Customs & Global Freight Compliance Lead

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Southampton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Global Sports Jobs Limited seeks a Senior Customs & Global Freight Compliance Lead to steward border integrity, international trade regulations, and global transit compliance for the league. You will own all customs entries, ATA Carnets, and related bonds, coordinating with border agencies to safeguard timelines.

In collaboration with the Director of Vessel Operations, you will engineer the regulatory roadmap, manage compliance paperwork, visas, and port clearances, and lead cross-border

Qualifications

• Authority on border integrity, international trade regulations, and global transit compliance.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Director of Vessel Operations to lead early conversations with customs authorities, border forces, and port officials.
• Coordinate cross-border port, customs, and agricultural/biosecurity briefings for technical discussions and country mandates.
• Define and own the regulatory, border, and customs sections of SOPs and monitor on-site compliance with international law.
• Take ownership of compliance paperwork, visas, and port-clearances for staff, contractors, and crew.
• Collaborate with SGPT teams to map customs profiles for race equipment, HS codes, and temporary importation.
• Manage documentation for specialised cargo, including hazardous materials and safety certifications for lifting equipment.
• Oversee agricultural/biosecurity entry requirements for regions like Australia and New Zealand and pre-clearance for inventory.
• Oversee ATA Carnets, TIB structures, and maritime declarations worldwide.
• Source and manage local customs brokers and port agents with 24/7 SLAs for live port clearance windows.
• Design and manage customs clearance for emergency or short-notice freight, including air freight and couriers.

Skills

Border compliance

International trade regulations

Global transit compliance

Job description

About the Role

The Customs & Global Freight Compliance Lead is the authority on border integrity, international trade regulations, and global transit compliance across the league. Because the business acts as its own Importer of Record via a proprietary charter vessel, the role is personally accountable for eliminating statutory risks and border friction. Operating in lockstep with the Director of Vessel Operations, the role engineers the global regulatory roadmap, owning all customs entries, ATA Carnets, temporary import bonds, and strict biosecurity protocols while co-leading advanced border agency engagements to safeguard the global event timeline.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the Director of Vessel Operations to lead early, high-level advance conversations with local customs authorities, border forces, and port officials in every host territory, ensuring the league's operational model is understood and accommodated months before vessel arrival.
• Coordinate, structure, and co-lead cross-border port, customs, and agricultural/biosecurity briefings, ensuring the Director is integrated into technical discussions and understands country-to-country statutory mandates.
• Define and own the regulatory, border, and customs chapters of the league's operational Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and monitor on-site compliance to ensure field operations adhere to international legal frameworks.
• Take ownership of compliance paperwork, visas, and port-authority clearances for all staff, contractors, and crew to legally work on board or around the vessel, coordinating maritime immigration mandates, crew manifests And restricted dockside access permits with local border forces and port agents ahead of arrival.
• Collaborate with SailGP Technologies (SGPT) engineering, design, and procurement leads to map customs profiles for specialised race equipment, composite structures, and advanced electronics, establishing exact HS code classifications and valuation metrics for temporary importation.
• Manage the documentation trail for specialised technical cargo, including hazardous materials compliance such as lithium battery systems and international safety certifications for lifting equipment and heavy tackle, ensuring zero documentation gaps that could lead to port seizures or delays.
• Take ownership of agricultural and biosecurity entry requirements for high-risk regions such as Australia and New Zealand, designing and enforcing strict container and asset cleaning/inspection protocols And manage end-to-end pre-clearance for the vessel's multi-million-pound inventory to neutralise quarantine triggers before berthing.
• Oversee the strategy, financial underwriting, and seamless discharge of all ATA Carnets, Temporary Importation Under Bond (TIB) structures, and specialised maritime declarations worldwide.
• Source, vet, contract, and manage premium localised customs brokers and port agents in every host country, establishing strict 24/7 Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to guarantee immediate problem-resolution during live port clearance windows.
• Design, procure, and manage end-to-end customs clearance for critical emergency, out-of-sequence, or short-notice freight, including air freight, specialised hot-shots, and custom couriers, moving outside the primary charter vessel solution And ensure auxiliary freight solutions are optimised for cost and speed without compromising border compliance or risking regulatory penalties.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Authority on border integrity, international trade regulations, and global transit compliance.