Customs Supervisor

DHL Global Forwarding; Lichfield; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Employee incentive bonus scheme

Pension with life assurance

Wellbeing programme

Discounts & benefits

Training & development opportunities

Job summary

DHL Global Forwarding is seeking a Customs Supervisor to lead a customs operations team in the UK, ensuring compliance with legislation and delivering operational excellence. The role focuses on overseeing declarations, documentation, and customer relationships while driving continuous improvement.

You will manage day-to-day performance, coach staff, and collaborate with internal teams and external authorities to meet service levels.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or supervising teams with a focus on customs operations.
• Knowledge of customs declarations, documentation, and compliance.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in handling data.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across internal and external parties.
• Structured and organised with ability to prioritise workloads under pressure.
• Good problem solving and decision making in fast paced environments.
• Ability to manage workloads and supervise multiple tasks simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop a high performing customs team delivering service excellence.
• Ensure accuracy and compliance of customs declarations and documentation.
• Monitor performance, quality and KPIs; implement corrective actions where needed.
• Handle complex queries, escalations and operational issues promptly and professionally.
• Ensure HMRC regulations and internal policies are followed.
• Conduct regular quality reviews and identify risks with preventative actions.
• Allocate resources and manage workloads to meet customer requirements.
• Set objectives, provide coaching, and identify training needs.
• Build strong relationships with customers, stakeholders and authorities.
• Produce and analyse operational reports to drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Team leadership

Customs knowledge

Attention to detail

Stakeholder management

Organisational skills

Problem solving

Prioritisation under pressure

Job description

Who is DHL Global Forwarding?

DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) is part of the DHL Group. While the DHL Group employs more than 580,000 people globally, DGF has around 31,000 freight forwarding experts in more than 190 countries around the world, with around 1,000 of us based in the UK across 15 Sites. As the experts in Freight Forwarding since 1815, we are the global specialists in Air, Ocean and Rail Freight.

You name it, we’ve shipped it - from brown bears to aircraft engines, to lifesaving medicines and luxury cars! We are also proud to partner with some of the well‑known global sporting series, movie franchises and music tours.

Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we’re committed to helping our Forwarders to realise their full potential, supported by our own development journey - Certified International Forwarder (CIF).

Our Values

Every day we are guided by our values: Passion, Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Teamwork.

We are extremely passionate about our people and what we do, which is why DHL Global Forwarding is recognised as a Top Employer and a Great Place to Work, because we are specialists in providing Excellence, Simply Delivered.

In addition to our values, we promote an open and honest feedback culture based on Respect & Results, whereby our employees embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, while ensuring that we never compromise our integrity and compliance.

Role Overview

To lead and develop a customs operational team within DGF, ensuring compliance with customs legislation, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and achievement of business objectives. The Customs Supervisor is responsible for the day‑to‑day management of people, performance, quality, customer relationships, and continuous improvement activities within their area of responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and develop a high‑performing customs team to deliver excellent service and operational results.
• Ensure customs declarations and supporting documentation are completed accurately, compliantly, and within agreed service levels.
• Monitor operational performance, productivity, quality, and compliance KPIs, implementing corrective actions where required.
• Manage complex customs queries, customer escalations, and operational issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Ensure compliance with HMRC regulations, customs legislation, and company policies and procedures.
• Conduct regular quality and compliance reviews, identifying risks and implementing preventative measures.
• Allocate resources effectively and manage workloads to meet customer and business requirements.
• Set clear objectives, conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions, and identify training and development needs.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, internal stakeholders, and external authorities.
• Produce and analyse operational reports, identifying trends and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Promote effective communication, collaboration, employee engagement, and a positive team culture across the operation.

Skills and Experience

• Experience leading or supervising teams, or a willingness to develop leadership skills.
• Customs and compliance knowledge preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Effective problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and perform under pressure.

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Eligibility to participate in the Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme
• Pension scheme which includes life assurance
• Access to professional employee assistance and wellbeing programme
• A competitive package of voluntary benefits including retail, entertainment, gym membership, cycle to work scheme, contribution to eye care costs, and many more discounts
• Training and Development opportunities with a strong focus on internal promotion

HOURS/SHIFT PATTERN

Mon - Fri

REPORTS TO

Regional Customs Manager

Company Culture

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e‑commerce shipping and fulfilment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows.

Our culture is focused on personal commitment – to our customers, to each other, to our communities and to the environment. We reward excellent work and we nurture the talents of our employees. This enables you as an employee to develop your expertise and your career in different areas or divisions – and even in other countries.

We are committed to creating a workplace that ensures mutual respect and is focused on results. We hire talented people from all backgrounds – irrespective of gender, disability, nationality, ethnicity, social background, religion and beliefs, age or sexual orientation and identity. Diversity enriches our workplace, drives our success, and helps us deliver excellence.

By submitting your application, you agree that DGF UK will process your personal data for the purpose of recruitment and selection. We handle all data in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. To understand what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights, please read our full Privacy Policy.