Import Customs Specialist

Trade Affairs Coordinator - Import / CustomsThe client with 70 + sites worldwide specialise in the manufacturing of products for the Fragrance, Beauty, Food and Well-being industry. They are a well established business with a long history and known for their best-in-class processes and procedures. As a Trade Affairs Coordinator you will oversee and coordinate all customs-related activities at our Ashford site. In this pivotal role, you will optimize daily customs clearance procedures, ensure compliance with inward processing, trade regulations and manage customs duties effectively.You will oversee & coordinate the day-to-day customs operational activities and will primarily be responsible to manage all requirements to clear goods at the border, ensure that documentation and data entry are consistent and compliant with our licenses.The role includes a high degree of administrative tasks to comply with customs regulations as well as coordination and communication aspects with internal and external partners to ensure timeliness and efficiency of processes and prompt management of daily exceptions and requests.Reporting directly to the Shipping / Planning Manager in Ashford with a functional reporting link to the UK Trade Affairs Manager, you will work closely with other departments and streams as part of an extended team.QualificationsEducation: Degree level or certificate in Customs compliance level 4 or higher or working experience of minimum 2 years in an equivalent position.Recognized experience in the import / export area including Inward ProcessingIn depth experience working in Import - Export Compliance and specifically in filing IPR submissions to UK Tax & RevenueLanguages: Fluency in EnglishExcellent communication & command skillsHigh level of accuracyAccountability, initiative and integritySAP / GTS knowledge, advanced Excel knowledge.Able to work in a matrix environment, in a team or independently and to interact with diverse stakeholdersCore ResponsibilitiesManagement and documentation of daily local customs' activitiesOfficial point of contact for local customs authorities - for day-to-day operationsAdministration and maintenance of import & export records in our systems Ensure compliance to international trade regulations and local customs accreditationsEnsure continuity including local backup solution for Trade affairsCoordination of import and export declarations with customs agents and forwardersControl of import and export documents and duties.Management of duties refund, duty drawbacks including optimizing and coordination of the IPR program.Support with common customs auditsEnsure compliance and flawless execution of inbound and outbound duty processesLicense Management.Ensuring the correct duty is applied through checking the GOV.UK websitesMonitoring SLA's and keeping them up to date with the customs broker / forwardersFunctional support to other departments