Head of Customs and Freight

The Bonded Warehousekeepers Ltd; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Senior leadership

Shape strategy

Salary & benefits

Career development

Job summary

The Bonded Warehousekeepers Ltd in Birmingham is seeking a senior Head of Customs & Freight to provide strategic leadership over all customs, bonded warehouse, and freight activities. The role ensures full compliance with UK customs legislation and supports commercial growth with operational excellence.

This is a hands-on, senior position combining technical customs expertise, people leadership, and stakeholder management.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in UK customs operations and bonded warehousing.
• Experience managing HMRC audits and compliance reviews.
• Strong leadership and people-management capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership of all bonded warehouse activities and customs operations.
• Oversee inbound and outbound freight movements across road, sea, and air.
• Lead HMRC audits, inspections, and correspondence with regulators.
• Maintain and update customs SOPs, compliance manuals, and training materials.
• Support route optimisation, cost control, and performance monitoring.
• Mentor and develop customs and freight teams to ensure high standards.

Skills

UK customs operations

Bonded warehousing

3PL or logistics

AEO lead experience

Job description

The Head of Customs & Freight is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of all customs, bonded warehouse, and freight activities at Birmingham Bond. The role ensures full compliance with UK customs legislation, efficient movement of goods, and robust governance of bonded and special procedures, while supporting commercial growth and operational excellence.

This is a senior, hands-on role combining technical customs expertise, people leadership, and stakeholder management.

Key Responsibilities

Customs & Compliance Leadership

• Act as the senior customs subject matter expert for Birmingham Bond
• Ensure full compliance with HMRC regulations, including:
• Bonded Warehouse Authorisation
• Temporary Storage
• Customs Special Procedures (e.g. Customs Warehousing, Inward Processing, Outward Processing)
• Excise Bonded Warehousing experience

Maintain and oversee:

• Warehouse records and stock reconciliation
• Audit trails and document retention
• HMRC reporting and declarations
• Lead HMRC audits, inspections, and correspondence
• Own and update customs SOPs, compliance manuals, and training materials
• Monitor regulatory changes (UK & international) and assess business impact

Bonded Warehouse Operations

• Provide strategic oversight of all bonded warehouse activities
• Ensure correct handling, storage, movement, and discharge of bonded goods
• Work closely with warehouse and operations teams to:
• Improve accuracy of inventory and declarations
• Maintain licence conditions and authorisations
• Drive continuous improvement in bonded processes and controls
• Oversee inbound and outbound freight operations (road, sea, air, and multimodal where applicable)
• Manage relationships with:
• Shipping lines
• Customs intermediaries
• Ensure customs and freight processes are aligned to meet service level agreements and customer expectations
• Support route optimisation, cost control, and performance monitoring

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the customs and freight teams
• Ensure team competence through training, coaching, and performance management
• Build a strong compliance culture across the business
• Act as escalation point for complex customs or freight issues

Commercial & Strategic Support

• Support sales and customer onboarding by advising on:
• Customs solutions
• Bonded warehousing benefits
• Duty and VAT optimisation opportunities
• Contribute to business growth initiatives and new service development
• Assess feasibility of new customs authorisations or services

Key Skills & Experience Essential

• Significant experience in UK customs operations, ideally within:
• Bonded warehousing
• Excise Bonded Warehousing
• 3PL or logistics environments
• In-depth knowledge of:
• HMRC bonded warehouse requirements
• Customs declarations and procedures
• Experience managing HMRC audits and compliance reviews
• Strong leadership and people management experience
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) lead or similar
• Familiarity with customs systems (e.g. CDS, inventory systems, WMS integrations)
• Experience supporting post‑Brexit customs operations

Personal Attributes

• Highly organised and detail-focused
• Commercially aware with a practical, solutions-driven mindset
• Strong ethical standards and commitment to compliance

What Birmingham Bond Offers

• Senior leadership role within a growing bonded warehouse operation
• Opportunity to shape customs and freight strategy
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Long-term career development in a specialist customs environment