a Customs Executive (Sea) to join the Central Customs Team. You will handle sea freight customs entries, ensure compliant declarations and support post-clearance activities.

Reporting to Senior Customs Executive, you will work across carriers and internal teams, using CargoWise and other platforms, delivering accurate documentation and timely responses. This role suits organized individuals with knowledge of CPCs and HMRC regulations and a commitment to high service

Qualifications

• Experience processing UK import customs declarations in freight/logistics.
• Solid knowledge of CPCs and HMRC documentation.
• Experience using CargoWise or similar freight management software.
• Understanding of duties, import VAT and classification.
• Strong organisational and customer service skills.
• Ability to prioritise in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Process UK import customs declarations within SLAs.
• Prepare and submit inventory-linked customs declarations.
• Review invoices, packing lists, bills of lading and docs.
• Calculate duties/VAT and manage post-clearance activities.
• Monitor declarations and resolve holds and discrepancies.
• Support CPC classification and collaborate with carriers.

Skills

Customs declarations

UK import procedures

CPC knowledge

CargoWise

Tools

Destin8

CNS

CargoWise

Job description

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Customs Executive (Sea Freight)

• Ligentia
• Leeds,United Kingdom
• Full time
• Service Delivery

Join Ligentia!

As a Customs Executive (Sea), you will play a vital role in our Central Customs Team. Reporting to the Senior Customs Executive, you will focus primarily on Sea Freight Customs Entries -ensuring seamless clearances, resolving compliance queries, and managing post-clearance activities, all while maintaining strict adherence to HMRC regulations, customer SLAs, and internal standards.

Your Role:

• Process accurate UK import customs declarations within agreed SLAs, managing sea freight entries in line with HMRC and customer requirements.
• Prepare and submit inventory-linked customs declarations using Destin8, CNS, and associated customs platforms using CargoWise.
• Review and validate commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and supporting documents.
• Calculate customs duty and import VAT, raise customer invoices, and complete post-clearance activities (including amendments, corrections, and duty/VAT reclaims).
• Monitor declarations, resolve customs holds and documentary discrepancies, and handle internal and customer queries promptly.
• Support commodity code classification (CPCs) and compliance activities, build effective relationships across carriers and internal teams, and contribute to continuous improvement within the team.

What You’ll Need:

Essential

• Hands‑on experience processing customs declarations in a freight forwarding, logistics, or customs environment.
• Strong understanding of UK import customs procedures (CPCs) and documentation.
• Hands‑on experience using CargoWise (or similar customs/freight management software).
• Solid understanding of customs duty, import VAT, commodity classification, and customs valuation principles.
• Excellent organisational skills, high attention to detail, strong time management, and top‑tier customer service skills.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and work effectively in a fast‑paced operational environment.

Desirable

• Specialised sea freight customs clearance experience highly preferred.
• Professional customs qualification (e.g. BIFA or UK Customs Academy).

Why Ligentia? Why now?

Accelerated growth in one of the most dynamic industries you can imagine. Brilliant customers including some of the world’s leading retailers and best‑known brands. A tech vision and roadmap that will turn heads for all the right reasons. And colleagues with high commitment and unrivalled knowledge, combined with low ego. A flexible work environment that is collaborative, stimulating and shares genuine feelgood for the work we do together. However you look at it, Ligentia is a great place to be right now.

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