Freight Forwarder

Alliance Personnel; Tyseley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A logistics staffing agency is searching for an International Shipping and Customs Specialist in Tyseley, UK. This role requires over 5 years of experience in international shipping/logistics, expertise in trade compliance, and strong documentation skills. The successful candidate will own the global outbound logistics, manage carrier strategies, and ensure compliance with customs regulations. Working hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, in-office. Competitive salary and benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in international shipping and logistics.
• Expert in HS classification, Incoterms® 2020, and customs procedures.
• Proficient with shipping tools and TMS platforms.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute daily global outbound shipments.
• Manage carrier strategy and trade compliance.
• Prepare and verify export/import documentation.
• Optimize shipping processes and improve compliance.

Skills

International shipping/logistics experience

Trade compliance ownership

HS classification knowledge

Negotiation skills

Document preparation expertise

Proficiency with shipping/TMS tools

Collaboration and communication skills

Tools

ShipStation

Shopify

Metapack

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

Alliance Personnel are seeking a detail-oriented and organised International shipping and Customs Specialist to join one of our clients based in Birmingham.

Duties

• Own global outbound logistics: Plan and execute daily shipments (parcel, pallet, LTL/FTL, air, courier). Balance speed, cost, and reliability across lanes and service levels.
• Carrier strategy & rate management: Build and manage a panel of carriers/forwarders (e.g., DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, Royal Mail, freight forwarders). Run RFPs, negotiate contracts/SLAs, implement lane guides, and conduct QBRs.
• Trade compliance leadership:
  • Classify products with correct HS codes; maintain the master data and justification notes.
  • Apply Incoterms® 2020 correctly (e.g., DDP/DDU/DAP/FCA) per customer/channel.
  • Calculate and validate duties, taxes, and tariffs; manage IOSS for EU D2C, de minimis thresholds, and duty relief/drawback where eligible.
  • Ensure accurate country of origin and preferential origin proofs (e.g., EUR.1, statements on origin) where applicable.
  • Oversee EORI registrations and broker powers of attorney.
• Regulatory documentation & filing: Prepare, verify, and archive all export/import documents: commercial invoices, packing lists, commodity codes, COO, MSDS/SDS, CoAs, shipping labels, and prior notices (e.g., US FDA Prior Notice for foods/supplements). Manage customs broker instructions and queries.
• D2C shipping excellence: Optimize pick-pack-ship SLAs, label generation, tracking communications, and returns flows. Reduce “where is my order” (WISMO) tickets via proactive exception handling.
• Partner & collaborator liaison: Act as primary contact for global partners/customers on shipping, delivery windows, compliance needs, and route-to-market requirements.
• Systems, data & automation: Own TMS/label platforms - ShipStation integrations with WMS/Shopify/ERP. Build dashboards for cost per shipment, on-time, damage/loss, and customs hold rates.
• Risk & quality control: Minimize damages, temperature/handling risks (where applicable), OTIF misses, and customs delays through packaging specs, carrier SOPs, and pre-clearance workflows. Manage cargo insurance and claims.
• Process & continuous improvement: Write SOPs, train teams, run root-cause analyses, and deliver measurable savings and SLA gains.
• Budgeting & forecasting: Own freight budget, accruals, and variance analysis. Forecast capacity for peak events, new product launches, and major partner orders.

What you’ll bring

• 5+ years in international shipping/logistics with hands‑on trade compliance ownership.
• Expert knowledge of HS classification, Incoterms® 2020, duty/VAT frameworks, IOSS, de minimis, country of origin, and customs procedures (UK/EU/US at minimum).
• Proven track record running carrier RFPs, building a carrier panel, and negotiating material savings.
• Strong documentation: commercial invoices, packing lists, COO/origin statements, licenses/certificates, FDA Prior Notice (or equivalent food/supplement filings), and broker instructions.
• Proficiency with shipping/TMS tools and e‑commerce/WMS stacks (e.g., Shopify, Metapack, ShipStation, Easyship, Linnworks, Descartes, or similar). Solid Excel/Google Sheets skills for analysis.
• Calm, collaborative communicator—great with partners, carriers, and internal teams (Ops, Quality, Supply Chain, CS).
• Nice‑to‑have: CILT/IoE&IT, IATA/FIATA, or customs compliance certification; experience with UK CDS entries and ICS2 readiness.

Working hours

Monday to Friday 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, office based

PERM