Senior In-house Customs Consultant

BLT; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Customs Compliance Specialist to join their dynamic team. This role offers the opportunity to work in a hybrid setting, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. As a key member of the Customs team, you will ensure compliance with all customs regulations and serve as the subject matter expert on import operations. Your expertise will guide the organization through the complexities of international trade, optimizing duties and managing compliance audits. If you are passionate about customs and international trade, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a significant impact.

Qualifications

• Advisory experience in a professional services firm or global in-house customs team.
• Knowledgeable of customs regulations and trade agreements.

Responsibilities

• Assess costs and risks of international trade operations, including tariffs and duties.
• Ensure compliance with customs documentation and conduct internal audits.

Skills

International customs regulations

Trade agreements

Duty optimisation strategies

Customs compliance

Risk assessment

Job description

A great in-house role for this major brand based out of their Surrey office on a hybrid basis (three days a week in the office). Joining an established Customs team, you will play a key role in ensuring the business is fully compliant with all Customs regulations and serve as the subject matter expert for all import operations and customs compliance matters related to import controls, HMRC, Border Force, and Defra. Your responsibilities will include:

1. Assessing the costs and risks associated with international trade operations, including tariffs, duties, taxes, and excise costs.
2. Proactively resolving queries and problems such as CDS errors, VAT code, and duty code errors.
3. Ensuring full compliance of all documentation and updates from HMRC and Border Force, whether system-based or manual.
4. Conducting quarterly internal audits across compliance areas, including import/export entries, excise reviews, CDS audits, SCDP audits, and AEO audits.
5. Preparing departmental performance reports and recommending improvements to enhance profit margins, working closely with senior management as needed.
6. Managing trade programmes, including new or re-authorisations and updates to existing authorisations.
7. Ensuring brokers complete accurate and timely CDS declarations and supplementary declarations, ensuring all imports/exports are correctly declared.
8. Assisting the Customs team manager and Tax team in compiling quarterly internal audits across all compliance areas.

To qualify, you should have advisory experience gained in a professional services firm or within a global in-house customs team. You must be highly knowledgeable of international customs regulations, trade agreements, and strategies for duty optimisation. Experience with customs bonded warehousing, excise, SPS controls, and BTOM controls would be advantageous. Please contact us to find out more.

The market rate for this position typically ranges from £55,000 to £78,000, depending on experience. Note that specific salary bands may vary based on individual client requirements.